Better out than In

Those with a queasy stomach should just move on past.  Although I wasn’t brave enough to take a picture.
Begin at the beginning.

Saturday, I noticed a pain coming on in my right cheek. 
At first I thought it might be a toothache.  Last trip to the dentist was in mid-May, and mouth innards checked out as good as they usually are.  However, just to be sure, I flossed well between the teeth of my upper right side, and chomped on some pecans without any odd problems.

Not a headcold, nor any other aches or symptoms.  Besides, it was 93o outside, and I walked downtown to the Sugar Creek Arts Festival and got home a bit overheated.

By Sunday, I could hardly stand to touch even the outside of my cheek.  This is a sinus problem, and apparently getting worse.

I tried blowing my nose, and succeeded in making my ears pop, but the sinus wouldn’t download. 
I tell you, by Monday, I wanted to stuff a crochet hook up there and just yank it out!

There are some who would say it was time for medical intervention, but I wasn’t about to go to the doctor for a local little problem and have her prescribe some sort of pills that make the whole body feel woozy.

Then my nurse’s training kicked in.  It might be 28 years since I learned infection procedures, but I decided I can do a bit of research on myself. Nothing to lose, and a trip to the clinic if I failed.

So, Tuesday morning while in the shower, I took a great gasp of air, held my breath, then put my head back and let water run into my nose.  Three or four times I did this.  Then I felt something letting go in my cheek.  Pain, oh the Pain.

One more time with the water flush, then I took the washcloth and blew my nose hard into it.  A gob of goo came out, and I got a bit dizzy.

I set aside the washcloth, turned off the water and sat down on the edge of the tub.  Once I got my bearings, I finished the shower. 
Just as I picked up the washcloth to rinse it, curiosity got the better of me.

It seems I have been watching too many CSI episodes on TV.

I took the specimen to the window ledge, in a brighter light, and examined it closely.  The whole um, pile was about 2 cm across.  Much shiny slime, some yellowish snot, flecks of blood, and what looked like a dried worm.  I surmise that might even be a blood clot, about 1cm long.

And then, what’s this?  A straight gray hair, completely surrounded by mucus.  I can even tell you from its coloring that it came from the girl cat.

Just as I was about to take the cloth outside and put it under the high pressure hose, I noticed one more tiny piece of lint-like fuzz.  Separated that from the rest with a toothpick, and by its color of bright yellow, and the fact that it was a bit curly, I knew it is a fiber from the yarn of my latest afghan project.

My sinus was waging a battle.  All the protective cells were trying to get the invaders out.  And if not out, then by crackies, they weren’t getting any further into my head!  That was quite a barricade of clots and mucus built up.  And what I had to go through to break it up!

For much of the last two days, wherever I put my head down to write Algebra problems, I get a drip of clear mucus from my nose.  Healing, just like a good body is supposed to do.

Aren’t we a wondrous creation?

~~love and Huggs, Diane