Barotrauma

Barotrauma.

Do you know what Barotrauma is?

I do.

now.

I have barotrauma from flying for work while congested. Last Saturday night was a lot of fun – probably too much fun actually – and I woke up Sunday with the sniffles. I figured it was just allergies and old-age reacting to staying out far past my bedtime the night before.

Tuesday I flew to Houston to meet with a contractor and my ears hurt but they popped. Wednesday morning I spent on the job site with the wind blowing 45 mph and making me sneeze. By Thursday morning I was in full-blown sinus infection mode and on a plane to Corpus Christi to the module yard.

This morning was two flights back to Kansas City. During the middle of the second one, I was sitting in the window seat with tears streaming down my face because my ears were hurting so bad!! I made it into the health center at work and the Doc asked if she could show my ears off to the other nurses at the center because I have a bad, but cool to the average medical professional, case of barotrauma. She was actually impressed that I got it from flying on a plane since most cases are the result of scuba-diving. I wish I had gotten it scuba-diving…

I’ve got an appointment with an ENT Monday afternoon and I’m praying all weekend that my hearing returns to normal. Right now I have reduced hearing and feeling like I’m talking while wearing a goldfish bowl on my head. This also causes an echo in my brain when I talk which gives me a headache. I’ve got antibiotics to help me get thru the weekend. Hopefully getting my sinuses to drain will help my ear drums have more room and all could go back to normal…