Yearning to Hear

Yearning to Hear

Feb 19 I went to the dr’s office to see about an ear infection that I could feel starting that morning.  I’ve not had an ear infection in my adult life.  I knew something was up when I was brushing my teeth in the morning and the sound of the toothbrush differed in the top teeth and in the bottom teeth.  The bottom molars just sounded like a regular “scrubba-scrubba-scrubba” with the tooth brush.  But when I brushed the top molars, it sounded more like “scritchy-scritchy-scritcy.”  It was really odd.

Also odd, and something to be very grateful for, was the fact that the pain was not a very sharp and excruciating pain.  I knew I had an infection, I could feel the pressure of tender tissues filling with affected fluids (paints a pretty picture, doesn’t it?)  , I could tell it was getting a bit feverish as it felt really good to place my stainless steel water bottle on my neck area that morning, but it was mostly just deafness in that ear and the pressure, and a little bit of jaw pain.  But I got into see the Physicians’ Assistant that afternoon, got right on the antibiotics, kept taking the decongestants, etc. that I’d started when I woke up that morning and the nasal discharge had changed to a more infected – looking color.  I had been fighting a cold/cough for over a week by then, and kind of not over it.  Lots of yucky stuff.  Yeah, I know.  Gross.  We’re that way.  You, dear readers, should know that by now.

You might also know that my husband is quite hard of hearing.  I, on the other hand, have quite acute hearing in my normal life.  That, in and of itself, makes it difficult to watch movies together.  If it’s a noisy action flick, I’m forever saying, “Turn it down!!”  And if it’s a chick flick with lots of dialog, “Turn it up. I can’t hear what they are saying,” is his most common request.  (Yes, we alternate the types of films we watch together.  It’s called compromising.)

At my visit with the Physician’s Assistant, she assured me that I did, indeed, have quite a whopper of an ear infection, the drum was red, bulging, and pretty close to bursting.  As a matter of fact, she said it probably would break, and it’d feel better after it had.  But it didn’t burst.  It has remained plugged and stopped and fluid-filled and those tooth-brushing noises have not changed.  Sritchy-scritchy-schritchy STILL, after nearly 2 weeks.  I’ve cleared the infection, I supposed.  But Nick calls it “Cleaning house” and the residue has to be cleared out.  I guess it must have a LOT to clear out, because it’s sure taking a long time to hear in that ear.  But, things could be a lot worse, and I know that.   It was just a simple ear infection and I can tell it’s starting to get some movement and changes.  The organ at church today sounded tinny and gargley instead of just muffled this week.  I guess that’s progress. And sometimes my yawns produces some promising noises/movement, but no real improvement in hearing quite yet.  Another good thing was that it didn't travel to the inner ear and affect my balance.

What’s really odd, though, is what happened the other night.  Eric was out.  Mike and I were laying in our bed, reading.  It was late.  I was laying on  my left side, reading (good ear down, deaf ear up) and was startled by Eric speaking to us in the door way of our room!! Yikes!  I had not heard him come into the house.  Mike said, “I heard him.”  Eric just stood in the doorway, staring. 

“This is SO backward!” he said.  Usually it’s the Momma who hears everything and everyone and the Daddy who is missing out because he hears not so much.   Not the case that night!! We chuckled about it.  Backwards, indeed.  

I do have a greater appreciation for Mike’s hearing loss.  I’ve been a little too impatient with him in the past.  So, we rented “The Avengers” last week at the height of my deafness and I said, “Just go ahead and turn it up as loud as you’d like.  I’m sure the neighbors will be able to hear it, but face it—it’s the only time you’ll be able to crank up a movie LOUD and have me be able to sit in the same room and watch it with you!!”  So we did. 

HUH?