Laughter is Good Medicine

Since my little incident in the shower, I've been able to hear very little out of my right ear.  I've grown rather accustomed to it by now and Isaac and I have started calling it my "bad" ear.  The other night he just died laughing because we went to bed at the same time (a rarity when you're married to a med school student) and I sleep on the right and he on the left.  I was turned on my side facing him, which meant that the bad ear was facing up and my good ear was smothered in pillow-ness.  

I was just starting at his oh-so-handsome face as he started to talk.  A millisecond into whatever he was saying and I realized I couldn't hear it because my bad ear was the one up.  Then, as yet more proof that I am really an old lady, I had to speak those dreaded words you hear from the 90-somethings in retirement homes.

"Heh?  What are you saying?  Hold on... my good ear is in the pillow."

He. Just. Died.

I hope by now you realize I'm learning to laugh at myself because the alternative lately is probably to cry or get angry, and so as he continued his guffawing, I joined him.  Really, if you think about it, I am just a miserable mess.  My body has been started more drama in the past month than I care to admit.  Let's see what we've got a count on so far (you can click on some of the following for the full scoop if you're behind):

• Excisional Biopsy Surgery
• Diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma IIA
• A million blood tests, PET/CT scan, MUGA scan, and a pulmonary function test
• Fever/headaches/sore throat/wry neck
• Ear erruption that resulted in early anesthesia at my Mediport Surgery, a visit to Urgent Care, AND a visit to the ER
• Mediport Surgery
• Tightness in my neck that Isaac had to crack out (yes, CRACK)
• Nausea and a 3-day nap due to chemotherapy
• Crack-addict-like behaviors from either chemotherapy or compazine (to be determined after the next chemo cycle)
• A yeast infection from the million antibiotics I've been on
• Claw-hand and spastic tongue muscles from a compazine reaction--aka: another trip to the ER

We can add another one after my visit with the ENT yesterday, too: surgery to put a tube in my right ear.  Yep.  Apparently there is fluid built up behind my eardrum that is behind held in place because my adenoids are swollen (lymphoma being the likely culprit of the swelling) and are holding it up there.  They're going to knock me out on July 18th, cut a hole in my eardrum, suck the fluid out, and put a temporary tube in that will fall out on its own within a year or so.

This is why we laugh.  

That, and the fact that my husband and mother figured out every loophole in my insurance policy.  Not only did we figure out how to work the "guest" status, we also ended up getting a refund of what we had paid for the month of June because my mom figured out I shouldn't have had to switch plans.  I bet the insurance people are pissed.

They told her to quit reading the policy.

All in all, when it rains, it pours... and so long as I don't have my hair and makeup done, I'm fine with splashing in the puddles.

Oh, and Em Fedderson, if you're reading this: I had to cut a little over a 1/2" off my hair yesterday to knock it back to where it was when I first cut it.  Just sayin'.