The water was colder than I wanted. The temperatures had been in the high nineties, but with the temperatures above 105 for so long, ninety felt chilly. So I helped the kids don their swim gear and stayed by the side. After the fifth time of Brennon asking me to get in the pool, I decided to get in. It was not enough for Brennon to have me simply watching. I donned my own pair of goggles and headed to a deeper part of the pool. If I was doing this, I was going to get the shock over fast. So I walked into the six feet side without much thought. No jumping, simply falling. Boy do I regret that choice.
When I came up, without ever fully touching the bottom, my hearing was off. I could hear the wind more than I could hear voices. I didn't understand what was said unless I was looking straight at the person talking. Otherwise it sounded garbled. Like Lucy's voice over the phone on Charlie Brown. There was a little bit of a pressure difference, but I didn't feel water in my ear. That is something I know all-too well. Hence my aversion to jumping into the pool. And why I never go scuba diving with Randy. My ears just hurt with pressure changes.
It has now been days of weird ear stuff. I have banged my head, jumped sideways onto my bed, many different tricks to try to "pop" my ears. Anything to get my normal hearing back. Nothing. I finally went to get some swimmers ear drops. Looking back, I regret that choice more than the jump.
The second Randy placed one drop in, it felt like a red-hot fire poker had been shoved into my ear. The pain was so intense, hurt SO bad, that I instantly burst into sobs. I was bashing my head on the pillow, begging for the drops to come out and the pain to stop. It was snot pretty, literally. Snot and tears all over my face. Agony!! And being the compassionate, caring, ever-loving husband that he is, Randy asked when I wanted to try the other ear.
Which I did without any pain. I went to bed last night, disregarding the throb if my right ear. I got up, ran 4.43 miles, thank you very much, showered and asked him to help me with the drops one more time. Left side first, nothing. Right side...fire. We left right away for Urgent Care.
Turns out, my walk into the pool caused a tear in my right ear drum. I am now referred to an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor. I've been there enough times with Shelby and Tyson!! Looks like we are a family prone to ear stuff!
I am grateful for a promise kept to my kids. So many times in their life my health issues have held them back. I just wish that I didn't have to pay such a high price to swim. I LOVE swimming. As long as I don't go too deep. Competitive diving has never been a choice for me. And never will be with dopey ears like mine, apparently. I wonder what the ENT will say!?
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