If you can read this, you’re too gross

Happy New Year.  Wanna hear a disgusting, gory medical story?  Sure you do!

Even though I’m 36, I still get ear infections pretty frequently.  They hurt.  I had Sophie at home without even a tylenol, and the ear infections make me cry.  The girls shared their gnarly winter break head/chest cold with me, and I ended up with an ear infection that started early Sunday morning.  I took myself to the emergency room (nowhere else to go on a Sunday morning) where the doctor took one look in my ear and then started writing script for vicodin, amoxicillin, and prednisone.  The nurse could tell I was hurting, and she asked what I’d taken at home for pain.  I told her 800 milligrams of advil, and she brought me two (two!) vicodin to tide me over till I could get to the pharmacy. 

Lucky for me, my sister is a pharmacy tech, and was working on Sunday.  I went to see her, she filled my prescriptions in about three minutes, and then I came home and writhed around for awhile until my eardrum ruptured. 

So unpleasant.

Anyhow, this is a little boring in the retelling, but the upshot is that my eardrum broke on Sunday, today is Tuesday, and there is still this nasty, watery, bloody goop coming out of my ear.  Even with vocidin, the pain is making me cranky (just ask my family).  So, basically, I’m of the opinion that if your child has an ear infection, it is A-OK to slip them a shot of whiskey or tequila.  Maybe rootbeer schnapps for the really young ones. 

I had a great New Year’s Eve with my boys.  We watched PiRRRRRRates of the Carrrrrrribean 2, had champagne (for me) and sparkling cider (for them, duh, they didn’t have earaches so no champagne for them) and then we went outside and made noise with a bunch of poppers and things my brother got the kids when he was here for Christmas.  We talked about how old everyone would turn this year, and all the things we want to do.  They were really excited.  It was nice. 

And, now, I’m going to go pop another pill and take a short nap.  And try not to get gick on my pillow.  Ewwww.

15 thoughts on “If you can read this, you’re too gross

  1. alicia aka Pocono Mom

    first off, i hope you feel better soon. it can be terrible having to deal with pains like that.
    secondly, who do you think you are? just because your sister is a pharmacy tech…why do you get to breeze in and out of the pharmacy??? youshould have to suffer with the rest of us!
    just kidding! be well, happy new year and god bless.

    Reply
  2. mothergoosemouse

    Holy crap. I haven’t had one since I was a child, but my younger daughter ran the ear infection gauntlet several times last year. I never did give her a sip of my wine, and now I’m feeling like Mommie Dearest because of it.

    So the million dollar question – what now? Your eardrum ruptured – what does that mean for your ear? Your hearing? I really hope there’s no lasting damage, and of course that you feel much MUCH better soon.

    Reply
  3. Susan

    Eeeeww! So sorry.

    Also, I misread “vicodan” the first time as “vodka” and I thought, how interesting that the doctor was prescribing vodka. Because that’s totally what I would have taken for an ear infection.

    Happy New Year! Feel better. And stop leaking.

    Reply
  4. Jenijen

    Wow, you are all so kind! I’m almost better, but my head is a solid bowling ball of snot. Ew.

    So, the eardrum rupturing thing; it happens to me every once in awhile — maybe six or so times ever. Usually I can’t hear for a few days, except for the delightful, nonstop ringing like I hear right now. Then, it slowly comes back, but my hearing is certainly permanently impaired from it. Luckily, I suppose, it’s my right eardrum that always ruptures, so the damage is all in the same ear. I just have to talk on the phone with my left ear. Well, with my mouth, technically, but I have to listen left-eared.

    Thanks again for all the get well wishes!
    xoxoxoxo

    Reply
  5. lilsley

    You are such a trooper, you poor thing, BUT…and here’s some light at the end of the rainbow… you got this out of the way BEFORE your big trip! YAY! You will be all fine and well and jolly for that, I just know it.

    Reply
  6. marian

    Uff. I went through a stage in my early forties of ear things like that. It was the worst! Good God! So I totally know how painful it is and how awful. I had one bout in which I completely lost my hearing. Couldn’t even hear the phone ring, and everyone had to yell for me to hear them. I still have residual hearing loss from that one. And tinnitus, which I’ve learned to live with.

    However, and here’s the good news, they passed. It was a phase of some sort. You still go through phases, even when you’re all grown up!

    Drink tons, and I do mean tons of water. Hope this is your last one! And also? Don’t ever blow your nose. Kiss of death. Just snorkle and sniff and use a neti pot, but blowing your nose fucks up your ears big time.

    Reply
  7. Anonyyy

    I know this was last year, but I have the exact same thing right now, and yeah it hurts like hell (less than before it popped though).

    I was just curious, isn’t it bad to drink alcohol when taking vicodin?

    Reply
  8. jenijen

    yeah — it’s not wise to mix alcohol and vicodin. i think i probably spaced it out as much as possible, and also didn’t DRINK, drink, you know?

    hope you feel better fast!

    Reply

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