Momma called the doctor and the doctor said...

So, I fully intended to get caught up on this blog this week. That is until I got this kick-me-in-the-butt kinda cold that is now a sinus infection and ear infection. Really, I've been moaning and groaning from the couch or under my duvet since I got home from work on Monday. It's just been bad. So, you can stop reading here and just take my apology for not blogging for the past few weeks...or you can carry on reading. I will warn you that I am launching into a bit of a rant though.

I finally went around to the doc yesterday to tell her that I can't breathe...at all!...and the pressure might possibly make my eyeballs pop right out of my head. Since my catarrh wasn't green (I know all you Americans want to click on that word to see what it is) and my ear was only mildly inflamed, she said that she would put an antibiotic in the computer (yes, that's a promise of an antibiotic) but she wasn't ready to hand one over. I walked home in the blizzard only slightly convinced this would have a chance of resolving itself.

It didn't. I woke up today thinking Ben had stuffed my ears with cotton last night. He didn't...it's just getting worse. I called as soon as the doctor's *surgery* (that's what they call it here, folks) was open. I asked if I could just get the promised antibiotic or if I needed to come in to have a doc tell me that yes, my ears actually are worse off today than they were yesterday. The nurse (or receptionist???) on the phone decided I really ought to come along so that they could have another look. Alrighty! I was building up my argument for not leaving their office until I had antibiotic in hand as the boys (yes, they are off school today!) and I slipped and slid (there's solid ice the whole way to the surgery from the snow we had yesterday) our way there.

In the waiting room, Silas brings me a book about dinosaurs that he wants to read. I think Elam is just waiting patiently in a zone until he says, 'Hey mom, what is mental illness?' We talk about chemical imbalances in the brain for a minute or so and then he says, 'So, what does shiz-op-reen-a do to you?' Schizophrenia...hmmm. Somehow I got him sidetracked from that one but the he looks at me a minute later and says, 'Mom, do you know that most women can tell you the difference between 20 different kinds of make-up but only 2 kinds of contraception?' Nice. 'You can talk to your doctor about all the different kinds of contraception available, Mom.' I'm sure the marketers were completley thinking of an 8 year old boy when they were designing that poster! Fortunately he saw one about eyesight and glasses next and got caught up trying to see how far he could see. Honestly I was a bit too worried to look around to see if there was anything about STDs.

I was called back to the room and saw a different doc (possibly a bonus about the system here...just like a second opinion). I explained that my ears were worse. She had a look and said something about fluid bulging out my eardrum from the back and all that good stuff. She gave me the antibiotic and apologized that I had to make the extra trip in. Hallelujah!

I'm hoping these pills work their magic...I have a date with my Valentine tomorrow night.