Down with the Sickness

Captain's Log:
 
   Today is Saturday.  This past Thursday, I woke with a mild sore throat and lots of aches and pains throughout my body.  'No big deal,' I thought, so I made myself several cups of hot ginger and cinnamon tea to combat the possible oncoming cold.  By mid-afternoon, I had a fever, and by 4:00 pm that fever had hit 102.4, which sounds more like an FM radio station than a body temperature.
 
   I got tons of rest that evening, drank plenty of fluids - teas, lemon water - and gargled with salt water to help get rid of that sore throat.  I was delirious with fever.  My innerds felt so cold, but I could feel heat radiating from my face.  When I woke Friday morning, I thought all was right in the world.  My fever was gone, my sore throat was only barely noticeable, and I was very thirsty.  I drank a quart of water and prepared to head into work.

  And then the fever came back.  And the sore throat got worse.  And my legs felt like rubber, and weakness overtook my body.  Back to bed.

  85% of Friday was spent asleep and 95% was spent in bed.  I managed to eat one decent meal.  The fever broke by 4 pm, and I've been sweating profusely ever since.  Drank water all day long.  Gargled with salt water all evening long.  It was during one of these gargling sessions that I glanced in the mirror and noticed the disgusting white patches all over my tonsils.

   Shit.  It's strep.

   So here I am.  On Saturday.  Gargling with salt & cayenne pepper water every hour.  Taking acetaminophen to mask the pain (a 6 out of 10 on the pain scale) of the sore throat.  Drinking warm tea.  Resting.  Meditating.

   And my new, simple lifestyle is having "a moment."  First of all, most specialists will recommend antibiotics for Strep.  Even if it doesn't cure the bacterial infection in me, it will prevent its transmission to others.  But I don't want to subject my body to antibiotics.  What truly is the greater good in this dilemma?  Second of all, it is discouraging just to be sick at all.  I eat healthy, nourishing foods.  I get exercise and plenty of sunlight.  I have reduced stress in my life, and I wash my hands frequently and properly.  So, uh, wtf.

   Any thoughts from the public?