Friday I woke up with the horrible feeling that something was wrong--not with me, but just in general. I prayed for just about everyone I could think of, because the feeling was vague but strong.
That night, I woke up at midnight with a head-splitting earache. It is hard to describe how a pain from such a small part of the body could cause so much hurt. But, if you have ever experienced an earache, you understand. It is quite awful. I found that I could not comfortably lay my head down, and for the rest of the night I woke up every two hours, wrestling for a good 20 minutes against the pain each time. I prayed fervently, and rest came sporadically. The result was an aching and discouraged Lenae on Saturday morning.
I went in to work on Saturday with my hope resting in prayer and painkillers. I couldn't open or close my jaw the whole way, so eating was difficult, talking was minimal, and smiling hurt too! I was quite the mess. Thankfully, Carol told me to go home early (which I needed to do anyway, to prepare for Megan).
I became even more discouraged when I got home, because, after looking forward to peace and quiet, I found the reality to be that my neighbors were having a birthday party with the music cranked way, way up. Aside from my throbbing ear, even the air around me was pulsing with the beat. Nevertheless, I ate supper, cleaned the flat, and went to pick up Megan.
Poor Megan! A trip that should probably have taken her an hour and a half, took her about 3 hours. She went way out of her way because of mislead travel plans, and then she missed her bus. She found herself wandering around, looking for a bus (which number she did not know), without my cell phone number, which she had accidentally left at her house. It was about 10 p.m. when she and I finally connected, and she had not even eaten supper!
"Now Megan," I said, "I have a pretty bad earache, so if you hear me in the middle of the night start whimpering, just ignore me, I will be okay." She looked at me rather incredulously, and we both prepared for bed.
Sure enough, I woke up at two, unable to bear the pain. It was worse than the previous night, and there was nothing I could do escape the hurt. Megan ended up waking up and immediately became my nurse. She brought be a heated washcloth, and she rubbed my back as I cried. She stayed up with me from about 3 a.m. to 3:30. I finally fell asleep, waking up at 7. I didn't need to get up until 8, but there was no chance of sleeping again.
Fast forward. Megan and I left for Hillsong Church, but missed Kirsten because she missed her train. That was okay, because we planned to meet her at or after church. However, I only lasted a few minutes in the service because the music was so loud and booming. I came out knowing my ear problem had to be addressed today.
Megan coordinated everything as I sat at a table cradling my head in my hands. She found out where the nearest clinic (that would take Americans without "British insurance") was. She texted Kirsten and let her know where we were going. And, she coaxed me along toward the Hospital.
We got to the A&E (Accidents and Emergencies--the British form of an ER) part of the nearest hospital, and I checked in. In triage I did my best to explain the urgency of my situation, without exaggerating. The nurse came back with two pain pills, one, a larger dose of what I had already been taking, and the other, codeine. Thats some pretty strong stuff. I was all smiles and stories for the next two hours in the waiting room.
The nurse practitioner looked at me for about 5 minutes, gave me antibiotics and stronger doses of the painkiller I had been using. He then told me that I had an ear infection (which I had kind of gathered) and that I needed to see an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist. They could clean my ear--which is really nasty at the moment, and so swollen that I can't hear out of it--and then give me drops. They are only open on weekdays though, so that will wait for tomorrow.
The rest of the day was spent touring London with Megan (who had not been in London yet) and Kirsten (who met up with us in the A&E waiting room). I was steadily taking pills--painkiller, Ibuprofen, antibiotics--and held out strong most of the day. We window shopped a lot, walked through some parks, saw some landmarks, and ate at a cute diner and coffee shop. Now that Megan and I are safely back in my flat, I am updating my blog and praying that tonight I (and Megan) will get some rest.
Probably the most encouraging part of the day was to hear from my Mom and Dad who called me to make sure I was okay. Just hearing their voices brought me comfort. My older sister also e-mailed me, letting me know she was praying for me. And Megan and Kirsten watched out for me all day long. I thanked God every time the pain subsided, and also for my many friends and family members who care about me.
Now, I don't know if that foreboding feeling I had on Friday was for myself, or Megan (as she got lost on her way here), or for someone else, but this certainly has been a trying time. But encouragement and praise have come out of it too. I thank God for the health I do have, and that the ear infection is in one ear and not both! It is imperative that I keep my eyes on Him at this time. Please continue to pray for my healing, and if you want to, let me know that you are praying for me. It is a great encouragement.
No comments:
Post a Comment