Speak Into My Good Ear

Probably because I ran myself ragged before Christmas, I was sick for New Year’s. Sadly, Facebook reminded me I was also under the weather for New Year’s last year. I really should do something about that! Maybe my plan for Christmas 2018 will be to take some Airborne or something to help boost my immune system, since cutting out the stress is probably not feasible. You know, unless I win the lottery and can take us all to Tahiti for Christmas.

 

The Thursday before the New Year Chica Marie had a sleep study. I knew going in I was not going to really get much sleep, as “sleep study” is really a misnomer. So, we were instructed to be there by 8:30, which is already Chica Marie’s bedtime. So, as the nurse (who was totally awesome and wonderful and I’m so glad she was our nurse) was hooking the multitude of electrodes and gadgets to Chica Marie’s body, she started feeling the effects of her pill (so we know that works!) and quickly drifted off to sleep after being tucked in with all the wires threaded behind her. Fortunately, I was allowed to use the room next to hers, which shared a bathroom. I wasn’t able to sleep in the bed with her so the machinery wouldn’t pick up my breathing, snoring, or other body signals being measured. The option in the room was an awful, hard, barely reclining chair. I reiterate, I was very grateful to have the room next to hers. I went to sleep at my usual time, around 11. Before I went to bed I wanted to check on Chica Marie but as I quietly opened the bathroom door into her room, the nurse told me she had been up but just went back to sleep. I’m not really sure what time it was, I’m guessing around 4 am, the nurse woke me up telling me Chica Marie was awake and asking for me. I felt bad for not being in the room when she woke up, but she wasn’t too upset, just not able to fall back to sleep. I laid with her, but she wasn’t falling asleep enough for me to leave the room again, so I moved to the chair, ensuring her I wouldn’t leave the room. This is how I know just how miserable the chair was since I didn’t sleep a wink, just dozed until the nurse came to wake us up at 5 am. We dressed quickly and were soon shivering in the frigid early morning air and short car ride home.

 

At home, we found Primero and Love Bug sleeping on the couch together with the Christmas tree on for mood lighting. Quietly, we washed Chica Marie’s hair because the nurse used this awful sticky goop to attach the electrodes to her head. Then we both went back to bed and slept until after 10. We didn’t do much that day and by the evening I was not feeling well. I was shivering uncontrollably and just felt not with it. So, I went to bed early, asking Primero to put Love Bug to bed. Which, to him, must mean letting the little Bug squirm into my bed and sleep with me. This did not help me get a restful night’s sleep. So, I spent most of the day Saturday in bed, trying desperately to “sleep off” the cold and feel better. Spoil alert! It’s didn’t help. Sunday I forced myself out of bed, thinking if sleeping didn’t help maybe activity would, but it too did not help me feel better.

 

For New Year’s Eve I had made plans with my boyfriend to go out to the local winery (our favorite stomping ground) for an adult party. Unfortunately, he ended up having to work and even if he didn’t work, I wasn’t feeling up to going out. I was bummed because I was really looking forward to a nice night, getting dressed up and whatnot. Alas, it was not meant to be. I was on the couch in my pjs with the little ones when the ball dropped in NYC. It wasn’t a bad night, once the kids stopped fighting.

 

The other reason I really wanted to go out on New Year’s was because I wanted Primero to stay home. I was worried about a repeat from Thanksgiving, with him getting drunk and doing things that he wasn’t ok with the next day. He ended up going to the same cousin’s house and I made him promise me he wouldn’t drink. He came home around 1 am and came to talk to me, mostly because he scared the sh*t out of me when he came home. If he had any drinks that night, he wasn’t clearly intoxicated, although my senses were dulled from the sinus infection.

 

My lingering cold and inability to hear out of my right ear eventually lead me to visiting my family doctor the Thursday after New Year’s. As it turns out, I had a sinus infection. The doctor declared the blockage and swelling in my ear was the worst he had seen all day and he said I was tough when I told him it didn’t really hurt. He suggested a neti pot nose irrigation but given the look on my face, he agreed to prescribe me an antibiotic, which I am still taking. I still cannot really hear out of my right ear, but the doctor told me it could take a month for my hearing to come totally back. I’m actually contemplating using the darn nose irrigation doohickey because I’m sick of only hearing my own breathing in my right ear. I just think it’s so gross and I hate the feeling of things going down the back of my throat. But, geezum! I want to hear again! I’m too young to be saying, “speak into my good ear!”  Anyway, the way I see it, this new year can only go up from here! I’m also very glad none of the kid got sick because it’s hard enough momming being sick, let alone caring for sick children too!