I made a quick trip to our local drop-in medical clinic this morning before work. My right eardrum was vibrating and I figured it was ear wax. I didn't want to leave it as long as the last time when I was in real pain and had to get my ear flushed out with water. The doctor had a young medical student with him so spent a long time mapping out the problem for his benefit. According to the doctor, the wax was superficial and dragging a hose in wasn't necessary.
For the student's benefit, the old doctor drew some diagrams of the ear with "corridors" leading to the eustachian tube and to the nasal passages. The drawings reminded me of a plumber showing me the cause of the leak or where the wedding ring is lodged. According to the doctor, my nose is a perfect pyramid shape and the narrow bridge can lead to these sorts of problems. "Just take some nose spray and ear drops and have a good day." This is a my long winded way of saying this is what doctors are good at, the mechanics of your body. The doctor is a technician, like your plumber, like your car mechanic.
You can't map out the mind like this and say with any confidence where the blockages are.
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I went to an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor because I had a chronic sore throat. I was terrified that I had throat cancer. He constantly spoke into a dictaphone about the conditions he saw in my throat. He had absolutely no personable bedside manner. But I was so incredibly at ease with him because he was so completely focused on my throat, the precise reason I was there.
ReplyDeleteIn the end, he said I had to be stoned if I thought I had throat cancer and he diagnosed me laryngeal acid reflux. He told me to take a 14-day regimen of Prilosec OTC and if that didn't work, then call him back.
The Prilosec did the trick and it was one of the most wonderful visits to a doctor I have ever had. I didn't have what I feared and he seemed just so competent, assured and forthright, which is the exact opposite of anything I've ever experienced with a shrink.
Your comment makes me laugh. BTW, my husband has the same throat condition so I passed your comment on to him to see if he has tried the remedy that was suggested.
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