Thursday, October 25, 2007

Silent World.

It was half term. They were all off.

Tinkerbell Mushroom was speaking. I could see she was moving her mouth, and there was a vague noise that sounded like speech, but what she was saying, or why she was saying it was beyond my comprehension. I looked at Hubby in desperation. He translated in a very loud and clear voice - I presume. I heard. Just.

Sensible came in. Realising the current state of her mother's ears, she just smiled. Sympathetically. She gave me a cup of tea.

"I can't hear anything".

"I know." She mouthed.

Living in a silent world when you are used to full hearing is quite scary.

It's VERY scary.

Of course, I knew that it was only a temporary hearing loss, due to the ear infection, but there is always that element of doubt.......

I lay there in bed thinking that I really ought to get up. While I did, various thoughts were going through my head, and within minutes I had re planned my whole life strategy according to how it would be if this hearing loss was permanent. Not that I'm dramatic or anything. Even though I was accused of such, by an offspring or two...

I returned to the doctor.

He said something.

"Sorry? I can't hear you."

It's only three days since you went on the medication. It will take five to ten days." he explained, in a lightly terse, slightly impatient way. Well, as much as I could tell through my swimming pool hearing.

"But I didn't expect to go deaf." I said.

He said something else.

"Sorry?"

"YOUR EARS ARE JUST FULL OF STUFF. IT WILL GO. "

"Sorry? I can't hear you. Can you repeat that please?"

"YOUR EARS ARE JUST FULL OF STUFF. IT WILL GO. "

I was clearly not a priority case. I was a one of many invisible forty somethings on his list that day. His lack of sympathy and understanding didn't go down well. My ears hurt. I felt miserable. I couldn't hear and I hadn't slept for four nights.

I thought about television dramas involving doctors.

Images of caring doctors, smiling and empathetic came to mind. I wondered if bedside manner had been invented by actors and that in the real medical profession there is no such thing.....

Hubby had come down with me for some moral support. I muttered to him as I left the surgery. Words of TLC, bit of bedside manner and any other label that I felt should go with a doctor's position were mentioned.

Of course.......Being on the harder side of hearing at that time, my words in whispers probably came out.....

VERY LOUD.

When I got home again, I got a call from the surgery.

The Doctor wanted me to call him the following morning. To give him a progress report.......

Well either guilt had set in.

Or maybe someone in the surgery had heard me muttering.

That's MUTTERING by the way.........

............................p.s. I can hear again now, and the pain's gone........ He was right. As it turns out.....

They must be a nuisance for doctors really. Invisible forty something women.......

31 comments:

Unknown said...

PARDON? First!!

Glad you can hear again, xx.

Eliza said...

"I wondered if bedside manner had been invented by actors and that in the real medical profession there is no such thing....."

With any luck i'll let you know in 5 years!

glad you're all mended, that must have been scary! x

FH said...

LOL!! My husband's patients are mostly 50+ women!! They all LOVE him!:D
Glad you can hear now and it was just temporary.We don't want to lose hearing at 40+, do we?:)

Flowerpot said...

I've had that Sally and it's horrible so I really sympathise. Not being able to hear makes you feel really vulnerable. Glad you are OK now.

Anonymous said...

I'm not entirely convinced that this wasn't strategic planning on your part Sally - my mum would've PAID to be deaf over half term, even if it was very painful!

In seriousness though, glad you're feeling better.

Anonymous said...

Glad you're better, Sally.
You didn't have dizziness with that, too, did you?
It's lovely to be invisible, isn't it? Just part of the wall I am!

Akelamalu said...

He he, guilty conscience on the part of the doctor methink! Glad you've got your HEARING back and are feeling better. x

Anonymous said...

Oooo fun. I myself had a foot infection a couple weeks back, so I can sympathise with your discomfort!

Mary Alice said...

People who can not spare the time to at least PRETEND to be empathetic shouldn't bother to go into the medical profession...I know, they've seen it all, they are jaded..blah blah blah...but really it goes with the job. Perhaps if part of their salary was generated by tips, they could spare a kind smile and some sympathetic words.

sallywrites said...

John - It makes me feel great when you lot want to be first! Thanks! :)
Eliza - Look forward to hearing the answer! It was scary, but yes thankfully I am mended! Thank you :)
Asha - Can I be your husband's patient please?! Thank you! :)
Flowerpot - Yes - it's surprising how vulnerable it makes you feel. Thank you :)
KT - LOL! :) And Thank you :)
Lisa - No - Wasn't dizzy thank fully. Glad you understand the wallpaper thing... Thank you:)
Ak - Absolutely! Thank you! :)
Ig- Poor you.... Thank you for the sympathies. Hope your doctor was more in tune with his day so to speak.... :)

sallywrites said...

Mary Alice - So true!!! My thoughts exactly....... Maybe we should halve thier wages and introduce a commission system? they could only get a bonus from each patient IF they filled in a form saying that they were happy with the care.......

Anonymous said...

At least you can hear again - but phooey on unsympathetic doctors. They are getting paid - so they can sit there and listen to you! That's my opinon anyway!

Alix said...

hee hee love Mary Alice's comment and very glad you MUTTERED in the surgery!
Glad your feeling better, anything with the ears is so painful

ChrisB said...

Sally this is quite scary when it happens. I'm glad you can hear now. I thought Drs were given lessons in bedside manner when they were training but I think a lot of them played truant!!

Beccy said...

Oh poor you Sally, not being able to sleep although I wouldn't mind not being able to hear my children argue!

Glad you're feeling better.

sallywrites said...

Karmyn - I quite agree!
Alix - Yes it is painful... Thanks :)
Chris - I think you may be right! :) LOL
Beccy - It was quite surreal actually on the argument front. I knew that they were still bickering, but not being able to hear them put quite a serene gloss on life in some ways. At one point I walked across the road to our local shop and it was a bit like being in a silent movie. It was going dusk at the time too, so it was almost black and white. It's like having a power cut. It's not all bad..... I'm glad the pain has gone though, and I do appreciate my hearing very much now!!!

Nicole said...

Get well soon! Right now I am thinking how nice a short bout of hearing loss would be- excellent excuse for sleeping in "But I didn't hear the baby calling!"

headless chicken said...

Sally, I'm so glad your ears have stopped hurting......if it wasn't for the pain it would have been quite nice not to hear the constant background noise of kids I imagine!:)X

pierre l said...

I too am pleased that your ears have recovered. Having an ear infection in both ears must be very unpleasant, what with the constant pressure as well as the deafness.

Steffi said...

Glad you can hear again and you feel better!Thank you for your nice comments in my blog!

Akelamalu said...

PS I've posted another Nursery Rhyme Quiz today if you fancy a go. :)

Anonymous said...

just checking - can you hear me?

theotherbear said...

Ahh, how scary. I have a constant mental battle - would I rather lose my sight or my hearing. When my eyes went blurry the other week I really panicked. So scary. So I can understand how scary it was to not be able to hear (because I still haven't quite made my mind up on which I would choose). Glad you're feeling better.

Alice Band said...

You poor old dab. How did you cope with all the kids when you felt so under the weather? I admire you. I would have wanted to crawl under the duvet and cry.

Pamela said...

scary silence...and I thought that it would be golden.

Doctors are too busy. Sometimes they need to be grabbed by the ear.

meredic said...

Curse that joh.g. for getting in far quicker that I with the obvious comment....I SAID CURSE THAT JO....oh never mind

Anonymous said...

invisible 40-somethings maybe, but not inaudible, eh, sally?

Jayne said...

I'm glad that your hearing came back. I laughed at your story though. Ooops, :0)

Debs said...

I thing very few doctors have a good bedside manner anymore.

I am so glad you can hear again. :D

ChrisB said...

Sally I've given you an award.

sallywrites said...

Thank you all....... Sorry, been a bit absent this week. Back now!

S
x

p.s. Will now go and have a look at Chris's award!