Time and Hope

So I went to the doctor's again. This time I got a different one and I LOVED him! He was the best doctor I have seen: he didn't try to rush me out of the office, he let me ask all the questions I wanted, and he explained how processes in my ears worked. He was by far the best doctor I have seen.

He took a look in my ears and said he could see fluid in my ears - ironically the one that makes the less noise has the more fluid in it. He said that it wouldn't drain away because my eardrums looked in good condition and the only reason they would leak is if my eardrum was infected or if there was a hole in them. I am a little confused at that because I was sure there was some fluid on my ear that came out - maybe that was wax? Anyway, he said that the body absorbs the fluid so eventually it will go. He told me to wait until mid-April, and then come back. If it doesn't go he will refer me to a specialist which will take 6-8 weeks. He said he could refer me now if I wanted but the doctors would be likely to do something about it, and what they would do is put a hole into my eardrum to let the fluid drain out. He wasn't keen on that, and as you can expect neither was I. I am scared that would do some permanent damage.

He said that he sees people with T about twice a week, which makes twenty six patients in a year. In a year, only one out of the twenty six actually sees the specialist. That reassured me. He told me that usually the best thing to do with this is to give it time. He was sympathetic and said he knows how frustrating it is, but the best thing to do is to give my ears time. He said if my T got worse then I should go back before mid-April.

So I am going to wait until April 17th which will be three months since my T started. Hopefully I won't need to go back! I trust this doctor more than the others. Besides, I know that there is fluid in my ears because I can HEAR it and feel it moving around. The symptoms match up, and it explains why my headaches are just on one side of my head at times. So I am going to do what he said and hope that by April 17th I will no longer hear a have ear pain, headaches, crackling or hear that annoying ringing!

 

I would see a specialist now. Not wait the 3 months. There are other ways to get rid of the fluid without piercing the eardrum.

 

Can't you determine what Dr. you get to see..?

 

Even if I asked to see one now, I would have to wait another 6-8 weeks to see a specialist. I think I'll just try to be patient, because it has been getting better - today I have barely heard it. I don't want to interfer with my ears in case I make it worse. I have had a cold so it makes sense to have fluid in my ears.

What other ways are there to get fluid out the ear?

 

Not really. In the UK GPs are so busy you basically take whatever doctor is free. I am going to try and ask for him next time though

 

The joys of national healthcare in Europe eh.

 

Tell me about it

 

Ya.. we are trying to do the same thing here... everyone thinks your health care is the greatest thing... I think they will regret it later...

 

Our health care USED to be great. There is very little "care" involved at all, which really bugs me. GPs offices aren't open at weekends, so to get medical help you have to go to the hospital. It's free but anyone would enough money would go private.

 

That is where we are heading, free substandard health care for ALL....

 

I know. I think every country should have free health care, but it seems impossible have both free AND good healthcare.

I should point out that not all doctors/hospitals are poor. Tbh I think it is the fact that nurses and doctors don't seem to care anymore. Back during the time of the Second World War, nursing was a vocation - now people just don't care. In my opinion if we brought back the old ways of doing it, where there were Ward Sisters who made sure things were done right, nurses had to clean, they did the rounds and made sure every patient was happy and comfortable, we would be in a better state. But nurses and doctors just don't care - at least a lot of them don't. I'll admit they are short-staffed, but this just shows more funding is needed to get the health care system back to how it used to be.