Alexandra Vaillancourt

Re “Visit to the ENT”

Dateline Boston —I had a fluttering feeling in my left ear for about a month. It started out feeling like a tic. Then I switched to a buzzy feeling, as if there were a bug in my ear, flapping its wings furiously. A few days later, it changed again, feeling like a kitten purring in Morse Code.

Dateline Boston —A few years ago, I went to the ear, nose, and throat doctor. The experience was so horrific, I wrote about it. This week, I went to the same doctor. It wasn’t as dreadful, but I do want to write about it again. First, my previous visit, circa 2006:

Dateline Boston — My S.O. and I put our cat to sleep last week. Although I knew we absolutely made the right decision, once we made it, I began obsessing over the details. What would it be like? Did I want to be there? Did S.O. want to be there? How long would it take? Could I handle it? After looking for info on the internet and talking to friends, we decided to talk to our vet, Dr. A, about what would happen, and decide from there.

Dateline Boston — My cat Shelby is fifteen years old, and the end is near. How do I know? I’m going to decide when she will be put to sleep.

Dateline Boston — For a few months in Boston, there has been an exhibit at the Fine Arts Museum called Chihuly: Through the Looking Glass. I didn’t know anything about Dale Chihuly, but the exhibit got rave reviews from my friends on Facebook, and the promotion posters were so colorful, I was intrigued. Besides, who isn’t fascinated by glass blowing? And who doesn’t love to say Chi-hoo-lee?

Dateline Boston — My favorite singer in the whole world is Prince. He started his career as a teenager in the ‘70s, but I didn’t become a fan till 1984 when it seemed that everyone and her brother became a fan. That was the year the movie (and accompanying album) Purple Rain came out. I was 16.

Dateline Boston — When we got cable TV in our new apartment, I paid extra to get OWN—the Oprah Winfrey Network. I was so excited to have Oprah-style TV 24 hours a day! What would it be like?

Dateline Boston — Back in January, my S.O. and I decided that we wouldn’t go out to eat for an entire year, in order to save money. I wasn’t sure how to calculate exactly how much we were saving each month, so instead, what I’ve done is keep a log of how much we have spent, and see how low we can go.

Dateline Boston — So we took Shelby to the doctor. She weighed 7.8 lbs., 2 lbs. less than she weighed last year. Not good. She was a good girl during her checkup. She let the doctor prod her, squeeze her and look in her eyes and ears.

Dateline Boston — Hey, Shelby here. My mom’s busy. So I figured I’d do her a favor and write this week’s column. I did it once before. Remember? Gotten a lot better at the keyboard since then. I’ve discovered how to jump up on the office chair and sit on the desk all day. Lots of time to practice.