You've Got Food In Your Ears

The children are outside laughing. I can hear the dog's chain rattling and her short huffs of breath as she runs after whatever they are throwing for her.

I wanted to go to the city park today, as it is a beautiful day. But, on Thursday I woke up with awful allergies. My ears felt clogged, and I am somehow haunted by the fact that the last time they felt like this, a doctor told me "You have a lot of food in your ears." Nevermind that this was when Hannah was an infant. (Over six years ago.) My ears have never spewed forth that nasty substance called wax. I figured that's what the doctor meant by food, and it has been this psychological problem of mine ever since. I have food in my ears that will not come out.

The thought of food in one's ears is enough to drive a person mad. I have some peroxide solution that we had used last month to rid Ella's ears of her wax build-up. We tilted her head and so much wax came out on the fourth day, it was like a home-made science project. Hannah held her flashlight while I gently scooped yellow and orange globs from her ears.

On Thursday, I woke up feeling awful. The crusty eyes. The weird tumbleweed feeling in my throat. The wind was blowing like crazy, so I know it is allergies. I thought, "Well, I feel like Hell, my ears are clogged... maybe I can get something out." (Sadly, it has been an obsession of mine for six years to see something come out of my ears.)

I grabbed the tiny little bottle of solution, and put a few drops into my ear. It slid in, really slow and creepy-like. I lay on the couch, watching television. I flip sides and put the drops in the other ear. I love the way the oil oozes out of my ear. Of course, nothing comes out but clear oily liquid. No matter, it took four days to have results for Ella. I will be patient, I think.

Afterwards, they feel sort of strange and greasy. We decided to go grocery shopping, as we have been eating out too much. I keep rubbing my ears, and apparently I didn't rinse them out good enough before we left. I keep getting these weird stabbing pains deep in my ears.

At first, it starts with a stab that is accompanied by a weird shreik sound. Not painful, just sort of annoying. But it escalates to the point, that I push the shopping cart to Chris, and cover both ears. "Here, here, take this. I can't do this anymore. We need to leave as soon as possible."

I can't concentrate because of the pain in my ears. It had turned into a constant set of shreiks... like violins being played in the most vile way possible. On the way home, I have my hands on both sides of my head, pushing my ears. I've never had that sort of pain before. It felt like someone was shoving knitting needles into my ears. We got home, and I dropped the bags of food on the floor and ran into the room. I am pretty sure labor wasn't as intense... (slightly kidding).

Anyway, it has been 3 days, and hardly any relief. I believe I gave myself an ear infection. I'm pretty lethargic (thank god for laptops). It makes me angry at myselt for putting that crap in my ear..

I'm even more upset at that doctor. Why on God's green earth, would you tell someone they have "FOOD" in their ears, and send them home with Tylenol? You gotta love military doctors, don't you?

Of course, now, we are without medical insurance, and I fear that my ears will burst.