ewww - thats not good...

[OTRphoto]

So I went on a cruise last week out of Miami and felt kind of crummy the whole time. Figured it was just my routine tri-annual sinus infection and I would just go see the Dr when I got back home. The only out-of-the-ordinary symptom I had was that my ear would randomly clog up and I couldn't 'pop' it.

So Thursday morning we board a flight from Miami to Houston and it stayed clogged the whole time.. that is until we started our decent. Thats when I noticed a weird coolness in my left ear and when I touched it - I realzed there was a clear liquid running out.

Aarons reply was ewww - that aint good. Which isn't a plesant statement coming from an EMT.. lol

The hop from Houston to SA wasn't too painful, but I was getting really weirded out and creeped out about my ear. I have allergies, I get 3-4 sinus infections a year, an occassional case of strep isn't unusual either... But I've NEVER had any kind of issues with my ears.

So first thing Friday morning I went to my Dr and he tells me I have a nasty ear infection and although he can't see all the way in there - he's pretty sure my ear drum is perforated. He gives me some antibiotics and ear drops and says to come back next week if it's not getting better. Well by this morning the leakage has mostly stopped but I was freakin out because I can't hardly hear out of that ear. I called the Dr again and he said to some in. He looked at it and said that yep - you got a new hole in there.

*sigh*

So we ran next dor and my ENT squeezed me in and re-confirmed that it's perforated and did a hearing exam. I'm at about 40% hearing in my left ear. He said that these usually resolve themselves over time... If not, then they will have to do surgery.

So I have to do another round of a stronger antibiotic, and keep putting these drops in every 4 hrs for about a month and then go back in to see him.

And in the mean time I just have to keep my fingers crossed that my hearing comes back when it heals...

What a souvineir from the trip... eh?

[PhotoByMark]

Mel,

That is one crappy souvenir gift. I hope your hearing returns to normal over time.

[J Eddington]

I too have sinus issue all the time and what you experienced is a fear of mine. Good luck with the treatment.

[Nikolai]

Ah that sucks, I've punctured my ear drum before, not fun at all.

Feel better soon.

[DoctorWu]

I had something similar a few months back, though I don't think my ear drum was ever perforated. It turned out that I had a strep infection in my ear, the first round of anti-biotics didn't help at all, the doctor ended up putting me on Cipro which knocked it out in a couple of days.

[carrbowl]

That stinks!! But you were so lucky to not hurt while on the plane. My son when he was little flew and screamed the entire flight because his ear hurt. The other passenger were so happy--------not!!!

[Toad]

I was so clogged up once, that while trying to blow my nose I perforated my ear drum... and it was a long stream of goo that squirted out of my ear. Luckily I was in the bathroom at the time, so the only person that seen it was me (as I was facing the mirror). Imagine if I was sitting at my cubicle at the time, and it squirted on the person next to me.
Toad

[Breezy]

that sucks hope you get to feeling better

[kenw]

have the doc take a deeper look....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7214066.stm

[Atru]

Hope you feel better soon!

[Toad]

Originally Posted by kenw

have the doc take a deeper look....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7214066.stm

That's just nuts!

[mkweaver]

I have had perforated ear drums many times as a child. (Before Penicillin) (I'm tellin' my age now)
My hearing, even as a great-granny, is still good. No hearing aids!
Hope yours gets along fine!

[OTRphoto]

Thanks for the reassurance and thoughts everyone!

I've been able to baby myself and just medicate it and rest since friday - but I have to go back into work tomorrow... I'm not looking forward to that. It's usually not real noisey there and so hopefully it won't be too bad of a day...

[jasonhuang]

hope it gets better!

man, i was planning a cruise for september...2nd thoughts now...ha

[OTRphoto]

Originally Posted by jasonhuang

hope it gets better!

man, i was planning a cruise for september...2nd thoughts now...ha

I would still highly recommend going on a cruise!!!! I loved that part of the trip!!!!

Just make sure you don't have a sinus infection or ear infection when you fly... lol