About a week after we found out, I started to feel really run down. I was exhausted, congested, and just generally miserable. There were two days in a row that I almost went home sick on a half day because I felt so horrible. I didn't know if I had a cold, allergies, or if it was just due to the pregnancy. After three days of feeling like that, I gained a new symptom...migraine. I wanted to die. I knew I could take Tylenol, but no ibuprofen?! How was I going to make it?? Now I was exhausted, congested, nauseated, in pain, and just generally miserable. And on top of it all, I started freaking out because I didn't know if my sickness was harming the baby in any way. So I called Becca. (Yes, she found out before my parents, which is a little sad when you think about it, but I was getting really worried. I had to confide in someone, and I figured she would be a good person for the job...especially since she's been around the pregnancy block once or twice...or four times.)
I called her one morning while I was at stair duty, told her everything that was happening. She assured me that even if I did have a cold, it wouldn't affect the baby. (She did this by listing everything she has had while pregnant: "...and I've had strep and the a stomach virus and sinus infections and conjunctivitis and I've coughed my lungs out and..." Ok, so I stopped flipping a lid. Then she said four of the most glorious words I had ever heard: "You can take Sudafed." Sudafed! One of my go-to meds for all things sinus! I was elated. I waited for the bell to ring, ran to my desk, and grabbed two little red pills from my stash that had been so long untouched. I popped them in and waited.
Nothing happened. In fact, I started to get worse. I was still apprehensive about taking meds until I talked to my doctor to get the official ok, so I took the Sudafed sparingly. Maybe that's why it didn't work as well. Or maybe I just had a nasty cold that wasn't going to back down for anything. And I'm sorry, but Tylenol doesn't touch headaches. At least not mine. :( I had an ice pack on my head nearly every minute I was at home, and during my free period at school. I couldn't sleep, I didn't want to eat. I'm sure I was not a delight to be around.
Finally after 3 days (day 6 of "the cold"), my headache went away. You'd think it would be a great day, but right about that time I got a new symptom. What was it? Oh nothing...except I went deaf! Ok, not really, but my ears did get plugged. I mean completely. Both ears. I was probably hearing at about 40%, which is really annoying. I couldn't understand what my students were saying, but I knew they were talking because of the dull background noise I heard. I don't know how many times I had to say, "HUH? What's that? Speak up, sonny!" like a 95-year-old. (Ok, I made up the sonny part.) I even went to the school nurse to have her look in my ears. I asked her if they were red/infected or if there was wax. She told me no, but that my ear drums were shiny, which indicated pressure behind them. Thanks, sinuses! First a migraine, now this! She also told me that sinus problems were pretty common in pregnancy, since everything is swelling and you have increased blood circulation. She recommended that I get a neti pot and use it twice a day. I did. At this point I was going to try anything...
After a few more days, I started feeling better but I still couldn't hear. It was a tad comical after a while because I would have to turn my "good ear" towards people when they were talking (one ear was slightly better than the other), and I couldn't hear guys with low voices at all. I went through an entire dinner at a fancy restaurant with one of Lee's co-workers without being able to hear a word her husband said. And they were treating! I felt pretty bad. I must have been horrible company.
It had been about two and a half weeks since I had felt normal, 9-10 days since I had lost my hearing, when I decided to google the clogged ears thing. I found blogs and comment boards where women were talking about their ears being plugged for weeks... One lady even said that she had talked to her doctor about it, and he said her ears might not unplug until after she gave birth! Well that sucks for her, but she was at week 34. I was only 6 weeks in!!! I started to tear up, thinking about being deaf for another 8 months. I gave myself a moment to wallow in my own pity, then resigned myself to the fact that this was the new me. And for the sake of my baby, the cause of all of this suffering, I would endure.
And wouldn't you know it, my ears cleared up the next day. :)
~Hooks
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