Blocked.

 A couple days before I was scheduled to leave for my current hitch, my left ear started ringing. Then the headaches started. Then it felt like someone was driving an icepick through my eardrum.

Naturally I was a bit concerned with this development so close to a trip which involved me flying in a small plane for a few hours.

I went to the ER and they said I didn't have an infection of any kind, but it was simply a blocked eustachian tube. It would likely go away on its own and they sent me off with some Afrin.

Well, three weeks later and it hasn't gone away completely. It's better, and sometimes I have no symptoms, but they always come back. Mainly extra pressure, ringing, or hearing issues. If I'm on top of it and take my handful of medicine, flush my sinuses before bed with an improvised neti pot, and sleep on my right side so the fluid can drain, I seem to have fewer issues. Problem is, I can't take Afrin every day, and my allergy medicine has a tendency to back up on me occasionally. The neti pot only works if it has something flush. Oh yeah, and my right hip hurts like hell if I sleep on it from the crit crash a few years ago. But other than that, I have it under control.

I've never had this happen before, and would rather not have it continue any longer than it has to. I don't know what caused it ('Rona?), but it's annoying as hell to put a phone to an ear only to have to switch sides and ask the person on the other end to repeat themselves.

At least the icepick hasn't returned.

Part of the fun of getting older I guess. Sooner or later you get to experience all sorts of new things you never wanted to. 

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