Reporting in

[mrissa]

So. Yesterday they started the work on replacing the tub, so I have the noise of drills etc. on the wall behind my desk. The dog is unsettled by the smells and the strange monkeys who are taking away chunks of her house, which she is pretty sure is Not Okay. But she's behaving awfully well, sitting on my lap quietly where she can smell and hear and sometimes see who's doing what.

Yesterday evening I went to my audiologist appointment. Those of you who remember these from the last clinic know that I hate audiologist appointments. They do fun things like sticking a mechanical woodpecker in your ear. Well, this audiologist did additional fun things like putting me in a chair that rotated swiftly in the dark, and under a disco ball, and with shifting red lights. All the stuff the previous audiologist did, and then some. But with a difference.

I got to hear the word, "Interesting," pronounced the way Dr. porphyrin says it when she is too professionally courteous to say, "Jackass." It sounds like the last audiologist screwed up some of the procedures in ways that can make people look steadier than they really are. (Gee, thanks, last audiologist.)

Also, the audiologist said to me, "Did your last clinic give you any kind of diagnosis?" I said, "Communication was not their strong suit. They said it was probably like BPPV. Which is not the most useful thing to hear, 'like' and 'probably.'" He said, "Uh-huh. This is like a Chevrolet! It has wheels! Is it a Ford? Is it a bicycle? Is it a semi? Is it a vacuum cleaner? It has wheels! So it's like a Chevrolet! Probably!"

I like my audiologist.

I'm not just saying that because he thinks that this is probably a type of vestibular problem that their PT can very often provide significant help with.

But he does.

So this is a lot better day than yesterday was, even though I still have to see the doctor for actual diagnosis and discussion of treatment and all that. Even though I will still probably wobble for awhile, and I will still probably fall. It was significantly better than I feared, in results, and the good audiologist helped make me laugh through some of the more awful bits of procedure, and I have a lot of that sense of perspective back. Or rather, a reasonable sense of perspective takes me in a lot better directions than it could have. So. Is good.

Comments

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

I got to hear the word, "Interesting," pronounced the way Dr. porphyrin says it when she is too professionally courteous to say, "Jackass."

Excellent.

My former interface programmer held that I could call something or someone "silly" in ways that entirely conveyed the three minutes' swearing I was not in fact doing at that point. I am not sure I want it to be that obvious.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I met a Swedish scientist once who could pronounce, "nice fellow from the press," so that I could clearly hear, "damned ignorant hack." It's a gift some folks have.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

My first team lead told me she occasionally found herself calling her boss "dear" in order to avoid calling him "stupid". (Being Texan, this sounded much more natural coming from her.) I picked up the habit, but I only use it on my husband and unfortunately he can hear what I'm carefully not saying.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

This is one reason Minnesotans are naturally suspicious of Southerners Using Endearments.

Also some of us have very vivid memories of mmerriam's "buttercup" moment, but never mind that.

[merriehaskell.livejournal.com]

"Bless your heart" was totally a euphemism for "you are a stupid girl" where I grew up.

Grrr.