Life has been a bit much since I got back from my trip. Jumping straight into month-end busy-ness at work made me feel like I couldn't get my feet under me properly, and even the three-day weekend, while wonderful, did not get me ahead of things, just keeping up (barely).
Then this week, my mother had cataract surgery--it went very well, thank you--and it did add some stress and to-do things to my week. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I'm here to do it! But, you know, some stress involved. This morning, I was unreasonably angry about something that was really not much of a thing, and I thought, wow, I'm not even on steroids, why am I so upset?
Yeah, steroids. The ENT gave me steroids to take, if I choose to, for four days, to help relieve sinus pressure (I have fluid in my ear, apparently), but so far I have not been able to convince myself that I can stand to be more short-tempered than I normally am, which is what happened to me on steroids last year. I go back to her in two weeks, so we'll see if I do it before then. I've been taking the other prescriptions she gave me, at least I'm doing that much.
Oh, and when I go back, they're going to give me a hearing test! I'm not sure I've had one since grade school, as I haven't yet reached the "what? what did you say? is my hearing going?" stage of life--not quite, anyway.
One piece of not-bad-news-at-all that I must not forget to share: while I am absolutely not counting my chickens while they don't have headaches (how's that for a mixed metaphor?), I have been having very few headaches recently, and given how I had been having them more and more frequently, this is (provisionally, knocking on wood) very, very happy news.
Long may it last.
Omg, you can get roid rage from prescription steroids, this should not be surprising to me and yet it is slightly surprising?
ReplyDeleteI have parents nearby that I help with medical stuff too, and it really ramps up the stress in a week - glad it went well.
I have been having frequent headaches as well, and although I think it's mostly explicable by allergies, sinus stuff, wildfire smoke, eye issues and just where I live (there's a valley effect), it is very not fun. Hope yours stay less frequent.
It was not fun! So I'm hesitating to take them now, but my sinuses could use the help...I go back on forth on will I, won't I.
DeleteThe hearing test will give you a baseline for future tests, if nothing else.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if they told you, but you lose the highest frequencies first because those are the inner ear hair cells that take the initial pressure of any sound coming in. Vowels are made by vibrations in the throat, consonants are made with the tongue against the teeth and so they're much higher pitched. So as you lose those higher frequencies, you can hear someone talking just fine but you can't quite make out what they're saying, because pieces of the words have gone missing. S, F, and H sounds are the ones that go first.
In case that helps any.
Our cat was on steroids for (something?) an ear thing and they were very careful to say that we need to both taper her ON and OFF the steroids because otherwise she would become aggressive. Ha. No one here wants an aggressive Zelda on our hands.
ReplyDeleteOh, goodness, no! Cats are cat enough without steroids.
DeleteWell, it's been several days since you wrote this post. I hope you're still headache-free and that your sinus issue is clearing up (without steroids, hopefully.) Alison's comment about hearing loss was interesting, although possibly a little depressing. I'm also not quite at the "what? what did you say?" stage and I'm not looking forward to it!
ReplyDeleteMy head is still doing pretty well, thanks! I am very grateful for it.
DeleteUgh, steroids. I'm on a low dose now while we figure out the right meds to manage my rheumatoid arthritis. I'm only taking 5mg but I've been on as much as 25-30mg when I have a bad flare. It does NOT HELP me stay calm when my child act irrationally, which is pretty common for the 2.5yo. But this post reminds me that my base level patience is impaired by these steroids. I can't wait to get off them!! I hope the ENT figures out a solution. We have spent a lot of time at the ENT as both of my kids have tubes.
ReplyDeleteOh, goodness, yes, give yourself a break about that! That is a very tough situation. I hope they figure out your RA meds soon.
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