Yesterday, I had to face up to what has been one of my biggest fears for a while - the mighty drill in the lug hole!
It all started over 12 years ago when I first started surfing. As a younger bloke, I was too busy having fun in the water to worry about wearing ear plugs. I did countless cold winters, with no plugs and no hood, until my first ear infection. On close examination at the docs, it was confirmed that I had exostosis (tiny bony growths) growing in my ear canal, in other words surfer's ear. It happens as a result of the cold water and wind that we encounter while surfing. I was given antibiotics and told to plug up next time I went in the water.
But it took me 2 or 3 more infections before I realised that plugging up was actually a very sensible idea. Now some years later, despite regularly wearing plugs and a hat, I finally had to succumb to the experts advice and have my exostosis drilled out (by this time my right ear was over 90% closed over).
That was yesterday which all started rather scarily with a discussion with the surgeon and ENT specialist about what was going to happen. A drill would be used (not a chisel as I had been previously told) which alarmed me first of all since I had heard various horror stories about the drill. They told me that they may have to cut the back of my ear and peal it forwards like a banana skin for better access. And they told me the possible risks - deafness, infection, and terrifyingly facial paralysis (they drill very close to the facial nerve).
Then it was off to the ward where I had to wait amongst the other patients, the hum drum of the hospital only broken by the occasional gurgling sound from the poor guy next to me getting to grips with his tracheotomy.
It wasn't until the afternoon when I finally had to put my surgery gown on and head to theatre. Lying on my bed, I contemplated a last minute escape but barely had I hatched my pathetic plan, when I was wheeled away for my anaesthetic. I woke up two and a half hours later in a complete daze, with a throbbing ear and people in recovery trying to have a conversation with me.
The specialist told me it had gone well but she had struggled to get rid of all of the exostosis due to my narrow ear canal. The operation had been a bit longer than expected (2 hrs) and she also informed me that she'd checked out my left ear and with that being 70% covered over, would be recommending the drill for him too - whoopee! (Wish I'd worn ear plugs earlier- doh!)
I stayed overnight in hospital and was picked up by my loving wife in the morning. Which brings me to now, Saturday afternoon, still spaced out from the anaesthetic and ear throbbing nicely (although pain killers are doing a pretty good job considering). The good news is that they avoided my facial nerve and managed to do the job without pealing my entire ear off - only one stitch for me. The bad news is that the surf is looking good later on in the week and I'm going to have to forget about surfing for a month or two. Oh well, I managed a year and a half off when I snapped my cruciate ligament surfing at Trebarwith, so 2 months should be OK. Besides, things are looking busy with Ollypop so at least I won't have the distraction of surfing!
Links - http://www.bbc.co.uk/cornwall/content/articles/2007/03/06/surfers_ear_feature.shtml
Recommended plugs - http://www.surfplugs.co.uk/index.html
It all started over 12 years ago when I first started surfing. As a younger bloke, I was too busy having fun in the water to worry about wearing ear plugs. I did countless cold winters, with no plugs and no hood, until my first ear infection. On close examination at the docs, it was confirmed that I had exostosis (tiny bony growths) growing in my ear canal, in other words surfer's ear. It happens as a result of the cold water and wind that we encounter while surfing. I was given antibiotics and told to plug up next time I went in the water.
But it took me 2 or 3 more infections before I realised that plugging up was actually a very sensible idea. Now some years later, despite regularly wearing plugs and a hat, I finally had to succumb to the experts advice and have my exostosis drilled out (by this time my right ear was over 90% closed over).
That was yesterday which all started rather scarily with a discussion with the surgeon and ENT specialist about what was going to happen. A drill would be used (not a chisel as I had been previously told) which alarmed me first of all since I had heard various horror stories about the drill. They told me that they may have to cut the back of my ear and peal it forwards like a banana skin for better access. And they told me the possible risks - deafness, infection, and terrifyingly facial paralysis (they drill very close to the facial nerve).
Then it was off to the ward where I had to wait amongst the other patients, the hum drum of the hospital only broken by the occasional gurgling sound from the poor guy next to me getting to grips with his tracheotomy.
It wasn't until the afternoon when I finally had to put my surgery gown on and head to theatre. Lying on my bed, I contemplated a last minute escape but barely had I hatched my pathetic plan, when I was wheeled away for my anaesthetic. I woke up two and a half hours later in a complete daze, with a throbbing ear and people in recovery trying to have a conversation with me.
The specialist told me it had gone well but she had struggled to get rid of all of the exostosis due to my narrow ear canal. The operation had been a bit longer than expected (2 hrs) and she also informed me that she'd checked out my left ear and with that being 70% covered over, would be recommending the drill for him too - whoopee! (Wish I'd worn ear plugs earlier- doh!)
I stayed overnight in hospital and was picked up by my loving wife in the morning. Which brings me to now, Saturday afternoon, still spaced out from the anaesthetic and ear throbbing nicely (although pain killers are doing a pretty good job considering). The good news is that they avoided my facial nerve and managed to do the job without pealing my entire ear off - only one stitch for me. The bad news is that the surf is looking good later on in the week and I'm going to have to forget about surfing for a month or two. Oh well, I managed a year and a half off when I snapped my cruciate ligament surfing at Trebarwith, so 2 months should be OK. Besides, things are looking busy with Ollypop so at least I won't have the distraction of surfing!
Links - http://www.bbc.co.uk/cornwall/content/articles/2007/03/06/surfers_ear_feature.shtml
Recommended plugs - http://www.surfplugs.co.uk/index.html
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