Re: The ear infection that has taken over my life.

[Guest guest]

Hi Christie,

I'm a patient of Dr. Hirsch as well. You're very fortunate to be under

his care now. He's a real straight shooter when it comes to what to

realistically expect. Like you, I've had some nerve damage that nothing

can be done about. I'm sure Dr. Hirsch has told you that the primary

goal is a clean dry ear and that hearing is secondary. From what you've

written, your situation was a bit more advanced than mine - I'm so glad

that you eventually made your way to his care.

He did quite a job with my right ear with reconstruction - it gives me

adequate hearing when I'm sleeping. I also had cholesteatoma in my left

ear that Dr. Hirsch caught before it could do much damage. For that ear,

he reshaped the hearing bones ... but they don't work so well. I wear

Behind-the-Ear (BTE) aids for both ears and my coworkers have really

noticed the difference. My wife is the one that turns the TV on too loud

now. The exception is Sunday morning when I try to get away with not

wearing them for Meet the Press. She makes me go put them in and the

difference is unbelievable - the TV is roaring loud. My aids have little

plastic tubes that extend down the sides of my head and into my ear

canals. Most people don't even notice that they are there - especially

at Carnegie Mellon where half the people walk around with some kind of

electronic gear on their heads (I don't seemingly talk to myself like

they do though).

Take care and know that you're seeing one of the best doctors out there now.

Matt

Christie wrote:

>

> Hi everyone. My name is Christie. I am 37 years old and live in the

> Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. My story began last September when I

> got what seemed a random and ordinary ear infection. I went to a local

> med-express on Wednesday was told that I had an ear infection, given

> antibiotic drops and pills and sent on my merry way. By Sunday, I

> honestly thought I was going to go insane from the pain inside of my

> ear. I had taken my medicines as presribed yet I got much worse over

> those 4 days. Monday I was able to get an afternoon appt with a very

> highly recommended ENT(at least 6-7 of my colleagues had dealings with

> this ENT for one thing or another.) At this appt I was told that I had

> a very serious and severe fungal infection in my left ear. I couldn't

> possibly guess where I would have gotten that having not been in a hot

> tube or swimming pool recently. I was treated two consectutive days

> with suction cleaning and gentian violet drops and also prescription

> pain medicine. To make a really, really long story short...I spent the

> next 4 months seeing this particular doctor every Monday. He would

> suction clean my ear and prescribe various drops but the infections

> kept on coming back. I was even tested for diabetes since that can

> sometimes cause fungal infections and also prevent their healing.

> During this time, I was diagnosed with a perforated eardrum and

> significant hearing loss. I had numerous audiology exams which

> revealed a continuous decline and deficit in my hearing. I also began

> to experience vertigo and severe to debilitating migrane headaches.

> Finally, in January, I asked for further testing. I was sent for a

> CT-scan followed by an MRI. Initially, both came back unremarkable for

> anything other than inflammation in my middle ear(the obvious

> infection.) During the middle of January, I experienced a particularly

> painful fungal infection. The doctor even tried numbing my ear with

> Lidocaine, but he still couldn't clean out my ear with the suction

> because of the extreme pain it was causing me. His suggestion was

> taking me to the Operating room that night for cleaning under

> anesthesia. However, because of my insurance we realize that he did

> not have medical priviledges at the hospital where I needed to be

> treated. The turning point in my story. I ended up being referred to a

> physician at the UPMC Ear, Nose and Throat. Since beginning to see Dr.

> Barry Hirsch, I was diagnosed with a cholesteatoma behind my eardrum.

> I finally had surgery 3/8 of this year. It was painful and brought

> with it its own complications( I ended up being readmitted on the 17th

> for menengitis and septecemia) but I am releaved to know that

> something more was actually wrong that just a simple ear infection. I

> am now in a wait and see mode. Wait to see if the c-toma comes back in

> the next 4-6 months. If not(I pray to God every night) I will have

> reconstructive surgery by the end of the year. My mastoid will need

> rebuilt, my ossicles need repaired(the c-toma was wrapped all around

> and thru those tiny bones) and I will have a grafted eardrum. My

> doctor will not entertain my questions of how much hearing will I have

> restored. I do have nerve damage and I am coming to terms slowly with

> the fact that I will never regain all of my hearing. This has been one

> hell of a ride for not only me but also my children, family and

> friends. I hope to tell everyone I know to never ever again take an

> ear infection lightly. Thanks for reading my story.

>

>

--

[Guest guest]

Hi Christie!

Thanks for sharing your story. I am so glad you ended up in the right hands. I had a cholesteatoma removed in Aug. that didn't seem near what you have been going through and it was all consuming! It does feel like it is taking over your life. But the good thing is it is out of there now! I just wanted to say that all of us have been there to some extent and know what you are feeling. I hope things continue to look up for you.

Good luck!

From: Christie <christielynn925@...>Subject: The ear infection that has taken over my life.cholesteatoma Date: Sunday, April 11, 2010, 10:26 PM

Hi everyone. My name is Christie. I am 37 years old and live in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. My story began last September when I got what seemed a random and ordinary ear infection. I went to a local med-express on Wednesday was told that I had an ear infection, given antibiotic drops and pills and sent on my merry way. By Sunday, I honestly thought I was going to go insane from the pain inside of my ear. I had taken my medicines as presribed yet I got much worse over those 4 days. Monday I was able to get an afternoon appt with a very highly recommended ENT(at least 6-7 of my colleagues had dealings with this ENT for one thing or another.) At this appt I was told that I had a very serious and severe fungal infection in my left ear. I couldn't possibly guess where I would have gotten that having not been in a hot tube or swimming pool recently. I was treated two consectutive days with suction cleaning and gentian violet drops and also

prescription pain medicine. To make a really, really long story short...I spent the next 4 months seeing this particular doctor every Monday. He would suction clean my ear and prescribe various drops but the infections kept on coming back. I was even tested for diabetes since that can sometimes cause fungal infections and also prevent their healing. During this time, I was diagnosed with a perforated eardrum and significant hearing loss. I had numerous audiology exams which revealed a continuous decline and deficit in my hearing. I also began to experience vertigo and severe to debilitating migrane headaches. Finally, in January, I asked for further testing. I was sent for a CT-scan followed by an MRI. Initially, both came back unremarkable for anything other than inflammation in my middle ear(the obvious infection.) During the middle of January, I experienced a particularly painful fungal infection. The doctor even tried numbing my ear with Lidocaine,

but he still couldn't clean out my ear with the suction because of the extreme pain it was causing me. His suggestion was taking me to the Operating room that night for cleaning under anesthesia. However, because of my insurance we realize that he did not have medical priviledges at the hospital where I needed to be treated. The turning point in my story. I ended up being referred to a physician at the UPMC Ear, Nose and Throat. Since beginning to see Dr. Barry Hirsch, I was diagnosed with a cholesteatoma behind my eardrum. I finally had surgery 3/8 of this year. It was painful and brought with it its own complications( I ended up being readmitted on the 17th for menengitis and septecemia) but I am releaved to know that something more was actually wrong that just a simple ear infection. I am now in a wait and see mode. Wait to see if the c-toma comes back in the next 4-6 months. If not(I pray to God every night) I will have reconstructive surgery by the

end of the year. My mastoid will need rebuilt, my ossicles need repaired(the c-toma was wrapped all around and thru those tiny bones) and I will have a grafted eardrum. My doctor will not entertain my questions of how much hearing will I have restored. I do have nerve damage and I am coming to terms slowly with the fact that I will never regain all of my hearing. This has been one hell of a ride for not only me but also my children, family and friends. I hope to tell everyone I know to never ever again take an ear infection lightly. Thanks for reading my story.

[Guest guest]

Hi Christie,

It is good to hear that you finally got the right treatment. And I hope you will

be able to do the reconstruction.

Good luck!