Opinion: A Frantic Moment

My daughter Sami is two-and-a-half, and loves to be adorned in any way possible.

So I decided that I'd head the "can I get my ears pierced" fight off at the pass. I got them done this past Saturday. No drama. Only a few tears thanks to some numbing cream I got from a friend of mine.

And now it's just a battle of cleaning and twisting earrings on a 2-year-old who won't let you near her ears. She's like a puppy guarding a wound. So today my beloved nanny, Grace, walks in and everyone was so excited to tell her what a brave little now sparking soul Sami was.

We all kiss and praise Sami again for the ten thousandth time and I quickly go through the cleaning and twisting routine with Grace. Grace's soft spot for Sami twinged when she thought about her little tiny ears being stuck with a sharp object. But as soon as she heard about the numbing lotion she breathed a sigh of relief.

Then it was time for the morning routine to begin. I got in the shower. Grace gave the kids breakfast and got the kids dressed. Hugs and kisses good-bye. One last kiss for Sami's new pink sparkly earrings. And whoosh ... everyone was gone. I was left in a blissfully calm state of silence.

But just as I was about to lean over and dry my hair, I realized my lip was numb on the right side. And my right cheek. I frantically started poking at my face and climbing my cheek with my fingertips as I realized that one WHOLE side of my face was numb.

There was only one explanation for this: I was having a stroke.

Panic set in. All I could think was that I'm too young. My kids deserve better than an invalid mother. My thoughts just spiraled until I realized that my limbs were fine. I shook my right hand. Wiggled my right leg. Yup, everything was in working order. And then it hit me. It was the numbing lotion.

Grace must have put it on Sami's ears. And when I kissed her little ears to say goodbye in an unnecessarily dramatic way, it got all over me. Relief came rushing over me. Relief that I was going to be able to feed, bathe and dress myself. Relief that I wasn't having a stroke. And relief that there was no video camera in the bathroom while I spiraled into a state of insanity. 

I picked up my hairbrush and went on with my day. No stroke. No feeling on the right side of my face. And thankfully, no witnesses.

Editors note: Melissa Lerner is a columnist for Northbrook Patch. The opinions expressed in her columns are her own, and do not necessarily reflect those of Patch. Thank you for reading!

Want daily updates from Northbrook Patch? Like us on Facebook!