The Sounds of Silence

Laryngitis. Rhymes with bronchitis. Ever notice that? Think it's a coincidence? It's not.

The good news is H & J are both feeling just fine.

The bad news is obvious.

My voice is completely gone. Don't phone; I can't speak above a whisper. If I try to talk louder, only dogs can hear me. But they can't understand me, since I am apparently speaking in Dolphinese.

And yet, H insists on hollering up the stairs, waiting for me to answer in like. But I can't do that! I can't speak; I certainly can't yell.

My voice left last night, after a day of coughing. I left work early, while I still had a trace of vocal capability left, but I was starting to squeak and I sounded pretty bad. It got worse through the evening, until I was left with only a whisper left, and sometimes not even that much.

H sent me to the Medicentre last night. Alone, because it was late and he thought we should try to get J to sleep. And let me tell you, it's not a lot of fun to try and mime your concerns to the Medicentre doctors and staff. I drew the line at "are you allergic to any antibiotics". I just nodded vigorously and pointed to the chart. Thank God I'd been there before! Otherwise, I'd have had to write down a littany of medications.

So the verdict is: Rest. Don't speak unless absolutely necessary. Take hot steamy showers three times a day and breathe deeply until my voice returns. Take my Ventolin asthma inhaler, 2 puffs 4 times a day. Take prescription cough syrup with codeine, 2 teaspoons before bed. Take heavy duty antibiotics, 1 honking horse pill twice a day.

What's the hardest of these instructions for me to follow? You guessed it. Rest.

This weekend, my niece is getting married. We have to run a couple of errands this morning before dropping J off with L&P for the day, then head to the church for the wedding. Then there's the reception, which we will be leaving early. And then back to get J. Convince J to sleep, and then I have to study, because I am STILL behind in my course.

Tomorrow is the gift opening. And a tea thing for my parents in honor of their 50th anniversary (don't let's go there). And Thanksgiving dinner with my family, including my brother's family, who are in from Vancouver for the wedding and who I otherwise will not get to see this year.

Monday is Thanksgiving with H's family, and there will be many preparations (don't let's go there). And somehow, between now and Tuesday evening, I still have to get through a module and a half of course work and write my quiz.

I don't think it's working out. I'll have to find the answers, write the quiz, hope for the best, and finish the readings as I can.

I hate being behind.
I hate being sick.

I keep coughing. I want more cough syrup. But it's not bedtime yet. And I can't even call the pharmacy to ask if I can take non-prescription cough syrup in-between doses, because no one can hear me talk! (Perhaps I can write down instructions and get H to phone for me.)

My cell phone's voice calling feature annoys me today. It can't hear me either.

I hate being sick.