High Maintenance Mom

After our long weekend of activities B was up all night and on Monday we found that he had another raging ear infection right around the time I realized I had a sinus infection. Thinking I could get better on my own, I didn't start antibiotics until Friday when my voice disappeared (B started antibiotics right away as he's had chronic ear infections). I thought it was funny and didn't realize that it might not come back for a while. By Sunday, I admitted that I had laryngitis when no sounds came out. This week is our big international geophysical conference (AGU) and I love talking to everyone. Of course, talking or whispering only makes it worse so I have had to write in a notebook. Writing in a notebook is fine for adults, but almost useless for our 3.5 and 1.5 year olds...

Realizing that my voice was not coming back quickly and I have a talk to give on Thursday I first went to Whole Foods and bought everything singers use. So I've been spraying my throat with elm bark, sucking on licorice, drinking Throat Coat tea, and letting tablets of chalk-like substances dissolve in my mouth. I've also been drinking copious amounts of water, both cold and warm with honey and lemon. Nothing has worked.

It's very strange to be without a voice. I love talking. I talk all the time. In fact, I've realized that I like to hear my own voice as I talk to myself in the car. It's been very quiet. I can't say excuse me when I'm trying to get past someone and I can't join a conversation. I was trying to buy a fossil for B and got in line. The woman who was selling the fossils didn't notice the line and told me the person who had just approached her was in front of me. He said to go ahead and she wouldn't shut up about how nice he was for letting me go first.

To make our week a little more difficult, my husband is at LISA in San Diego (Don't miss out on the 6 days of high-level content designed to help you solve your toughest system administration puzzles.). Ironically, he wouldn't mind not talking for a day or two. Our neighbor was nice enough to come over and read to the kids tonight.

I hope everyone stays healthy. And again, if you do start to lose your voice, don't talk or whisper. Try to rest as much as possible and see your doctor. I've been on antibiotics since Friday and started Prednisone this morning. The alternative was to rest for a few weeks (one site said six weeks) and let my vocal cords heal on their own. I have a feeling that after my talk, I'm going to need to rest my voice for a while anyway.