Invading Space
The last several days have not been easy. I have felt so crappy, but the worst part of it has been the excruciating pain of an ear infection. I've had tons of ear infections over the years. In fact, every time I get sick, I usually have one. My right ear has always been the target for the infections. I had tubes twice in my right ear as a kid, and I just recently had one put in this summer since it wasn't draining for a long time, there was lots of fluid behind my eardrum, and I couldn't hear well. I was really hoping that because of the new tube, I wouldn't be prone to ear infections if I got sick again, but well, I was wrong.
So anyway, Monday morning I made a call to my doctor, told them how I was feeling, and was able to get an appt at 4pm with the nurse practitioner. I waited patiently all afternoon for that appt, and didn't take anything for the pain since Tylenol Arthritis just wasn't helping much. My mom brought me to my appt, I saw the NP, and she gave me amoxicillin (which I always take for infections) and Tylenol with codeine. I had called my PH specialist right before leaving to find out of taking Tylenol 3 would be ok, and she said yes. So here I am thinking, Yay! The Tylenol 3 will help with the pain! Well, I took half of one after eating (I was nervous about taking it since I'd never had codeine before), and it made me sleepy but didn't help with the pain much. I took the other half of it a couple hours later. I got sleepier, but still had pain. Then I ended up with a fever. A phriend told me it would be ok to take Tylenol Arthritis to bring the fever down, but little did I know that the new bottle I bought was extended release tablets. Sooooo, it seemed to take forever for it to work, but it did eventually bring the fever down. Within the next 8 hours, I ended up taking 2 more Tylenol Arthritis, b/c I was hoping it'd help with the pain more than the Tylenol 3. Nope. Nada.
Tuesday I was still in pain. Now, besides the mes, I had also been heating up my heating pad at least 6 times a day, trying to ease the pain that way. I'd also just been laying on my left side whenever I would rest, so nothing would drain into my right ear. As long as I'd fall asleep and had the heating pad, the pain didn't seem bad, but as soon as I got up, there it was again. Finally, Tuesday around 4pm, I took a whole Tylenol 3. I was knocked out for a little over 3 hours. When I finally jolted awake after 7, I felt like I was stoned. I felt so totally out of it and weird. It is NOT a feeling I liked very much! And, of course, the pain was still there when I woke up. So, I don't think it's something I'll take again, unless I feel the need to take it at night b/c I might not be able to sleep!
This morning when I got up, the pain was still there, but I couldn't tell if was more intense or what. I had a hard time eating my apple, and I had cut it up. My jaw just hurt, it felt like I was trying to eat leather. Around 12:30, I was trying to decide whether to try taking 2 Tylenol Arthritis, or one Excedrin Migraine since I was also getting a headache. I finally decided on the Excedrin. I was surprised about 20 minutes later when I started noticing that my ear/jaw pain was decreasing. The pain eventually went from a 15 to a 2. I couldn't believe it!! Tylenol with codeine did nothing for the pain, but Excedrin did???? Very weird!! But I was happy! I eventually took a nap for a couple hours in the afternoon, and for once ate a good meal for dinner, the first I'd had since Friday. I took another Excedrin after dinner, but I'm done with that for awhile. I have a feeling if I went for bloodwork any time soon, my numbers would be off the chart. I've had so much Tylenol that my liver is probably hating me at the moment, and I know for sure my Coumadin levels are probably very out of whack!! It's a good thing I don't need to get bloodwork done until next month!
So, last night, I felt like just sleeping on the couch for the night. I was hoping the change in scenery would make me feel more comfortable. It was huge mistake. Mr. Mittens apparently thought I was taking over his territory. You see, when I got him as a tiny, 2 month old kitty, the very first night when I went to bed, I shut my bedroom door and let him have the apartment while I slept. Wow, that was mean, you might be thinking? No, not really! I just didn't want to have a cat sleeping with me, and furring up my sheets. I was also pretty sure I wouldn't be getting that much sleep. So for the almost 10 years that I've had him, he's always had the apartment to himself while I slept at night. Soooooo, last night, I'm sure he thought I was invading his space! Which is probably why, around 2am, he jumped up on the arm of the couch and bit my head. UGH!!! So, I got up and went into the bedroom. Stinkin' cat!! Guess I deserved it!! LOL
So anyway, Monday morning I made a call to my doctor, told them how I was feeling, and was able to get an appt at 4pm with the nurse practitioner. I waited patiently all afternoon for that appt, and didn't take anything for the pain since Tylenol Arthritis just wasn't helping much. My mom brought me to my appt, I saw the NP, and she gave me amoxicillin (which I always take for infections) and Tylenol with codeine. I had called my PH specialist right before leaving to find out of taking Tylenol 3 would be ok, and she said yes. So here I am thinking, Yay! The Tylenol 3 will help with the pain! Well, I took half of one after eating (I was nervous about taking it since I'd never had codeine before), and it made me sleepy but didn't help with the pain much. I took the other half of it a couple hours later. I got sleepier, but still had pain. Then I ended up with a fever. A phriend told me it would be ok to take Tylenol Arthritis to bring the fever down, but little did I know that the new bottle I bought was extended release tablets. Sooooo, it seemed to take forever for it to work, but it did eventually bring the fever down. Within the next 8 hours, I ended up taking 2 more Tylenol Arthritis, b/c I was hoping it'd help with the pain more than the Tylenol 3. Nope. Nada.
Tuesday I was still in pain. Now, besides the mes, I had also been heating up my heating pad at least 6 times a day, trying to ease the pain that way. I'd also just been laying on my left side whenever I would rest, so nothing would drain into my right ear. As long as I'd fall asleep and had the heating pad, the pain didn't seem bad, but as soon as I got up, there it was again. Finally, Tuesday around 4pm, I took a whole Tylenol 3. I was knocked out for a little over 3 hours. When I finally jolted awake after 7, I felt like I was stoned. I felt so totally out of it and weird. It is NOT a feeling I liked very much! And, of course, the pain was still there when I woke up. So, I don't think it's something I'll take again, unless I feel the need to take it at night b/c I might not be able to sleep!
This morning when I got up, the pain was still there, but I couldn't tell if was more intense or what. I had a hard time eating my apple, and I had cut it up. My jaw just hurt, it felt like I was trying to eat leather. Around 12:30, I was trying to decide whether to try taking 2 Tylenol Arthritis, or one Excedrin Migraine since I was also getting a headache. I finally decided on the Excedrin. I was surprised about 20 minutes later when I started noticing that my ear/jaw pain was decreasing. The pain eventually went from a 15 to a 2. I couldn't believe it!! Tylenol with codeine did nothing for the pain, but Excedrin did???? Very weird!! But I was happy! I eventually took a nap for a couple hours in the afternoon, and for once ate a good meal for dinner, the first I'd had since Friday. I took another Excedrin after dinner, but I'm done with that for awhile. I have a feeling if I went for bloodwork any time soon, my numbers would be off the chart. I've had so much Tylenol that my liver is probably hating me at the moment, and I know for sure my Coumadin levels are probably very out of whack!! It's a good thing I don't need to get bloodwork done until next month!
So, last night, I felt like just sleeping on the couch for the night. I was hoping the change in scenery would make me feel more comfortable. It was huge mistake. Mr. Mittens apparently thought I was taking over his territory. You see, when I got him as a tiny, 2 month old kitty, the very first night when I went to bed, I shut my bedroom door and let him have the apartment while I slept. Wow, that was mean, you might be thinking? No, not really! I just didn't want to have a cat sleeping with me, and furring up my sheets. I was also pretty sure I wouldn't be getting that much sleep. So for the almost 10 years that I've had him, he's always had the apartment to himself while I slept at night. Soooooo, last night, I'm sure he thought I was invading his space! Which is probably why, around 2am, he jumped up on the arm of the couch and bit my head. UGH!!! So, I got up and went into the bedroom. Stinkin' cat!! Guess I deserved it!! LOL
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