My Whole Expanse I Cannot See…

I formulate infinity stored deep inside of me…

Oct 6

Baton Rouge: The Leaving

Category: Life

So, I was willing to put my body through any level of duress to go on this Pilgrimage to Baton Rouge to see my third Aimee Mann concert. Only dropping dead would have stopped me, and even THEN, I may have risen anyway.

The day before I’d ended up having to have two trach changes, and an ear tube installed. The trach changes sucked, but I really wanted the ear tube. Ear tubes are a bad solution for me anymore, after six years of not breathing through my nose, there’s just a lot of degradation. My hearing’s been muffled for awhile, everything sounds like I’m underwater, but after a few ear infections because of ear tubes, my doctor really doesn’t want me to try them anymore. He’s actually talked me out of a new ear tube at least six times. Doctor Padhya cut the hole in my throat, and has taken care of me ever since. He genuinely wants the best for me. I’m definitely not an easy patient, I’m a lot of extra hours, but he does whatever’s necessary to keep me alive, and happy.

I wrote him the following note before my trach change:

Hi Doctor,

I know this is short-notice and I apologize, I just decided I HAVE TO ASK what I’m about to ask…

I know ear tubes are bad, I know that they are no kind of long-term solution, and are even bad short-term, HOWEVER… On Tuesday at 5 am, I’m driving all the way to Baton Rouge to HEAR my favorite living singer/song-writer, Aimee Mann. My hearing has been muffled since my facial surgery and I’ve dealt with it, I’m even trying to get used to it, but now that I’m going to see Aimee… I just want to hear her, I want to hear her the way I heard her seven years ago. I want to hear her beautiful, sad songs clearly, not like I’m under water.

An ear tube balances the pressure at least 2 weeks, and even for some time after it’s out. At least it’d be clear enough by Wednesday evening to hear Aimee.

I promise, I’LL NEVER ASK FOR ANOTHER EAR TUBE EVER AGAIN. 🙂

If you can’t do it I understand, but I figure I have to ask anyway.

Thank you for reading, and your always excellent care.

Michael

Well, when I woke up from my first trach change, I had a tube in my ear. Doctor Padhya has never let me down.

Needles to say, piling into the van after a day of procedures, piling in at 5 am, I was exhausted. I don’t generally leave my room the day after a trach change, let alone the state, but I wasn’t not going.

I went.

2 comments

2 Comments so far

  1. josh October 6th, 2013 2:48 pm

    Awesome. I want to high-five your doctor for following through with the ear tube! Can’t wait for the rest of the journey!

  2. Carol October 6th, 2013 7:52 pm

    Kudos to your doctor for doing the right thing. Higher praises to you for being so brave.
    So…was the concert awesome?