A Little Excerpt

November 2019

“How was your 30th?” Levi Cranston asked his friend and former neighbor, Rhody Leyman, on the phone.
“It was fun, but definitely could be better,” Rhody responded. “My friends and I got sushi, but I couldn’t drink because I’m on antibiotics right now.”
“For another ear infection?”
“Yes. Admittedly, I’m pretty frustrated because this is the fourth ear infection that I’ve had in eight months. So it’s pretty evident the meds aren’t really working.”
“How do you feel right now?” Levi asked.
“Right now, I feel fine. A little less energy than usual, but otherwise I’m okay. My ears are also a little sore. I am going in for an MRI next week to check my sinuses and Eustachian tubes. My doctor is thinking I may have an issue with my Eustachian tubes. I thought this was all over since I had my tonsils taken out,” Rhody said.
“I would have thought the same thing.”
“But I got my tonsils removed due to a separate issue. If I need to get surgery to get my Eustachian tubes dilated, then I’ll go for it. That’s what I think they may recommend. Or getting tubes put in my ears again.”
“How many times did you have an MRI?” Levi asked.
“For this issue? Or overall? This is my second MRI overall. I had that karate accident when I was 20, and then this one that’s coming up,” Rhody said.
“I had one when I was in that car accident a few years ago. So much fun…..not.”
“It wasn’t bad. The worst part of it is not being able to move much for a few minutes.”
“Which procedure do you prefer?”
“I don’t really care either way. Whichever one works better.”
“That’s fair. How’s your hearing?” Levi asked.
“Surprisingly enough, I can hear pretty well. When I had my most recent ear infection, I could actually hear my heartbeat in my ears, which was pretty annoying. Out of all the ear infections I’ve had in my life, this was a first,” Rhody replied.
“I can’t imagine.”
“What’s even more frustrating is that I’m overall in really good health. My ears are, at this point, the f*cking bane of my existence.”