Anyway, I'ma call my doctor tomorrow, but I was just wondering if anyone has had a ruptured eardrum and if (1) my Internet-supported self-diagnosis sounds correct, and (2) if everything eventually healed properly and you got your hearing back.

I have no idea how a ruptured eardrum works in adults, Tep, but the one time Nate had one as a result of an ear infection, he woke up one morning with a bunch of oozy ick coming from the affected ear and yeah, it did dry crusty, as I recall. When I reported it to the doctor, he seemed to be rather pleased, saying that it was the thing that would give him the most relief from the pressure of the infection and said that he should recover just fine. And for the life of me, I cannot remember if he prescribed anything specific for the ear or just recommended the warm, damp compresses.

Ok. I need some perspective, and I'm trying not to be pissed off.

People we knoe just had a new baby. They are, what I like to call, "friends" in air air quotes.

Anyway.

They took our name. They name their daugher "Margaret, but we're calling her Maggie."

t steaming, but trying not to

Oh, God, Shir, I'm so sorry. What a nightmare of family and ethics and necessity. Thinking all the good thoughts for you that I can.

Aims, did they say they got the name from you?

If I were you, I'd be annoyed, but -- people name their kids, you know? If they like the same name as you, that's still annoying, but unless they were doing it to fuck with you, well, it seems like people are going to end up naming their kids the same thing as other people sooner or later.

See? There's that perspective I needed.

God, Shir. I am so sorry that oyu have to go through such a crazy-making nightmare. I've been thinking good thoughts for you and your family. I hope a better resolution comes soon.

Tep, a lot of times a rupture comes with pain -- when Sara's ruptured earlier this year, she was in so much pain until finally, boom! And then she was fine, and the ooze started.

What Barb said, too, though -- it's just the pressure that's painful, and the rupture relieves it. With the stuff coming out of it, though, I would imagine that's what happened, but you should see the doctor and get an antibiotic and some drops.

::hugs Aims::

They didn't and I'm pretty sure that L and I have talked about what Joe and I would name another girl if we had one, but I can't be sure.

And you're right - there's bound to be some overlap, but I'm still annoyed. Partly because I really loved that name and partly because I can't be sure they didn't do it to fuck with us. This is the same woman who said she loved out Christmas card picture because "noone can see that you still have your baby weight! The way you're sitting hides your tummy and thighs!"

I'd look at it as flattery. My mother named me the same as her best friend's daughter because 1) she liked the name that much and 2) she did it as a tribute to her friendship with Mary. The other Ellen is a number of years older than me and we were never in the same geographical location to make it confusing, so it really wasn't a huge deal to me. When I was young-young, yeah, it did a little (because what kid doesn't want to be a unique precious snowflake?), but as I got older and I started understanding the nature of deeper friendships, I thought it was one of the sweetest things my mother ever did.

I'm sorry, Shir.

Ear~ma, Steph. (Like an earworm, only for health and hearing rather than annoyance.)

Aims, I don't really know from naming. But it does seem that names come in waves, so a whole lot of people like the same thing at the same time. Might still be malicious, but eh, what can you do.

I dunno, though Aims. That's pretty freakin' petty, to name a kid something just to fuck with someone else. Of course, I've seen some pretty remarkable examples of pettiness, so it's not as if it would surprise me.

While Margaret isn't such a common name anymore, it's still not so unusual that you might not expect a little overlap. You know what? You love the name, you've loved it a long time, so when the time comes, you use it and love it and cherish the special little girl it will belong to, who'll make it her own as much as Emeline is the Emeline.

::hugs Aims::