Awake.In:::DreamSpace:::

I don't know much about my family tree... my parents fled Cuba right before I was born.  I didn't have extended family around me as they were in Cuba.  I've always been interested in where did I come from?  Yeah, my parents are Cuban, but other than knowing that Dad's side of the family is from Spain, I know nothing.  I've been curious, for a long time.  

Well, I finally decided, time to find out!  My 23andMe kit arrived today.  Tomorrow I spit into the tube and send it out.  In a few weeks, I'll get a report.  Cool.  

Interested for yourself... check it out 23andme

I had to register and I had no idea how many screens one has to read to get to agree to do this.  A bit daunting.  Especially the health stuff...  And well, now my genetic information will be on some database and my vivid imagination after years of sci-fi movie and tv watching had my mind running wild for a bit.

Decided to go for it...

Looking forward to finding out the story about my DNA...

Stay tuned!

On 01.31.18, after getting home from work and walking Koda, I felt congestion from the cold I was fighting pour from my sinuses to inside both middle ears causing a clogged and very painful situation.  It kept me up all night and I toyed with the idea of taking an Uber to the local emergency room but the fear of sitting there surrounded by people with the flu kept me home and counting the hours until First Med opened.

I called out and headed to First Med at 8am when they opened on 02.01.18.  After a not so great examination and treatment for my double ear infection, I found an Ear, Nose, Throat doctor that happened to be literally around the corner from my apartment.  Very lucky.  Turned out I had a sinus infection, double ear infection, and conjunctivitis.  A triple play.  Went home with antibiotics, steroids, and eye drops... and out on a short medical leave... paperwork fun with Sedgwick... 

Flash forward two followup visits and yesterday, a referral to an ENT in NYC to perform a myringotomy on Valentine's Day!... what the heck is a myringotomy?... it's a fancy word for surgical incision into the eardrum, to relieve pressure or drain fluid.  It's also a common procedure on young children with chronic ear infections causing hearing problems and speech issues.  I suppose it's also for old hens like me.

Easy peasy they said, done in the office they said, no big deal they said...

Well, you ever see those alien abduction films?  The one's where the abductee sees instruments that get stuck into them, yup, that was what a myringotomy is like.

Wide awake, doc puts some local anesthetic in first, you still feel the cut, then they suck out the fluid... and today I learned, it is only 2-3 drops of fluid in there... WTF, 2-3 DROPS?!  It has felt like a gallon of fluid between my ears for the past 2 weeks causing me to feel like I'm under water and can't hear well.  Lucky me had both ears done... and since its in your ears, everything sounds loud, creepy, and unnerving!  Grateful it is a quick procedure.

Another fun fact, sometimes they put plugs in the eardrums to help with drainage... WTF, pierce and plug, my eardrums?!  How Thug sounding... I escaped the plug insertion luckily... I was reading they stay in there for about 6 months and then they fall out... and what?... the aliens come back to check in?!

I'm now home and savoring chocolate goodies from a Valentine's Day heart I bought for myself... Always remember, Love Yourself!  Hopefully back to work on Monday.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone.