From Tracie: Pain In The....What?

Friday, October 01, 2010

Pain In The....What?

I have been having this issue with my ear.  It started a few years ago. Every few months or so I would get an earache. It would last a couple of hours and go away. The last three months it has been getting worse, the pain is more often and higher in intensity. Now I'm going on two weeks of ear pain. 

Yesterday Thomas told me to find a clinic to visit. 
He thinks it is my wisdom tooth.

Last night my mom told me to go to urgent care. 
(because I have an extra $8,975.62 laying around to pay for an urgent care clinic)
She thinks it is my ear drum.

I broke down and called my doctor pharmacist.
(My motto: When faced with medical difficulties, call a pharmacist-they have to answer the phone, and they are free.)
The pharmacist was no help. He failed me.

This pain in the ear is quickly becoming a pain in my...you know.

SO

I did what every hypochondriac loves/fears to do.

I turned to the internet.

At first I wasn't sure that WebMD was the place for me. Every hypochondriac knows that ear ache means brain tumor. At the very least it means obscure-37-letter-word-ear-canal-tumor. WebMD gave me advice like sinus infection, bruising, swimmer's ear, and pressure change. I thought for a moment that it could be pressure change from the last plane trip I took....it was a year ago. Maybe not. 

I thought about how bad it would be for my ears to ride on a plane while swimming. An interesting engineering feat, but obviously not the cause of my pain. Also I realize that sounds like my ears would be riding on the plane without me. That is a whole separate ear issue.

Mostly what I read was bacteria, inner ear, blah blah, inflamation, blah blah bla-draining the ear (yuck!), blah blah.....

Oooh Rubella.  There is something worthy of an internet-hypochondria moment. Rubella.

*squinting at screen*

Now this Rubella is supposed to be accompanied with joint pain. 

Hmmmm

My knee. It hurt earlier. (I ran into a chair) that qualifies as joint pain.

Then there should be a rash. On my face.  

Those pesky freckles. I knew they were up to no good. Camouflaging my Rubella rash. How am I supposed to get my family and doctor to take my Rubella seriously when these freckles cover up the face-rash?

*clicking links, clicking links*

Rubella can sometimes cause Encephalitis. 

Rubella rash can sometimes be similar to and confused with Measles. 

Very interesting. Click on Measles. There it is a HUGE Measles symptom at the bottom of the page, "Measles can cause ear infections". 

And then the final answer. Measles can sometimes cause Encephalitis. 

This is a clear path:
~Earache
~Rubella
~Measles
~Encephalitis.

The information on what caused Encephalitis was very sketchy, they don't seem sure at all did not seem to fit with my other symptoms (The knee! Don't forget that knee!) but I'm pretty sure I have figured it out...

It's the freckles. They have been causing problems for years.

Now I have to go read up on freckle removal. If I remember correctly, Anne Shirley used lemon juice. I think I'll start there.





21 comments:

  1. LOL. U crack me up!
    lemon juice to remove freckles..let me know how that turns out...
    hope your ear feels better...

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  2. Rabbit, rabbit.

    You have taken a clear straight path back to health.

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  3. LOL. Maybe you should just go to the doctor.

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  4. Go to the doctor and stay off the internet. Free advice. Now GO!

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  5. Roflmbo.. umm you guys are getting a ton of rain right now I would say it is the change in air pressure and air moisture..try using a warm heating pad or a hair dryer on warm to the affected ear. If it is moisture in the ear that will help dry it up..

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  6. This is great, probably because I saw a little too much of myself in this post. From one hypochondriac to another, I totally feel your pain!

    Best of luck to you, that ear and those freckles.

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  7. Oh my - I try to stay away from the internet when I'm sick because I've diagnosed myself with everything from AIDS to cancer to some disease only people from Ireland can get????

    But I feel ya - I have ear infections ALL the time... I'm supposed to get tubes put in... but its kinda embarassing lining up with 2 yr olds for surgery.

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  8. Ha...but not really. I'm not laughing at your encephalitis pain. I just think you are funny. Now go make an appointment for the doctor.

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  9. This is hilarious! I think it's very well written and would make a great commentary or column in a newspaper. I did the same thing recently with this urinary tract infection which I now believe is more of a bowel problem and is effecting the bladder. I love to do internet research but it really does get you thinking the worst but also helps you to face what usually isn't the worst but is something you have been letting go on. Hope you found some real useful help. Is humor the cure?

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  10. I'm not allowed to look up my symptoms on the internet, but I do all the time and it is not good for someone with panic disorder.

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  11. it's just WRONG that you can get from the start to the end of that list. a game of telephone would make more logical sense!

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  12. The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Earache.

    o Earache
    o Ear infection
    o Middle ear infection
    o Otitis media
    o Otitis externa
    o Swimmer's ear
    o Acute serous otitis media
    o Ear foreign body
    o Ear wax
    o Eustachitis
    o Eustachian catarrh
    o Mastoiditis
    o Impacted cerumen
    o Ear infections
    o Middle ear tumor
    o Tympanic membrane perforation
    o Foreign body in ear
    o Boil in the ear canal
    o Cold sore in the ear canal (see Ear infection)
    o Perichondritis
    o Rodent ulcer
    o Ear cancer

    Now I've really got you going! I do it from a place of love. Or I might just be an asshole. ((Hugs)) <3

    LoL!!!

    Really though, just go to a clinic Hon. Because, with all the online research in the world, you still will never know until a professional tells you for sure what it is. And even if you figure it out you can't make it go away most generally without the medicine they have to give you.

    I hate medical bills too, but you're health is what is important. And don't feel bad, I'm a compulsive "look it up for hours" type myself. ;)

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  13. This made me *laugh* :D But I do hope that you feel better soon!!!

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  14. "Every hypochondriac knows that ear ache means brain tumor." Yes! I have so many ailments, real and/or imaginary, that for sure point to brain tumor. I've self-diagnosed myself so many times I've had to forbid myself access to WebMD. =>

    On a more serious note, I hope the pain gets resolved soon!

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  15. I can relate to the hypochondriac search. Everything is lethal.

    Why should there not be universal health care you don't have to do thru this?

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  16. ok, you need to DM @AmyOscar, she's dealing w/ some ear pain & might have some advice. I can also tell you olive oil is a natural remedy and has worked for me. You only need a tiny drop or two and put a cotton ball in there and lay on opposite side. Takes the pain away!

    Good luck & keep me posted!

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  17. That's hilarious! WebMD will get you nowhere but a one-way ticket to Hypochondriacville! lol
    Thanks for the laugh!

    Kristi, Live and Love...Out Loud
    @TweetingMama

    PS Following you via Google Friend Connect. :)

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  18. Haha, it is good to be able to take a frustrating situation and poke fun at it!

    But in all seriousness, I hope you figure out the cause of your condition and you get it cleared up right away!

    Please keep us all updated!

    Thanks for sharing.

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  19. We are the same person. My husband has tried to ban me from WebMD for obvious reasons. It's a problem for me, seriously. And why is it that cancer is a possible diagnosis for everything?

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  20. I started diagnosing myself on the internet after one time I went to the doctor for severe shoulder pain...and he looked it up on the internet. So if they can do it, we can too!

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  21. Hmm maybe a couple of drops of lemon juice in the ear will clear up the ear ache and the freckles...a twofor

    lol

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