She can't hear a thing

Mary went along with me to the doctor yesterday because she's had a difficult time hearing us talking to her, even from so short a distance as two feet. Naturally, we're worried. She's always been prone to ear infections, and has had some hearing loss associated with it (according to some tests which were done years ago). We'd rather she didn't lose any more.

She and I arrived at the doctor's office early on Monday morning so that some X-rays could be taken of my chest (to check the progress of my de-virusification) before our scheduled appointment. After those were done, and we had returned to the waiting room, we had only a few moments to read some magazines before being called in; such is the benefit of early appointments.

The doctor confirmed that my pneumonia was still present in one of my lungs, but subsiding. It would no longer be necessary to take antibiotics (which are useless in the case of a virus anyway, but since he wasn't sure at first whether it was viral or bacterial, he wanted to "clear the field" so that he could be sure). He suggested 800 mg of ibuprofen for the pain in my ribs (because it feels like my bones are cracking whenever a cough occurs), plenty of liquids, cough syrup to suppress the urge, and a return visit in a couple weeks to verify that the lungs eventually clear up.

As for Mary, the nurse had performed a hearing test and determined that she couldn't hear anything in the left ear, and her hearing was much reduced in the right. Then the doctor took a look deep inside and thought he saw some pools of fluid, so he gave her some nasal spray that is supposed to help drain the eustachian tubes while she sleeps at night. And, of course, a return visit in a couple weeks to verify that the fluid has drained.

Afterward, we went out and got donuts at Krispy Kreme, and she helped pick out the Valentine's Day donuts (heart-shaped, with red and white sprinkles), and we used our Buy-1-Get-1-Free coupon for an extra dozen, and she got some fancy chocolate milk, and then we went home and pigged out on donuts.

Well, it made us feel a little better.