marydell | Tympanostomy Thursday

So my dearly beloved tympanostomy tube stayed in my ear for just over 2 years, instead of the normal 6 months. My theory is that my eardrum knows it should have a tube in it, so hangs on to it. Three months or so ago, I had a doctor check and it was still in there. Last week I was miserable with ear nonsense--vertigo, tinnitus, muffling--and my ear doctor was out of town and so I went to the prompt care/walgreens place, and the nurse said I have an ear infection and the tube is gone. The fuck? I can't go even three months without a tube in there? So today the doctor came back to town and I decided to be a jerk and just go to the office first thing in the morning before they really opened to see if they'd make room for me in the schedule. My reward for this was getting the first appointment of an otherwise totally full day, yay!

Doctor: Well, the results from audiology look pretty good; your hearing is ok and you don't have a lot of fluid in there, although there is a blockage.

Me: (*heart sinking silently because I think I'm no longer ill enough to get a new tube*)

Doctor: But...your ears, they're bad. You know that. So we can do a tube if you want.

Me: Yes please! So...is it possible my eustachian tubes just aren't formed right, or something?

Doctor: Oh, there's no question. Definitely.

So, there it is. Bad ears. It's kind of nice to have a doctor just say so. So, on Thursday I go for my next myringotomy/tympanostomy--number five--and everything will be joyful again, at least in ear-land.