Still Alive! It’s Not Mastoiditis!

So, yesterday the pain in my ear and behind my ear became so bad in the afternoon that I ended up in the ER. My ear started leaking fluid after a giant pop. Because I was told it was mastoiditis during an urgent care visit and to go to the ER if my ear started leaking fluid, that’s what we did.

I underwent a CT scan. Thankfully, it is not mastoiditis. Rather, the lymph node above the mastoid bone is so swollen and infected (!!) that it is pressing on the mastoid and mimicking mastoiditis. I also have a raging ear infection. I was given yet another antibiotic and pain medication.

At least I don’t have to worry about a brain infection or a brain abscess. Or bacterial meningitis.

I slept from around 8:30 last night until 7:30 this morning. It still fucking hurts today, but not like it did yesterday. I have to finish the oral antibiotics. I have new ear drops.

My admonishment from yesterday to any doctors, PAs, ARNPs, etc., stand. If you have someone presenting with an ear infection, prescribe the fucking antibiotics. Because this is bullshit. For it to be this infected, apparently it’s been bad for a while.

I can finally leave my migraine glasses off for a few hours at a time (until the pain starts over the bone). Had I know to even consider antibiotics to begin with, maybe I could have avoided the nonstop migraines. We just don’t know that part for sure…but I’m still pissed that I was blown off by the first doctor.