Ear today

This happened a while ago, but I'm still excited about it, so here you go. (WARNING: INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSIDE OF MY EAR)

When we flew home from Hawaii, my ears popped open and closed several times, and the left one just stayed closed. This got irritating. It was like having been in a submarine and shot somebody, and now I was deaf in one ear. It also cut down significantly on eavesdropping. I could hear myself chew. I could hear my singing. EWWWW.

After a month, I wondered if I oughta have someone take a look. (OK, insert lecturing here. Yes, I should have gone sooner.)

My internist said I may have a ruptured eardrum, so he packed me off to an ear-nose-throat specialist (as if I didn't see enough of that kind of practitioner from birth-grade school). The doc he referred me to, Dr. Lin, must be new and building a practice, or just lonely, because she and her staff were INCREDIBLY glad to see me. I felt like I should present them with something much more dramatic. An ear parasite I picked up in the Peace Corps, or the like. All I had, sadly, was a truckload of compacted wax. Dr. Lin went at it with a tiny vacuum, and after two rounds - success. The skies parted, angels sang, the crowd stood as one and cheered. I was cured! I felt at least 150% better. I wasn't dizzy, there was no pressure, my jaw ligaments were silent, andI could hear in surround sound. She showed me part of what she took out, and it was not pretty. It was hideous. I think some of my brain (badly needed) may have been in there. It is amazing how much stuff can fit in your ear.

These little things are the miracles of modern medicine: cheap, painless, curative. I was a whole new person. I nearly skipped. Copy editors don't skip. Dr. Lin recommended having an ear cleaning once a year. I felt so good, why not?