My MedStat Adventure

This past Thursday afternoon I began to notice a fullness and pressure in my left ear. I didn't pay much attention to it at the time, but as the night wore on it became increasingly uncomfortable. I must preface this with the fact I have a low pain tolerance so any little pain is amplified in my brain!! By Friday morning, my ear was hurting and I began to have a general feeling of sickness over my body. Again, being a worrier and knowing about a small measles out break in the area, my intuition told me it was the plague. When I informed my husband of this he just sighed, shook his head, and went back to his sudoku, clearly upset by the news. When I woke this morning, the pain was unbearable so I decided to see a medical professional to confirm my suspicions. I went to our local urgent care facility, MedStat.

As the doctor was checking my ears, I realized he kept trying to look in my sore ear again and again and kept getting frustrated. He informed me my outer ear was so swollen and infected there was no way to even get to the ear drum. The nurse then came in to irrigate my ear in order to clear out my ear enough to see the ear drum. The procedure was excruciating!! I felt like George Bailey in the Mr Gower's back room. However, they were able to clear the ear enough to diagnosis the ear infection.

The doctor then looked at me and asked, quite innocently, if I was under stress. I looked back at him and laughed (well, not really laughed...but I did smile as I replied back to him that my life does lean towards stress). He informed me that not only to I have a nasty ear infection, but I have possible TMJ issues. The TMJ pain can manifest as ear pain as I clinch my jaw almost daily...hourly. He then gave me three prescriptions...boo!!

my spoils for the day!!

As I sit here and write this post, my ear is already beginning to feel better despite all the poking and prodding. Though I prefer treating illness naturally, there are times when Western medicine is best and I am thankful for it!!