Sick

I have a severe case of otitis externa, which is a fancy way to say I have an infection in my ear canal that is also called 'swimmer's ear' because exposure to water can be a cause. My doctor suggested that in the future when I wash my hair I take cotton balls with petroleum jelly and put them in the very front area of the ear (not the canal itself) to help keep moisture out.

I've contributed greatly to the problem myself. My left ear has itched a lot for some time (although that in itself is a symptom of early infection), with dry flaky skin, and I've been obsessively trying to clean it, trying to be careful since I know it's bad to use cotton swabs or other implements to remove the ear wax, etc. Doing so damages the thick skin of the canal and makes it more prone to infection. The nurse suggested a remedy called sweet oil (which is essentially olive oil) that you put a drop or two in the ear every couple of weeks to keep the flaking and itching down (although not during the infection). I picked up some of that at the pharmacy as well.

My ear is swollen to the point where it was difficult for the doctor to put the scope in, and I'm in a lot of pain, including the outside of the ear and the lymph nodes behind the ear. My throat's hurting too, which isn't that surprising, since they're connected. There's a lot of pressure built up due to fluid and pus, and I can't hear well in that ear. It's nearly eight o'clock in the evening and I'm finally (after taking corticosteroid ear drops four hours ago and going to sleep) able to eat a sandwich, if I chew carefully, because of the pain. I haven't had much appetite anyway, which is unusual for me. I need to keep a careful eye on my blood sugars during my illness because diabetes can lead to a rare but potentially lethal case of otitis externa, potentially causing deafness, paralysis of the nerves around the larynx necessitating a tracheotomy, or osteomyelitis (bone infection) [the latter two can be fatal]. Isn't it great to be a medical librarian with access to the Internet?

Although I'm not really feverish, I've been very tired, and my doctor gave me a note to be off work until Monday. I was off from the hospital and the store today, and will be off from the hospital tomorrow. Our schedule at the store on Saturday is such that I couldn't trade with anyone, but my boss reduced my hours and we're trying to get someone to come in a couple hours early to cover. If not, she said she'd come in herself. That would halve my hours anyway so I could get some rest. If I didn't work at all it would really leave them in a bind.

Except for going to the doctor, talking to my bosses, and going to the pharmacy, I've slept all day. I need to work on the notes tonight since I have time, even if it's for a little while, although I really just feel like going back to bed. So while I'm off for a little while, I'm not sure how much blogging I'll do. If I sleep a lot, it may not be much. If I can't concentrate on anything else, it may be a lot.

Anyway, that's what's going on with me. At least I haven't been sick enough to be knocked off my feet in a very long time (not since before I started at the store three years ago). And at least I'm not contagious (they checked me for strep). So hopefully the antibiotic and ear drops will take it out pretty quickly. I'm on four Keflex a day, which sent the pharmacy in a tizzy because I'm allergic to penicillin, but I've taken it before with no trouble, so here's hoping I'm not allergic to it, too.