April 18

steps 4,380

I was so tired, I could not do more. 

I awoke dizzier than the day before. So, I did not take a muscle relaxer. After a bit, I had a pain in my left ear that was excruciating. It was a an earache causing me problems. But, when your balance is gone, it won't matter why you fell. 

Tommy gave me his walker to go to bathroom and followed using canes because he was afraid I would fall. 

I am taking antibiotic and taking measures to help my clogged Eustachian tube. 

I feel too bad to type anymore.

Things I Find When I Clean the House

Well, I did not actually clean anything yet. Just picking up this plastic bag and that plastic bag, I find things I actually need and things I forgot I had. Yeah, this is more like digging out than actually cleaning.

In one bag, I found the receipt for my TV, dated 11/30/2017. Since I plan to return the TV on Tuesday, this will be handy. Neither of us remembered which of his credit cards I used. I use one of his credit cards for high price items or any electronics so the item can be disputed more easily. Once, he used his credit card and I handed him $110 in cash. The clerk did a double take. "Security," I told him. The clerk did not understand the appearance of a cc and cash at the same time.

The loud pops emanating from the TV are concerning me. I think it might explode or catch on fire.. A guy who knows said it is probably the speaker and not dangerous, as I fear. At any rate, I am returning it. Being without sound is not what I want.

I was concerned with the 30-day return policy. From the receipt I see I bought a 2-year replacement policy. It is the first warranty I have ever purchased and it appears it is a good thing.

In another bag was a half bag of Christmas Kisses. Yay me! I knew I bought Kisses I did not eat, but never could find them. Then, I figured I ate them and did not remember.

A pair of Halloween tights bought for $.75 for older g-daughter have now made an appearance at almost Easter.

A bag of almost expired coupons from 4 papers surfaced, too. These need to be clipped soon. Okay, the coupons are clipped and the rest can go to a woman who uses them for food bank items.

I uncovered a box of birthday cards. I buy the box of 12 for $2.98. I need those soon.

So many expired coupons and old magazines go right into the trash right along with the AARP magazines I intended to read.

The white onions and garlic I never planted due to being ill smell funky after months of being in a plastic bag. I wonder if they are still good. ???

This is like an archaeological dig.

 I wrote the above several days ago and then lost my oomph and quit the dig.

My oomph stealer was an earache of epic proportions. The gland below ear is swollen, The ear itself hurts to touch it. My eyebrow hurt and the area in front of the ear. Today, I got an injection and three prescriptions.

When I lie on the left side, the side with ear doing poorly, it hurts. When I lie on the left side, I can hear fluid running and gurgling. I cannot lie on my back.

Formerly, the sinus congestion of a few days ago would have rapidly have progressed to my ears, throat, and lungs. I feel incredibly lucky this is only an earache, although she said my throat was very red on that side. This is all bad but so much better than it has been in the past with pollen problems.

Oh, yes, I forgot the fever for days. I thought I could beat this all back but could not.

The house is neither clean nor shoveled out!

Has the pollen gotten to you? Do you "find" things when you clean or look into places?

Shocking Health News from ENT

Nose spray--deliberate glare

Maybe this news I am about to tell you about my puny condition for the last month is not a shocker to you. But, I have lived with my body for a long time. This shock is on the scale of finding out I was adopted. (I'm not.) My head was spinning. I felt out of control. How could I be so wrong?

The ENT was a very nice man, very capable, I am sure. However, I went to the doctor with an earache and pain in forehead and under eyes and across the bridge of my nose. Okay, the glasses might cause the pain. I told him the names of all the meds I had taken in the last month, two antibiotics and prednisone, sudafed and Claritin (both generic), Hall's Mentholyptus, chicken broth. He did not ask. Oh, had an elevated  temp but no one took it.

I still had the information I was filling out in my hand, so he came into the room not knowing anything about me. I had a temp, but no one checked.

I told/volunteered to him all the things I have been allergic/sensitive to all my life--heat, going from cool to heat, contact dermatitis, animal allergens, food, pollens, any kind of dust (road, yard, powder, pepper, flour, etc) that sends me into sneezing fits and causes allergic reactions. He smiled.

He did not ask me what I had been doing for myself or about any meds prescribed, but I thought he would want to know. I told him. He smiled indulgently while I reeled it off quickly. Most doctors want to know. Oh, I forgot to tell him about the elevated temp! Oh well. He did not seem curious about my past,  just the miserable soul in front of him.

After I had an xray of my sinuses, he informed me I had nothing wrong with my sinuses...no evidence of anything in them...no congestion or infection at all. Plus, he looked at the ear that is hurting so much and listened to how at the worst, my face near the ear was swollen, how eating wasabi in an overabundance made my nose run and all the ear pain went away. There is nothing wrong with the middle ear, no congestion, fluid--nothing to cause discomfort!...according to him.

HUH!

Apparently, I have no allergy, sinus, or ear problems. He said the inside of my nose is going crazy with sensitivity to things that get in my nose. He never used the word rhinitis or any rhin thing. lol  I thought was he described WAS an allergy. Okay, isn't this seasonal/perennial allergic rhinitis? (rhetorical)

Ear pain-must is musculoskeletal. He said I have no swollen glands just swelling where glands are! ???

I have spray stuff up my nose to "calm down my nose reaction." HUH? He never addressed allergies to food or what is in the air. He did say to avoid foods and anything that caused a reaction, keep nose (inside) moist, and something else that I already do.

Now, you know why air conditioning is important to my health. Now, you know why an overheated house or wood heat must be avoided. Now, you know why I cannot sleep in a warm room.  A little warmth in the room for adult fun time is okay (almost mandatory), but then the heat must go off. Okay, adult time has not happened in a while, so that is a moot point here...lolol.

He never used "allergy." I am so confused.

Obviously, I cannot use the sprayer since no mist comes out, just a stream that ran right out of my nostrils last night!

Oh, he cleaned out my nose! I thought it was clean. As he looked in my nose, I informed him that I had a hole in the septum. He smiled and said he wondered if I knew it and asked how it happened. He got lots of earwax from the ear that was not hurting. Maybe I can hear out of it better now. Naaah! It'll never happen. Then, later last night, the hugeist ball of wax? was in my ear he cleaned.

I feel all clean inside. Just kidding. I don't even remember my mother ever cleaning out my nose. Since she had two more within three years, I suppose I cleaned my own nose. Now, if I could just get someone to clean my nails on my left nails and toes that are almost unreachable because of the left knee and back problems. Well, I can dream, can't I? I digress. Back to the ears.

One of my eardrums burst when I was an infant, so that is probably the problem with the hearing. Yes, my mother had me at the doctor two times that week, and had just taken me to the doctor in the afternoon before the eardrum burst. See, this has been a lifelong problem. I inherited this from my father. Mama said when she met Daddy's family they were "the snorting-est, snotting-est people [she] had ever been around". Aren't you enjoying all the snot talk?

So, I have not been ill for a month? I really feel depressed and want to cry. I don't want to be ill, but this is just too much to internalize right now with pain in my ear and over my eyes, under my eyes, still. Sigh.

Not gross enough for you? Go over to Barb's Backyard for pictures of scat yesterday morning. Wait a minute. Finish my post.

Mind you, I do not doubt his diagnosis. I am just flabbergasted. I have a sample of the spray, deliberately masked by flash, I thought, and a prescription if the sample works......

Your turn
Have you ever been given nose spray when you have pain in ears and sinuses and told you that the reason the ears and sinus areas hurt are musculoskeletal? Had your problem minimized to "excitable nose?" I am capable of understanding the big words. Have you ever had a diagnosis or pain for so long and then one health professional tell you that you are all wrong, and apparently so have health officials for the last 64 years?  Hey, for my friend who father is an ENT, if you have any other thoughts, you can write where we talked online after our phone discussion.