Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Hearing is my favorite sense. Well, maybe.

So, I woke up this morning, and by this morning I mean shortly before noon because I don't have classes today. Something was wrong, but I really wasn't sure what it was at first. Until I heard a sound. Well, at least, I heard it with my left ear. And there was a problem. I couldn't hear out of my right ear. So, I started walking in the direction I figured would have a hospital, and I texted a few people. Well, one of them got back to me and told me that Bulldog and 3rd West was the place for me, so I went and checked into the emergency room.

I thought it was a pretty snazzy place, but it really wasn't. They admitted me, and I only waited about half an hour for a bed, which was what impressed me so much. The problem is that I then got to watch Who Wants to be a Millionaire until 4:10 when a physician finally saw me. And what did he say? "We don't have what we need to treat you here. Sorry." and then he said, "I think you might actually be able to help yourself if you [do this]."

So I went to Smiths and bought some Carbamide Peroxide, which I squirted into my ear. And then I had hearing back for a minute, but it went away again. I actually started writing this right after it came back the first time, but when it went away, I put that on hold. And I went and put some more stuff in my ear, and then I went to visit a friend who I hopped might have a device I needed.

Well, fortunately, she did have a bulb syringe, and I squirted water into my ear. A lot of water into my ear. After about fifteen minutes of this, my hearing came back, and it hasn't gone away yet. When I lost my hearing, I realized just how much I love my hearing. And in the even that I lose it again, it's good to know that I have good friends like you who will support me until I get it back. I'm just not looking forward to getting old and losing it forever!

-Stephen

4 comments:

AttemptingthePath said...

I'm actually deaf in my right ear, I remember when I first lost hearing in it. I was about to go to a dance and suddenly there was this really loud ringing in my right ear. I got up to use the bathroom and fell over. I spent the next three days puking every time I moved a limb, well dry heaving after I emptied the contents of my stomach. It turns out that a virus basically destroyed my auditory nerve, only leaving a very high pitch ringing noise.

glad you can hear again.

Stephen said...

That's really scary. You're very good at hiding it, I didn't even pick up on it at all at Salad's place. The constant tinnitus must be hard to deal with. I really can't even imagine...

drex said...

Glad to hear it worked out okay for you, Stephen. That's just an odd occurance. I'd have to agree that hearing is one of my very favorite senses. I don't know what I'd do without music, for instance.

Kengo Biddles said...

Having worked with deaf people, I will admit that hearing is one that I would hate to lose, but, really, any of them would be something I'd hate to lose.

AtP's averred some benefits to his hearing loss. His snoring roommate and noisy neighbors go away when he turns his right ear to the ceiling...