Saturday, August 24, 2002
You gotta understand that I've never had an earache before. As a kid I would go swimming in Lake Simcoe sometimes every day, and let's just say that I wouldn't drink directly from that lake. So it was something of a surprise when I developed this damned earache, presumably from something I caught while swimming at the Blantyre pool just over a week ago.
It all started with a dull ache in my right ear about a week ago. By mid-week I thought it was getting better. By when I woke up today the pain was stronger than before, and by balance was slightly off - a bit like a mild case of "the spins" while not having had the benefit of any alcohol.
I called our family physician, but after several tries with their answering service, I gave up and looked up what I could on local drop-in clinics. I found one at Danforth and Dawes.
I love doctor's offices, especially older ones. The place looked like it was last decorated sometime in the 70s, and the grizzled old receptionist looked like she'd been there from Day One.
Within a very few minutes I see the doctor. I tell him my problem, he grabs my head and twists and turns it ever which way and looks into it. He points out that my external right ear is in fact swollen -- the infection has got under the skin and caused a local inflammation. Oddly enough I hadn't noticed, but when I get a chance to look in a mirror, I see that he's right. Like somebody has pumped some red-coloured air into it. He asks whether or not I uses q-tips, and when I say yes, he tells me not to use them, as the infection likely got into a scratch just outside the ear, causing the secondary infection. (Let that be a lesson to you kiddies! ;-)
So I walk out with a prescription for antibiotics -- no surprise there. Cephalexin, to be taken 4 times daily until the vial is empty. I still find I need to take aspirin to ease the slight pain and nausea, but at least it's getting treated and is not likely to last much longer.
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