enduring...

Last Sunday it began as a slight ear ache. The next day it was a bit more painful and the left ear was starting to also hurt. By Tuesday I was most certainly in PAIN! And then by Wednesday morning I was in the doctor's office. We had to go through my whole history since I had not been to this office before, and then she took a peek inside my ears. She nearly gasped. Then the first words out of her mouth were these: "Do you use Q-Tips?"

I didn't want to tell the truth: that YES, I use Q-Tips faithfully every day, and have done so my entire 36 years!! Aapparently there is now major damage from these little monsters. Over the course of my habitual Q-Tip usage, I have scratched the inside of my ears which then can become infected. Now I have to endure a double ear infection. I take Advil every four hours (three Tylenol were not cutting it anymore), and wake up at least twice in the night. I have not had this much pain since I had Kennedi eight years ago (if you are my family, you KNOW what I'm talking about!!).

What sparked my urgency to seek out a professional was the fact that I can no longer hear out of my right ear. At times I feel like I'm going crazy. She gave me an antibiotic with the cruel orders to never stick anything in my ears ever again :( I have been taking these pills for four days and all they have done is make me sick to my stomach. And I still can't hear. She also said that if I'm not back to my old self by day 10, that I may have permanent nerve damage. You don't know how bad I want to stick a Q-Tip in my ear right now...

Boy, John and I are quite the team right now: he with the loud ringing in his ears, and me with my deafness!!!!!!!!! It's going to be one loooooooong week...