Dear Friend,
In my last post I mentioned I couldn't hear very well out of my left ear. It turns out I have strange aggressive infection that has caused (hopefully) temporary hearing loss. I went to a specialist for treatment yesterday. He filled my ear with medicine and plugged it with a cotton ball. Now I can hear less than before! But the doctor seems optimistic that I will be much better in about a week. I'm wearing a knitted hat to keep the cotton ball intact.
Before I went to the specialist yesterday, I visited my daughter's school to see her perform in a "wax museum" as the deaf/ blind author, Helen Keller. Each kid in her class dressed as a person from history and wore a bright green sticker-button on his or her shoulder. When a guest tapped a character's button, the character came to life and quoted a speech. Even though my ear was throbbing and I could barely make out what the students were saying, I enjoyed seeing the culmination of their hard work.
I suppose it's significant, considering my recent experience with hearing loss, that my daughter has been so interested in deafness lately. She's been practicing some signs in order to communicate with a boy in her class who is deaf. I'm trying not to panic about the silence, but instead to view this time of healing as a silent retreat. I told you about how much I benefited spiritually from the retreat I took last year. I'm planning to attend another one in May. If you missed those posts, you can read them here.
One other thing I should mention: my computer has crashed! It's in the shop now. My husband's schedule is constantly in flux due to his business, so I'm never really sure when I'll have access to his laptop. If you don't hear from me in the next few days, please know that I appreciate any kind thoughts and prayers you can offer! My mom is keeping my two youngest children for a couple days so I can rest and try to rally my immune system.
Blessings!
Love,
Adriana
Hi Adriana,
ReplyDeleteI hope the treatment is effective and that your ear is back to normal soon! I sympathize: I'm almost totally deaf in my right eardue to childhood ear infections. The specialist encouragingly said that my other ear "has the hearing of a five-year old" but judging from some five-year-olds that may not be a compliment ... Anyway I hope that it's better soon. Seeing it as an opportunity for a silent retreat is certainly putting a positive spin on it.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Jeannie. I appreciate your sympathy! Not every moment has felt positive so far, but I'm adjusting! I'm grateful that I'm in less pain today. That's a huge plus!
DeleteI'm praying, Adriana. I'm also grinning at your story about being in the classroom with the kids in their historical wax museum figure mode; what fun!
ReplyDeleteTim, It was so neat! There were 6 Abraham Lincolns (4 male, 2 female). Elvis and Michael Jordan kept a crowd around them the whole time. I asked Elvis if I could take his picture and he put down his note cards and posed! I was struck by the fact that 4 white children chose African American roles: MLK, Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, and Willie Mays. When "Rosa Parks" told me: "I would not give up my seat for a white," I teared up -- I mean, here is a little white girl freely and purposefully placing herself in Rosa Parks' shoes! That made me feel hopeful that with the next generation we will see more and more racial reconciliation.
DeleteGosh, hope you get better soon! Take care :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, o! :-)
DeleteGet well soon, Adriana! fighting!(asian expression for be strong)
ReplyDeleteThe culminating program sounds fun!
Just last week i witness a little commotion in our university. There was this security guard who was blowing her whistle like crazy and running after a girl because she has no I.D. The security guards we have here won’t allow any student in without an I.D. When the girl turned around, imagine our surprise when she wave her hands doing some sign language. (im speechless, so are the guards.) I thought "OMG! I just found out a way to evade the guards. haha(i will put that in my list of what to do just in case im caught or something)
Also my mom has tinnitus. It's like there's a ringing in the ear for like every second and it has no cure. She was always complaining about it for about a month and then she met my friend who also has tinnitus and she asked her what she did with it. My friend said, she just don't mind the ringing. That did it for her. I haven't heard a complain ever since (it has been 2-3 years i think). So yeah, maybe you just have to shift your perspective and find the positive side :)
Blessings and Good health to you and your family!
I love your Asian expressions, Sheena. Thank you!
Delete. . . Wow! What a scene that must have been at your university! I'm smiling over the thought of you learning a few signs "just in case." ;-)
Blessings to you and your family as well, dear! ♥