I'm sorry, what did you say?

This is my phrase of choice lately. See, I can't hear very well. Last week my ear just suddenly plugged up. No warning, no on-coming illness like a cold, sore throat, nothing. I couldn't figure out why. Then that night, the pain came. I went to the Dr. and he confirmed that I had an ear infection. Ouch! I will always empathize with my kids now when they get one instead of telling them to suck it up. Anyway, a week later my ear is still plugged and driving me CRAZY!!! I call the doctor and he says that's not normal, my antibiotic isn't working and he'll call in a different one. Later that same day because the plugged ear is driving me nuts, I plug my nose and blow as hard as I can out my ears hoping to relieve the pressure. Oops. Guess you shouldn't do that with an ear infection because I just ruptured my ear drum. You can literally hear the air hissing out my ear. It feels weird. I have a constant high pitched squeal in my ear, lots of pain, pressure, still plugged and STILL annoyed. Oh, and did I mention I can't hear very well? With just the ear infection the doctor prescribed a pain relief ear drop ...which numbed the ear and made life slightly nicer. He did NOT however, mention that you shouldn't use it with a ruptured ear drum. Because if you do...it drains through the hole and down your throat...and it burns. And you shouldn't ingest these drops...oops. I wasn't trying to ingest them, I didn't know putting them into my ear, would lead to my stomach. The worst part is that my ear still hurt and now my throat hurt. Oh yeah, and a funny side effect: I can't blow my nose very well because there isn't anything stopping the pressure in my ear so it'll come out my nose...it just goes out my ear. It's like drinking from a straw with a hole in it, in reverse. Make sense? Didn't think so. Anyway, since Tylenol, Motrin and Tolmetin aren't helping either...I guess I will just have to wait this one out. I think I could live with the pain, it's the plugged ear and feeling like I'm under water that might do me in. That and not being able to hear very well.