A Conversation with Elizabeth
1999
Ears

From:          Elizabeth 
To:            LMixson@PEC.com
Sent:          Friday, February 19, 1999 11:19 AM
Subject:       Ears
 
That's awful.  It must have been quite a whack.  I was hit in the eye once at Gainesville--none of us used to wear goggles on the open courts--and it was awful.  Gosh, I would hope, like you, that it would just regenerate.  Maybe it will.  I imagine it feels strange--is it like hearing just out of one ear. I mean are you aware of the diminished hearing as coming from that side, or does it just lower your overall hearing.  Does it throw you off balance?  Surgery has become so sophisticated, but where would they take the skin from, or would they use an artificial membrane.  How long are you going to give it, before you have to make a decision?  I hope you have good insurance. 
 
Ironically I was at the "doctor's" Thursday about what I thought was my ears.  I had been feeling sort of off balance, a little like I was walking on a ship, and thought maybe it was sinus/ears.  I started taking OTC decongestants, but woke up Thurs. morning with my ear and face feeling like it needed to "pop."  It was my day off, which I wanted to relish, but I thought it best to try and attend to this, so it ended up taking the whole morning.  Nothing really conclusive.  I had just been at the doctors last week for a six month routine follow up though and had absolutely normal blood pressure, but Thursday, my BP was WAY up.  Apparently the OTC decongestants can do that, so they took me off that. They gave me Claritin, which I discovered is mega-expensive--60.00 for 30 tablets--one a day.[1] Last year I didn't even meet my 200.00 deductible for meds, and have nothing towards it this year, so I have to pay for it until I get the deductible.  It is SO HARD to believe--the visit, the sinus films, the antibiotic (in case there is an infection), the nose spray, and the Claritin--it all came to about 400 bucks. The visit and films will be covered by insurance, so I only had to pay 18.00, but I still had to pay 100 out of pocket for meds as well. 
Totally outrageous.  The drug companies make so much money. How much was your bill?  I can't imagine how much the surgery would be!! Otherwise, I was just tired and actually spent the rest of my day off just sort of "resting" in bed, half sleeping, reading a little.  I started a paper back called The Tenth Justice about some law clerks with the Supreme Court.  I had class at 6:30 and it was really good.  I like the professor so much, but people are very angry over their grades last year, and are a little rude.  The lack of discipline in schools, I think, has spread up to the college level.  I can remember at U of F that in an enormous auditorium, you just didn't have disturbances to speak of.  I sort of save the prof's day, also, because, he discovered he didn't bring his dry erase markers and I had one in my sack which I gave him.  I am learning so much from him.  Well, have a good weekend.  I hope your ear drum will regenerate on its own.  I wonder if there is anything you can take to assist it (like Knox gelatin which is supposed to help your fingernails and hair grow).  Elizabeth 

[1] Claritin is $19.99 at the pharmacy today in 2024, $16.99 for the generic version.

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