Friday, July 1, 2011

FRIDAY FAST ONES

1.)  My mom is a lefty.  Because of this, I grew up a bit ambidextrous and mixed up.  I ironed with the board backward for years, I sew awkwardly in the wrong direction and I have always had to stop and think a moment when coming up with right or left.  It was a revelation to me when I learned righty tighty and lefty loosey just a few years ago.  It cleared up so much confusion for me! 

I've had my car with one of those electronic keys for about 5 years and only about a week ago did I realize that I don't have to look at the buttons on the key because righty locks it tight and lefty opens it loose!  My light bulb moments are getting mundane - but at least I still have them occasionally.


2.)  Thursday nights there is a big patio party with live music, multiple bars, fire pits, big screen TV and I don't know what all else at the restaurant next door to the hotel.  It draws a huge crowd every week - valet parking is necessary for the overflow parking.  The police are out in force at 10 when the music stops to pick off the drunks in their cars.  We get a lot of very tipsy people trying to come into our place for the nice bathrooms and sometimes to keep drinking after the party shuts down.

Apparently the crowd at this event is on the older side.  But I have to say - I am really tired of middle aged  men coming into our bar complaining or joking loudly about "all the cougars" next door. I find the term offensive and every one of the guys is just as old or older than any of the women I have seen coming and going.

Why do men feel entitled to younger women.  Why do they feel entitled to put down women of their age who are out there having a good time?  She we just be locked away after 35?  Am I taking this too personally?

3.)  I took Ally to see the Head & Neck doc today.  Her frequent sore throats, strep and mono have gotten to the point that she is insisting she wants her tonsils out.  The doc agreed that her tonsils were huge and it could be beneficial to have them out.

I have no problem with doing it.  I had tonsillitis repeatedly well into my 20's and never had mine out but would have liked to.  I can understand her misery and she is sick a lot.  The problem?  Her dad.  He is adamantly against any medical alterations to the body.  He didn't even like letting her get her ears pierced.

So my question is - do I go against him in this?  She will be 18 in a couple of months and can make the decision completely on her own - should we just wait?  Any input on teens getting tonsils removed?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Will do a medical lit search for you on tonsillectomy in teens and get back later today or sometime this weekend.
Jan

Tricia said...

I don't think you are too sensitive about the men only valuing young women. I find it offensive and quite frankly stupid on their part.

hokgardner said...

IMHO getting tonsils out is not the same as getting ears pierced. One is done for vanity. One is a medical necessity. Get them out.

shrink on the couch said...

(1) My dad was a lefty and taught me to shuffle and deal cards. I deal with my left. It's the only thing I do left handed. I am going to check my electronic car keys and see if the lefty-loosey charm works. I learned that little ditty in my 20's and it was a world of help.

(2) It's appalling that we still mock older women for their sexuality while, on the other hand, it's the norm that older men will be hot and horny for younger women. Am SO tired of Hollywood showing 60 yr old men with 20 yr old women. Just watched Last Tango in Paris yesterday - did noone find it absurd such a young cherub would fall for the aging Brando? It's Brando, I know, but still. I just wish Hollywood would catch up with modern feminism and find age appropriate leading women.

(3) My daughter had her tonsils removed as a 3rd or 4th grader. She had really big tonsils, chronic sore throats, and slept poorly with her mouth open (research shows large tonsils prevent quality sleep and could have longterm negative consequences on mental and physical health). Since the removal? No sore throats, no more strep. So I'm in favor of overruling your husband. A doctor recommendation, a suffering 17 year old and a mother should trump dad, don't you think?

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

She is certainly old enough to ask for this--in a couple of months it will interfere with college. Summer is the perfect time to do it. I'd fight the fight.

Anonymous said...

I attempted a clinical search on indications for tonsillectomy in teens. (Sorry it took so long.) Most of what I found were clinical guidelines based experience, opinions, and some science. Leaving out acute conditions such as abscess and very concerning conditions such as sleep apnea and other indicators of airway obstruction, recurrent infection (the number per year varies) is seen as an indication for surgery. (My favorite article was titled "Making sense out of the tonsillectomy literature" - the literature is deficient.)

What you want to ask the doc is about risk:benefit and technique used. If surgery would improve her quality of life significantly with minimal risks, that information should trump what your husband thinks about "medical alterations". Get a second opinion if you can afford it and need it for reassurance and/or more leverage on spouse.
Jan

Jennifer (Jen on the Edge) said...

If she had cancer, he'd want the tumor removed, right? A tonsillectomy is a medical necessity, especially given that she's been sick a lot. Schedule her surgery!