Two days ago, the Queen (May She Live Forever) asked me "Are you having any trouble with canker sores?" How did she know? Just the night before a lovely aphthous ulcer had formed under my upper lip. I find this a particularly annoying spot. It is not as if food ends up there very often, but when it does, the close proximity of the lip and gum assure that the particle will be ground into the canker with optimum efficiency.

She was asking because she had asked her doctor about them and he had told her that they are caused by a bacterial imbalance within the body. He said the best treatment is to take acidophilus. I immediately went to the 'chamber of holistic medication' (the refrigerator) and ingested a few million live Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria. Mmmmmm, yummy.

Normally, my canker sores have two primary characteristics. 1 - They get big, like ¼" to ½" in diameter. 2 - They last a long time - like 7 to 10 days, and oh so generously distribute pain for the entire duration. They usually have a marked affect on my food intake and, when positioned near the lips, they also take all the pleasure out of kissing. I can go without food for a week, but...I think you get the picture.

A single day after putting my bacterial minions into action I noticed a dramatic change in the canker. I could still see a red spot where it was, but it was no longer ulcerated (white) and the pain was eliminated. I was so excited, I immediate gave the Queen a long, hard (and pain-free ) kiss.

I just wanted to pass this along to do my part in aiding the love lives of my fellow canker sufferers.