I feel vindicated.
I hate going to the doctor for stupid things, but I've had enough.
See, at Christmas, I was feeling ropey, fluey, and I had a build up of fluid in one of my ears. I remember taking some pain killers and asking for a heat pack on Christmas Day.
On Boxing Day, I found an appointment with the shopping centre doctor. She had a look at me, couldn't see an ear infection, thought it might be my TMJ (Temporomandibular joint). Bite down on a pencil. I'd be right.
I went home to Adelaide. I had a shocker of a head cold while I was there. Passed it on to my stepdad, who has given it to my mum. Two weeks of feeling like poo and waking up in the middle of the night, coughing up muck and being unable to breathe. I've been through five boxes of tissues in the last three weeks. I've been blowing my nose constantly.
Making matters worse, the other ear got completely blocked, and nothing would shift the fluid. I've pretty much been deaf in one ear. It has its uses, but I've had to concentrate hard on some things.
Then, over the weekend, a new symptom. I had a face ache. It felt like somebody had stuffed a marble up my nose and they were wanting to pull out my teeth at the same time. What fun. Panadol and ibuprufen wasn't touching the pain. It hurt to smile, eat and everything in between.
Today was the last straw. I went back to the doctor. This time, my nice practice where my regular doctor resides. One of the other doctors. One I've seen before and liked, had a late appointment going. I booked it then and there. I've spent a couple of days feeling like I've been smacked in the mouth by a cricket bat.
I still felt stupid for going, but the face ache was getting a bit much.
We explained pleasantries. It seems the last time I saw her was back in 2015. I had busted ear drums. I felt stupid seeing her then too, but she said I was right to come and put me on antibiotics, banned me from getting my ears wet and to come back in a week to make sure they'd healed.
So, we discussed what was going on. She checked me over. No fever. I told her about the cold from hell, the post-nasal drip from hell, the two weeks of broken sleep (that is over thank goodness). A two-week-old, blocked ear that was now ringing and driving me potty too. I told her about the doctor who thought the ear stuff at Christmas was my jaw joint and that I should bite down on a pencil. Though I felt good in myself the face ache was getting too much.
She looked me over. Ears clear. No temperature. Throat clear. Yes, there was some muck getting into my lungs from the drip in my nose. And sure, the jaw joint on the other side of my face was impacting things, it looked like I had a sinus infection.
I have three things to do. Take my antibiotics, which she prescribed. Use pain relief for the face ache, as I have been doing. And flush out my sinuses with saline. Dead sexy squirting salty water up your nose until you choke. But allegedly it's effective in clearing your sinuses.
I told her, once I had the script in my hand, that I felt a bit vindicated for coming. I'm not shy about going to the doctor - I'm not a bloke, but I'm hoping that this round of amoxycillin clears this whole things up.
I'm officially over it all.
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