Capt. Mondo's World o' Mondo-ness

Not Going Deaf in One Ear
Went to the doctor again this morning, as a follow-up after having taken antibiotics for the past couple of weeks. My problem is that my hearing still hasn't returned to normal in my left ear, so to be on the safe side I thought it a good idea to go back.

The doctor looked into my ear and noted that the infection was gone, but that there was still fluid in the ear that hasn't fully drained away. Turns out that the bones in the ear don't work efficiently when they are immersed in fluid. The effect is like clapping underwater -- you can do it, but it is hardly efficient. If things are not back to normal in January, I should head back in order to get an appointment with an ears, nose and throat specialist. Hopefully that will not be necessary. Apparently this type of infection is fairly common in children. I had thought she meant "swimmer's ear", but instead it turns out that the infection I had is common in children because the germs travel along the eustacion tube, which is only slightly angled in children, and descends in adults. Turns out I had germs with hiking boots on.

I also inquired about treatment for migraine, that have been coming for frequently (about every 2-3 months, instead of every 5-6 months as it used to be). When I last checked in my 20s all that available were painkillers, and I found in some cases that Tylenol 3 was the only thing that deadened the pain. But in the past few years some effective medications have been made designed to treat the migrane directly. I was given a sample package of zolmitriptan, and a prescription for a year's supply, should it prove effective.

It was a cold day, but bright, cloudless and with no wind. I went on a walked down to the waterfront afterwards, and took some pics of a near abandoned beach. I also accidentally met up with Erika as she was about to pick up Annie from school, so I tagged along. A very happy and smiley Annie greated the both of us, and then we headed out for lunch at Licks afterwards.

Much work followed when I got home.