There is so much in this life that I take for granted and Nikki has reminded me of one of those things. For the past week and a half she has had a hard time hearing. I first noticed it when I was reading a book to her asking her to find different colors. I would say, "Point to the red triangle." Then she would say, "What's next?" "Point to red." "What's next, Mom?" When she was looking at my lips she could understand me, but if she didn't look at me she acted like I hadn't said anything to her. So, we have gotten a little frustrated with each other this week because she won't respond to me and she thinks I'm ignoring her.
She has some congestion, and I thought maybe she has some fluid in her ears that's not draining properly. I had J.W., my physician's assistant brother, look in her ears, and he said he couldn't see past this incredible amount of hard wax in her ears. So, he gave me some drops and after a couple of days a bunch of really gross stuff came out that I thought would surely have been all that could be in there, but she still can't hear. Then Hannah woke up last night complaining of an earache, so I just took both of them into the doctor this morning. Fifty bucks later, neither of them have an ear infection and Nikki's ears are still clogged. The doctor told me to put some wax softening drops in Nikki's ears to clean them out. I guess I should have kept up the treatment JW prescribed. Her poor ears must have been packed full of gunk. How gross!
But it's gotten me to thinking how hard it would be to go around without the use of even one of our senses. She gets so frustrated when she can't hear the TV, or she thinks I'm not answering her question, or she can't find what room I'm in. What if I didn't have my glasses or contacts? I wouldn't be able to function. Or what if I couldn't taste anything? I love food! That would be miserable. So, I've been really thankful for my body and my good health. And it will be so nice when Nikki doesn't have to say anymore, "Mom, say it louder!"
2 comments:
i think about stuff like that sometimes. my teenage brother, being random, once asked me if i'd rather not have my hearing or my sight. it's an interesting question to think about. and i'm not sure what the answer would be. i can't imagine not having any of them, either.
i hope the girls get to feeling better. i hate it when they're not feeling good.
Hearing and sight would be really tough to be without, but I think I wouldn't mind giving up my sense of smell. I might miss some holiday smells, but I think there are really more bad odors than pleasant ones in this world. I have a sister-in-law who has a really sensitive nose, and I actually feel sorry for her sometimes because she can smell everything!
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