Ear Aches and all that can come with it

I have not posted my second half of my vacation yet, I'm truly sorry about that.  I will eventually get around to doing it, and art and all of that, but right now I've been tired.  Let me tell you a bit more about our vacation, because in all of the fun there was one part that was uncomfortable, and then in the end it turned painful.  No emotional pain, don't worry, pain killers took care of it, but I did get to go to the ER first.

Did you see the spin on that? "Get to"...rather than let's say "have to".  I could have stayed in pain longer, but I did finally go of my own free will to the ER, a place that freaks me out, stinks, and I'm sure will make me sicker by being there than if I had stayed home.

Back to the beginning though.  In our adventure up to Washington, my ear began to ache, and then it got all clogged up...well I thought it was clogged up.  This is why I got the ear wax clearing up kit, and squirted water into my ear, and held my head to the side hoping all the stuff would drain nicely onto a towel rather than my shirt.  From what I know now, this was the wrong decision to make.  My ear problems began to worsen and my cousin and his adorable wife, both Dentists decided to pull out the ear probe and check out my rather upset ear.  Just to let you know, this is not the first time I've been around them with some form of medical mishap, I think they bring it out in me, or my body knows they will get it or try to figure it out...or maybe it's just kismet.  What they determined after consulting their medical books, and seeing I did not have wax in my ears, was an ear infection. This was news to me, I've never really had this before...still wishing I could say I have never had this before.  I was then told that only antibiotics would cure it, and to make an appt. with my doctor.

We left Washington armed with knowledge, and a drawing of what my infected ear looked like.  Some where between their house and work the next day things took a really unpleasant turn.  There was more pain, and seepage.  I do not do well with bodily fluids seeping out of me, eewww gross.  I tried to call for an appointment and found the number had been disconnected, tried the next day...this time looking for a new doctor.  That night though, the pain was so intense, I called my dad. He confirmed that I was not being a baby, and that at 9pm it was important to head to the ER, or if we were lucky and open urgent care.  We were not lucky so we sat in the ER until the wee hours of the morning until I was finally helped, and then give Rx to fill as soon as I could.  We left at 3am the next morning, we had been there about 5 hours.

I learned a few things, the extra pain was cause by a rupture, water was not allowed in my ear, and only antibiotics would clear it up.  If it did not clear up with the antibiotics, I might need stronger antibiotics, and I may need a patch on my ear.  I'm not sure if she only said ear, or eardrum....

I have been living with a clogged feeling ear since Labor day weekend, roughly half the month.  My antibiotics ran out a few days ago, and now my some times my ear pops open like it wants to hear again, but then it gets all shy and closes back up.  I really miss hearing with both of my ears.


I did see my doctor, and have now been referred to an ENT.  I've always wondered how the process began with seeing specialists...I'm not curious any more, it can stop at any time.  They have not called yet, so I have not yet seen them, but each time I head back to the Dr's office (back I am going back a few more times for other fun PCOS  type things) they check my ear and tell me it is healing.  This is good to know because I can't check  myself and I really want to meddle, to clean it out and help...but I've been told this would be bad.  Although I have had some really gross stuff come out of my ear now, stuff that might even turn the stomach of one pretty famous ogre.

I've been MIA, and this is why. I'm really sorry. I've neglected my duties in helping my friend recover from her surgery... and that makes me feel bad, but I've almost fallen asleep with her there a couple of times and it's getting embarrassing.  I'll post more, soon...when I'm not so tired and drained of energy.  There are other fun things that have happened...I'll even get the picture my cousin drew on here soon.  I've been given permission to turn it into an abstract. It will go well with my soon to be other health type paintings that are mulling around in my mind and really need to be put to canvas.

Happy trails all.....

  As promised, a picture of what I've been told my ear looked like over the Labor Day weekend.  The stuff at the top is normal stuff collected by the ear, the black dot is a black and white version of the red spot that was the injury.  There was an inflamed bump with a red  gash type thing, I was told it looked like someone poked me with something, and it was swollen around the injury. All of this was before the rupture that I learned about at my visit with the ER doctor.