Complete and Total Desperation, My Hellish Ordeal!

If you've never experienced an adult ear infection consider yourself EXTREMELY lucky. I've proudly been ear infection free since childhood until last Sunday night. I'd felt loads of pressure in my ears and head all day Sunday so I popped a few Sudafed and dealt with it. Sunday night at 11:45 I was abruptly awoken with a RAGGING, THROBBING pain in my ear. After I'd taken 4 Ibuprofen (which is the max dose) and they had not worked, I searched the Internet for home remedies because it's 1 am and NO WHERE is open except the ER and I have too much pride to go there for a silly ear infection. The Internet proved very unhelpful, who has garlic juice, cinnamon oil, or Colloidal Silver? And I was in no condition to drive to Walmart, I'd just about cried all my make-up off and my hair was sticking up! So it's 2 in the morning and I decided to either: shoot myself or sew a bean bag that I could heat up to see if that works. The only random material I had was Batman so I quickly sew myself a hideously done batman bean bag and heat it up. It provided some relief and I think by then the drugs FINALLY decided to work a little. I'm was able to doze off until 5 when the pain came back in FULL force and once again I wanted to claw my ear off. I couldn't take more ibuprofen because it hadn't been 6 hours and I have nothing else, no aspirin, no acetaminophen, no percocet, nothing! So I'm up for the day sitting on the couch trying to remain in control because I've never experienced pain so intense and unrelenting before. An ear infection, how bad can it be right? I couldn't think and it's all I could do not to take the entire bottle of ibuprofen. Blink, blink, blink went my eyes so I didn't cry AGAIN for the hundredth time that night. I decided to get dressed so at 7 when the doctor's office opened I'd be there. Chris was a dear and got the rugrats up, dressed, and over to the sitters. At 6:58 I'm driving to the doctors. I tell the receptionist I need to be seen RIGHT NOW but she didn't have an appointment until 7:45, okay I'll sit here and wait. Don't cry, don't cry. Heaven must have finally been smiling on me because the Dr.'s asst. was right on time. She kept asking me questions and I could hardly answer, I think by this time I was delirious from the screaming pain and lack of sleep. My ear hurt more the I could begin to express. I was seated in a room and the Dr. came and tried to small talk. I tried not to be rude but QUIT TALKING TO ME AND GIVE ME SOME DRUGS! You have an ear infection he says, like I didn't know, and prescribes me an antibiotic. What about pain meds I insist. Oh, you'll be fine, just take some ibuprofen he dismissively responded. I could have punched him, obviously he's never and an ear infection! Again I'm trying not to cry and I'm emotionally and physically exhasuted. And wouldn't you know, Walgreens wasn't open for another very long 5 mins. When those doors opened I was the first in and practically ran people over to get to the pharmacy first. I got my prescription and went on my way to work. What was I thinking, like I'd be able to work all day. I lasted 2 hours.

So the pain was finally under control, not gone just under control, and I could function ok. I couldn't hear out of my right side and I had a deafening ringing in my ear but I could handle that. I rested all day Monday and Tuesday. And then Wednesday rolls around. The hell begins again. Our balance is in our ears, a VERY silly place to control balance I've decided. I wasn't surprised that Tuesday I was a little dizzy but when Wednesday hit dizzy doesn't fully describe it. I could hardly walk I was spinning so fast. Trying to be brave and un-baby I attempted to go to work. Two hours later I'm home begging my Mother to come and get my rugrats because I can't hold my head up. Thankfully she did! For the next TWO days I couldn't leave my bed, I couldn't even open my eyes because every time I did the room spun making me nauseous. I couldn't go to the bathroom, I couldn't eat, and I couldn't hold my head up or even move it. I desperately called the Dr. and as luck would have it he wasn't in on Thursday and I'd have to suffer another miserable day before I could be seen. Mean while my poor children are bouncing from house to house. There's absolutely no way I could've taken care of them, I couldn't even roll over in my bed. Our sweet neighbor came over and helped Chris give me a blessing which really helped me get a grip on my emotions. By Friday I got into the Dr. and I had acute labrynthitis, a fancy name for vertigo. I got another prescription for motion sickness and was told that it'd gradually go away over the next couple weeks. So over the next few days I was able to finally walk and function as long as I didn't look down or turn my head too fast. And now the dizziness is gone and my ear is almost normal.

Consider this a very personal invitation, if you EVER have an ear infection or get vertigo, or any other illness that takes you out of commission I expect a phone call. I will pick up your children and watch them for a week if that's how long it takes to function again. I have a whole new appreciation for children's ear infections. Never again will I get irritated from the crying, sleepless night my child had or get upset because I have to pay a copay at the doctors. I will be nothing but loving and patient and understanding because I've never ever, ever had such an intense, unrelenting, consuming pain like I did when I got a silly ear infection.