The ear..

[fajrdrako]

I went to my doctor yesterday, about the ear infection. She did some frightening things with large, shiny instruments of torture, and cured my ear. The area around the ear is still tender to touch (so I don't), but no longer hot and uncomfortable.

Best of all, I immediately lost the feeling that all my energy was being drained away.

Life is good. It's so wonderful when a pain stops.

The problem was impacted ear wax pressing on the eardrum - and, I would guess, an interior nerve or two. Ugh.

Comments

[wijsgeer.livejournal.com]

good (about being restored)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[(Anonymous)]

Yup. Been there, done that; that's exactly why I used to get ear aches. Thank heavens you got help and feel better! It's so good when you come out of the doctor's office and you can HEAR all the little sounds of life again! Did they squirt warm water in at a high pressure?

Did you ask about using Hydrogen Peroxide in a 3% solution as a maintenance measure to clean your ear every now and again? I got that advice so many years ago, I wondered if medical science had discounted it or had adopted it as a treatment or simply forgotten it. It's cheap and that means you're not lining the coffers of a pharmaceutical company, so I wouldn't be surprised if your doctor had never heard of the idea, but my family & I have been using HP in our ears for many, many years to no ill effect.

[teenygozer.livejournal.com]

Yup. Been there, done that; that's exactly why I used to get ear aches. Thank heavens you got help and feel better! It's so good when you come out of the doctor's office and you can HEAR all the little sounds of life again! Did they squirt warm water in at a high pressure?

Did you ask about using Hydrogen Peroxide in a 3% solution as a maintenance measure to clean your ear every now and again? I got that advice so many years ago, I wondered if medical science had discounted it or had adopted it as a treatment or simply forgotten it. It's cheap and that means you're not lining the coffers of a pharmaceutical company, so I wouldn't be surprised if your doctor had never heard of the idea, but my family & I have been using HP in our ears for many, many years to no ill effect.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes - I came out of the doctor's office feeling light and symmetrical, and I didn't have that big balloon inside my ear any more.

I forgot to ask about the Hydrogen Peroxide suggestion. It sounds like a good idea. Another friend was suggesting a treatment (bought over the counters in drugstores) called Auralgan. I wonder what's in it? I can visit a drugstore and find out.

[rosiespark.livejournal.com]

Yay! Am very glad you're no longer in pain. :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Thanks - me too!

[acampbell.livejournal.com]

I remember having stuff like that done to my ears as a teen. It was painful and scary. Yikes!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oh, definitely scary! I was petrified and making jokes to pretend I wasn't. There's something utterly creepy about having things done to the inside of your ears with large metal intruments. It sounded and felt like a fire hose.

[sparklebutch.livejournal.com]

Ow.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Ow. (Shudder.)

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Hurrah!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Three cheers and a big smile!

[sraun]

There was an article on the web somewhere about using a SuperSoaker to clean out earwax. Special circumstances - it was at a remote resort, and the doctor had to improvise. They were impressed with the results, but did admit that the procedure got the patient wetter than the standard procedure, even if it was done much faster!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

SuperSoaker - sounds like something improvised in a comic book, and I like that! Even with the 'normal' procedure I got and a towel over my shoulder, my sleeve was soaked. It was worth it.

[sraun]

http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/173/12/1496 - "We describe the off-label use of a recreational device (the Super Soaker Max-D 5000) in the alleviation of a socially emergent ear condition."

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It looks like more fun than the thing the doctor used on me!

[jkluge.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad it's better. Stupid me -- I forgot that there you can actually *go* to the doctor when you need to without worrying about the cost, as opposed to here in the US, where (without insurance, and sometimes *with* insurance), you treat as much as you can with over-the-counter stuff and home remedies unless you're wealthy (generally the people who have the good insurance).

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I am always appalled that people in the U.S. don't get better medical care. The insurance companies seem to run things, and I find that a frightening thought.

It was amazingly hassle-free. I called the doctor's office, she could see me within a couple of hours, I was back in my office and pain-free by lunchtime, thinking grateful thoughts of what a wonderful doctor she is.

I think it's appalling here that our OHIP doesn't cover dental work.

[jkluge.livejournal.com]

I'm so very glad that Canada has the excellent health care system it does. I'm with you -- why not dental, too? Poor dental health can be as terrible as a medical problem, if untreated.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I don't understand why dental work is excluded; it makes no sense. Teeth are a health issue!

[star-momma.livejournal.com]

Yay to the pain stopping! I'm glad to hear it's cleared up... despite the bizarre medical mojo needed to get it there :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

As my ear heals, my fear of big shiny medical instruments fades in my memory. Thanks for the kind words.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

*pets your flushed ear*

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Aww. Thank you. And my ear thanks you.

[msilverstar]

Fabulous when a relatively simple treatment makes things All Better. I'm glad it worked so well.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

So am I. But now my ear is itchy!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I had to add... what a beautiful icon!

[msilverstar]

Thank you! Sometimes I manage.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

You certainly do!

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

Being in pain is such a lonely experience, isn't it? No-one else can ever understand or appreciate *your* pain.

I'm so glad that the doctor could actually help you, and I bet for once the doctor felt some degree of satisfaction in what they were doing too.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

No, every pain is unique, but I know that many people have experienced similar pain. For some reason, it's a particularly difficult thing to remember or extrapolate - which is probably better for all of us.

Thanks for the kind comments, and yes, I'm sure the doctor was pleased when she saw that the treatment worked. She wasn't sure it would, and she said she might have to send me home to lie down with warm oil to dose in my ear. I am just as glad her technique was successful the first time.