This morning Cheryl and I had the pleasure of bringing Beth in for some out-patient surgery. She had some tubes put into her ears to relieve her chronic ear infection problem, but they stayed in longer than they should have. The doctor said they normally come out on their own, but it appears hers didn’t. One thing was good about this trip to the hospital: it was short. Now, let’s see…what wasn’t good? We went in at six a.m. for starters. There were crying children in pain in the next curtained area over. And then there’s the fever and … this foul smelling liquid substance that keeps coming out of her mouth, about eight ounces at a time. The doctor says it’s probably due to dehydration, but isn’t that getting the cart before the horse? Anyway, I’ve had better days. And yet, here I am tempting fate by getting an allergy shot this afternoon. Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but I feel like I’m just asking for anaphylaxis. Then again, didn’t someone of greater note than myself once ask, “can you call it paranoia if everyone really is out to get you?”

Beth has gone in for surgery twice in her lifetime. The first time she had a kidney removed. The second time she had tubes put into her ears. On Tuesday, she is scheduled for her third surgery, to remove the tubes previously placed in her ears. We were discussing the upcoming surgery this evening. When we reminded her that they would be taking out her tubes she asked, “Will they be putting my kidney back in?”