This morning… earplug stuck in my right ear

AM/aide must have been in a bad mood this morning. She did not come in to put my braces and shoes on soon after I put my call light on like most of the aides do. She came in when my nurse brought my suppositories and said I could just wait for dayshift aides to put my braces and shoes on. Then, she asked the nurse if she would help her put them on, and she did.

I asked AM to remove my earplugs. She pulled the left one out easily, but said she could not get the right one out. I told her to grab my tweezers and pull on the end of the earplug and it would come out. She said she could not do that. I asked the nurse if she would, and she said she could not do it either. I wonder what was wrong with them. They all have children and I know things always happen with kids, and you have to think innovatively. What was wrong with using tweezers – not to pull on my ears – but to pull on the earplug? Nevertheless, I was told the dayshift nurses would handle it.

After waiting 20 minutes and putting my call light on to get up, nobody came in my room until about 7:05 a.m. Then, it was three aides and two nurses. The whole parade of them came in. Now, bear in mind, I had gotten laxative suppositories over 30 minutes before, and I had to go to the bathroom.

The nurses proceeded to chide me about the fact that the second shift aides had shoved the earplugs in incorrectly. AM/aide kept saying I should not wear them because I cannot take them out of my ears myself. I told them I had been wearing them for over three years. Nevertheless, the nurses said they would have to talk to the nurse manager about it. The only problem is the nurse manager is on vacation until Tuesday.

My roommate snores and I need the earplugs. I started using them when I had a previous roommate who snored, played loud music, and sometimes had the TV on. Believe me, the earplugs are for self-defense against noise headaches and they also allow me to get some sleep. I wondered what I would come up with as a substitute.

One nurse tugged at the earplug. I was so afraid they would send me to the ER to have it removed. Then, she was able to pull it out. I was warned again against earplugs. It's weird because I've worn them for years and never had one get stuck. Perhaps, the last box of earplugs were larger and maybe that's why we had the problem.

After it was out, I was lifted with the Hoyer onto the shower chair so I could go to the bathroom.

I hope they will let me where the earplugs tonight. Because if they don't, I will have a difficult time sleeping.