Taking Stock
I have to say since the accident that stole my hearing in my right ear last week, I’ve been a little depressed. No, scratch that…a lot depressed. Though the ENT assures me I should enjoy a full recovery to my eardrum and my hearing, I’m not so sure. Well, I trust him…but I’m scared. Not that I can’t hear anything from that ear, because I can hear some. But the damn fishbowl effect is driving me crazy. Everyday I wake with the hope that I’ll notice something different, something better. So far, nada. I’m still living with Charlie Tuna under the sea.
The worst part? Nothing tastes right.
Now, why is this? I understand why you can’t taste when you have a head cold and your nose isn’t working. Part of taste is also the sense of smell, the aroma of the food exciting the taste buds into a Pavlovian frenzy. But hearing? How exactly have I ruined my taste receptors by putting my eardrum out? My hubby insists it’s because my auditory canal is swollen and achy and not acting right and “everything is connected in there.”
I know this. I’m the one who took A & P and works in healthcare for her regular job. But I guess I didn’t expect such a dramatic change. And I’m not liking it.
I also didn’t enjoy the pain that shot through my ear when I tried to pull myself up out of the bathtub last night. What was that all about?
I am not enjoying this in the least. I’m not even sick enough to take medical leave from work as I suffer no dizziness…only annoyance.
And with that, it’s my cue to go get ready for the nightly grind.
-Kate
