Canker sores

I haven't been writing much. I actually haven't been doing much of anything, except what I absolutely have to. This is because I have am laid up with what has to be one of the most annoying afflictions of all times: the canker sore. I don't know about other people, but I have gotten canker sores so bad that I can't get out of bed. Who knew that a little sore with a diameter of maybe a centimeter could cause such intense pain? My current sore is located on the back of my throat, which makes things like talking, eating, breathing, and swallowing quite unpleasant activities. So I'm not saying much these days, which has helped me to realize just how much I talk sometimes. Sleep is about the only thing that brings relief, and since many canker sores are actually caused by stress, I figure that sleeping may in fact help to cure it as well as relieve some of the pain. Possibly because I am reading yet another book on midwifery, I keep wondering how I am ever going to survive labor if one tiny canker sore seems completely capable of overpowering me. My theory is this: there is productive pain--pain which leads to something, is for a purpose, is necessary in order to bring something about; and then there's just pointless pain, which is almost mentally unbearable. I can handle the pain of getting a tattoo or a piercing, because at the end of it I have some new body art that looks great, and I'm happy. I really believe I can handle the pain of labor because the reward is a precious baby. All that to say, I hope this canker sore goes away really really soon.