Mister Hand (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} mr_hand) wrote,@ 2009-02-14 10:45:00 |
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Wax on, wax off
So yesterday I had my first doctor's visit in about 4 years. I'm fine, by the way.
The only trouble I wanted to ask about was earwax buildup. I could feel it there, in my ears. I acknowledge that it's my own fault: years of shoving Q-Tips in there and packing it in like cannon wadding.
There are two ways of dealing with earwax buildup, by the way. One involves a syringe of warm water squirted in. If it's really bad, they'll ask you to put some olive oil in there for a few nights to loosen things up first.
The other involves a tiny ice cream scoop on a long stick. I love that in this modern age of medicine, the best ways we have to deal with this universal issue are squirting water and a tiny scoop.
Well, my doctor whipped out her scoop and went to work on my right ear, which was the worst one. A few seconds of digging, and I hear her say: "Wow, that's the biggest..."
And then it dropped into my lap.
"...usually they come out in little pieces," she said.
And in my lap is a solid chunk of earwax. Dark brown, about 3 cm long, half a centimetre wide. Wax.
"Sorry," is all I can think to say. "That's kind of embarrassing," I add.
"Sorry about dropping it on you," she says.
"No worries."
Secretly, we're both quite proud of our accomplishments. Me, for growing this thing and finally getting rid of it; her for getting it out in one big chunk.
The other ear isn't so bad. "Just put some oil in at night and it'll come out in the shower." I'm a bit disappointed -- I want a slug out of both ears -- but them's the breaks.
Incidentally, two different family doctors have told me that ear cleaning ranks among their favourite professional duties. Apparently it is very satisfying work.
"It feels good to be able to definitively and instantly cure something," my doctor told me yesterday.
I don't know if I can hear better now, but it's nice to know that big lump of crap is no longer gumming up my ear canal. I can feel it's gone, and it's good.
So yesterday I had my first doctor's visit in about 4 years. I'm fine, by the way.
The only trouble I wanted to ask about was earwax buildup. I could feel it there, in my ears. I acknowledge that it's my own fault: years of shoving Q-Tips in there and packing it in like cannon wadding.
There are two ways of dealing with earwax buildup, by the way. One involves a syringe of warm water squirted in. If it's really bad, they'll ask you to put some olive oil in there for a few nights to loosen things up first.
The other involves a tiny ice cream scoop on a long stick. I love that in this modern age of medicine, the best ways we have to deal with this universal issue are squirting water and a tiny scoop.
Well, my doctor whipped out her scoop and went to work on my right ear, which was the worst one. A few seconds of digging, and I hear her say: "Wow, that's the biggest..."
And then it dropped into my lap.
"...usually they come out in little pieces," she said.
And in my lap is a solid chunk of earwax. Dark brown, about 3 cm long, half a centimetre wide. Wax.
"Sorry," is all I can think to say. "That's kind of embarrassing," I add.
"Sorry about dropping it on you," she says.
"No worries."
Secretly, we're both quite proud of our accomplishments. Me, for growing this thing and finally getting rid of it; her for getting it out in one big chunk.
The other ear isn't so bad. "Just put some oil in at night and it'll come out in the shower." I'm a bit disappointed -- I want a slug out of both ears -- but them's the breaks.
Incidentally, two different family doctors have told me that ear cleaning ranks among their favourite professional duties. Apparently it is very satisfying work.
"It feels good to be able to definitively and instantly cure something," my doctor told me yesterday.
I don't know if I can hear better now, but it's nice to know that big lump of crap is no longer gumming up my ear canal. I can feel it's gone, and it's good.
