As one of my favorite young women used to say when she was seventeen, a total starlet, needing to express to me the absolute hugeness of something great or awful . . . "You have no idea, Sister Buchert. You have no idea!" I have had a twitch in my left eye for TWO SOLID MONTHS plus a few minutes, a freakish muscle spasm that started about the time The Ancestor went into the hospital for the first time this year. Twitch, twitch. Every day. All through the day. I have tried getting more sleep, napping, deep breathing, massage, attitude shifts, long and short walks, reading, watching movies, and on and on. I have it on Good Authority that destressing is the key to detwitching. And by golly, I have tried every experiment imaginable to me, hoping to hit on the right combination of relaxers.
Now The Ancestor is in the hospital again, her third tour in 2007. I have not slept well in several days, have been running back and forth, worrying, trying to see into the future—the sort of stuff you wouldn't think of as generally restful—AND YET. I hadn't been up long this morning before I realized that my eyelid hadn't started its daily breakdance. I was almost afraid to consciously notice this change and I considered covering my bases by knocking on wood to instantly neutralize the thought. I've been watching myself sideways all day, and haven't yet had my lid go wacko. Your Joe Average once in a while sort of twitch comes and goes without much fuss; you don't really think about it when it leaves. But when one settles in to be your constant companion (and not in the helpful Spirit sort of way) for six, seven, eight, nine weeks, you become so intimately acquainted with the horrid little thing that you can't help but want to shout a hallelujah at the first sign it may have packed up and moved on.
What finally did the trick? Am I going to wake up tomorrow only to discover that it's back? (knock, knock, knock)
When The Ancestor comes home again, will my twitch be tagging along? Is it possible to have the former wthout the latter?
She's doing some better, by the way, at least pneumonia-wise. Her brain appears to have taken quite a hit recently, but maybe some of those clouds of confusion will clear up with the infection. Looks like she'll be back home sometime later this week. Maybe.
Meanwhile, I'm letting Rob make wishes and kiss my lucky eyelid. Then I make him tell me his wishes, in case I can help them come true (or so I say).
5 comments:
Geo,
did you hear about that teenaged woman who had the hiccups for weeks straight and was on the morning news shows recently? I'm so glad that the (eye-) flicker has flown the coop.
I also have a guilty pang thinking about your households' distress over the weekend and my advantageous monopolization of Rob; it meant ever so much to me to have him there, and thanks so much for your valiant solo defense on the home-front that enabled him to come up here.
love,
Moiety
When I worked for an optometrist, he said the best way to get rid of a twitchy eye is with tonic water. I heard it works.
Moiety: Oh, yes, I have felt that Hiccup Girl and I were strangely connected. Maybe she should try Meta's tonic water.
As for my Saturday solo, I wouldn't have gone along with that arrangement if Rob had been simply in the mood for a joy ride out of town, but you needed him, so I was willing to share. I wished that I could've been with y'all too, but the needs were spread far and wide that day. I hope things are better for you now, Matmoo. Love you too.
Meta: That's very interesting. What am I supposed to DO with the tonic water? Drink it? Soak my eye in it? Bathe in it? (I vote for bathe.)
Yeah, drink it. Bathing in it might be nice.
I'm ALL for the kisses and wishes.
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