Our snow storm du jour is called a “panhandle hook.” Apparently I have my friends and family in Texas to thank for this one– it formed there and then came up here, getting bigger along the way. Right now outside the window it looks like maybe Northern Manitoba or something like that. There are lots of (windswept, snow-laden) trees, so I can’t say it’s like the polar ice cap.
So, that means I’m ensconced at home with two fairly wild little beasts. It tends to go in waves with them. They play calmly for a while, and then a fight breaks out. Chaos ensues. Time-outs may be given, as well as threats to throw them both out in the blizzard. I might have them run six or eight laps around the house. Then all calms down again for a while. Most recently, maybe twenty minutes ago, Elias got in big trouble for throwing a knife in the kitchen. I think he was aiming at Isaac, and it was only a butter knife, but still, when it came whizzing by my head I did react quite strongly. I shrieked at him (he had only two minutes earlier thrown a block, too, by the way), even swatted his butt in one firm swat, then dragged him off to sit in his red chair. He screamed, and tried a little TaeKwonDo en route, too, but he’s only an orange belt. We’ve since made up and he’s gone on with his day and I with mine.
Last weekend Ben took them both out to NYC for a guy weekend. This was terrific for me. I’ve been dragging along with a sinus infection for ages, and finally went in and got antibiotics for it. Much-needed rest would surely help. However my stated goal of watching limitless episodes of Mad Men and knitting Elias’s black ninja sweater was marred by bouts of unexplained serious dizziness. Like bad-old-days, can’t-walk-a-straight-line type dizziness. I actually started thinking, Hm, if I fall here and cut my head, and I’m all alone all weekend, I could bleed to death before anyone finds me. This line of thinking stressed me out, and I took to carrying my phone in my pocket with me at all times. That way, if I was still conscious, but had a broken limb, I could at least call for help.
In the midst of this a blizzard struck out of the blue. The weather people totally missed this one, too. They claimed it was going to be like an inch of snow– instead it was a layer of ice and then more like 8 inches. This wouldn’t have mattered except that I had to plow all by myself. This is really Ben’s area of expertise– I only use the lawn tractor rarely when I need to carry something around the (grassy) yard. I’ve only plowed one other time, and then I had Elias on my lap offering advice and moral support. So– I did my best, consulting with Ben on the phone, out there in the dark and the blinding snow. I got it cleared enough that our neighbors and I could get out if need be.
Maybe this is why most my precious three days of rest did not instantly restore me to greatness. I spoke to my mom about this and she said that two weeks was probably more like it. Anyway, when Ben got back Tuesday night, I was doing my best to not harsh his mellow with my problems. However he went out to plow (properly!) and then got his car stuck, which exasperated him greatly. At that point, my hearing in my left ear went out seriously — just like the bad, bad old days, and it really started to ring. I began to worry that a real vertigo attack was forming on the horizon.
Things did not improve Wednesday morning when I woke up too dizzy to do anything whatsoever. I could not drive the kids to school, nor drive all the other kids I was supposed to drive to skiing. (I’ve tried having a vertigo attack behind the wheel and it is an experience I never want to repeat.) Ben had to go to work, so we all just stayed home. It went fine, because the kids were fairly exhausted from walking all over Manhattan all weekend. But I was so demoralized! Back at square one, so it seemed, back to the dreaded June of 2009! I set up an appt with Vince for that evening, which Ben could drive me to, to see if there was anything he could do to help.
And there was– he tested me with these goggles I haven’t seen in some time. They make it so one eye is watched with a camera and projected on to a large TV in the room. They can leave one eye exposed or put the patient into total darkness. Then they tip you this way and that to see what happens. If you have ear damage, the eyes “beat” towards the damaged ear. (Picture the eyes spinning on a dizzy cartoon character– apparently this has some basis in fact.) At one point they (Vince and his helper) were giving me break from this unfun process and let me look at my eye on the screen. My pupil was visibly dilating and undilating with no change in light. It was so weird to watch! Apparently this is a clear migraine symptom, which helped with the diagnosis.
They also took this huge thing and vibrated my neck, the back of my head, my shoulders and so on, which made me feel instantly like vomiting. Shortly they found a muscle that was all messed up and, combined with migraine, actually causing the problem! My ears, thank god, were fine. Also, thank god, they were able to help me a lot by massaging my neck in a very specific way. They covered my neck with tape, all along each muscle, which has been known to help, and sent me a away feeling much, much better.
Meanwhile my neurologist prescribed a round of steroids to deflate whatever is swollen, which I started yesterday. So the future is bright. It means to me that in the proceeding nearly two years, I’ve developed a lot of skills and contacts and resources to deal with this sort of thing.
And now, another day at home with the kids. (Ben plowed before he left, but you wouldn’t know it to look out there.) Isaac is somewhat sick with a sore throat, so it’s just as well. They’re now having a Phineas and Ferb film festival (I appreciate the song, “He’s a semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammal of action! Perry the Platypus!”) Maybe later I can lure them to join me in making banana muffins.
All this normalcy has a special glow of goodness after a few really dizzy days to remind me how good-good-good it is to be non-dizzy.
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