Maremy's Blog

BACK UP TO THE HOSPITAL! YAY!

My ear hasn't been feeling quite right since I woke up Sunday morning. I thought maybe it was just recovering from the loud music at my cousin's wedding reception. I decided to give it a few days. I had an outreach program today at Stephen Central School in Crediton and my ear was giving me even more problems while I was there. It was just the usual itchiness, discomfort, feeling of fluid, slight pain that I felt before I went to the doctors on April 25th. I decided not to play the "wait and see" game, especially since it's a long weekend coming up.

So, I got to see a medical student today! YAY! I could tell he was just starting out, which was kinda funny. Yes, I did get to see a full-fledged doctor eventually. The med student took a look in my left ear. I wish I had recorded his reaction.

Med student: "Oh wow. I think you have the most messed up ear drum I've ever seen".
My reply: "That's awesome. Maybe I'll get myself into a medical book".

I don't think he really knew what to make of it. He didn't really explain to me what he saw, just that it was pretty messed up and that to him, it looked like it might have possibly ruptured again, but they don't know for sure. Great. I heard him say to the nurse outside my room, "I couldn't really tell if her ear drum was there". AWESOME! So, when the real doctor came in, he took a look as well and agreed with the medical student that my ear drum was "not looking good". The eustation tube in my left is not working at all (basically, it's not draining any fluid out of my ear). It doesn't help that the tube never developed like it should have when I was a baby. I had assumed that was the problem. Hearing that news from the doctor, however, was upsetting. In the back of my mind, I thought maybe I was wrong, but just hearing it from the doctor...well, I'm sure you know how it is.

I'm on a new antibiotic now. The side effects of this one: drowsiness! YAY!

There is a positive though. Dr. Neal (the doctor I saw) is referring me to a specialist in Stratford. I'll probably find out when I go this next week. I feel relieved about that. I feel like I should have pressed earlier to see a specialist but there is nothing I can do now. Like I said, I'm happy I'm finally going to be going to one. In the meantime, I'm going to do some research on this problem and see what some of the possible treatments are for it.