In a deeply personal account, columnist Jane Macdougall shares her harrowing experience with a severe bilateral ear infection that left her temporarily deaf and struggling with vertigo. The ordeal began subtly, with symptoms she initially mistook for dental issues, before escalating into what she describes as "an ice pick in the head" level of pain.
The Unseen Agony of Ear Infections
Macdougall explains that her upper respiratory infection from Christmas traveled up her eustachian tubes, filling the tympanic cavity with fluid. This caused complete dysfunction, leading to inflammation that disrupted her vestibular system and triggered vertigo. She recalls her child's past suffering from chronic ear infections requiring surgery, noting that she now understands that inconsolable agony firsthand.
A Delayed Response to Serious Symptoms
The columnist admits she waited too long to seek medical attention, a habit ingrained from childhood when her mother would dismiss minor complaints with "If you're going to die, die at school." Only when sleep became impossible and her hearing disappeared did she visit St. Paul's sinus centre, where clinic director Dr. Amin Javer asked why she had delayed treatment.
"There wasn't unstanchable bleeding or a bone projecting out of the flesh—how serious could it be?" Macdougall recalls thinking, reflecting on her upbringing that minimized health concerns unless they involved dramatic visible injuries.
The Treatment and Its Aftermath
Dr. Javer cauterized and lanced both eardrums, providing immediate relief from the intense pain. However, deafness followed quickly, creating what Macdougall describes as "the oddest sensation, kind of like listening to someone vacuum outside your hotel room door." Sound became uneven and dislocated, leading to startling moments like when her daughter appeared in the kitchen without her hearing the approach.
Learning Through Loss
As she slowly recovers her hearing, Macdougall reflects on "the miraculous integration of our faculties." The experience left her not only physically clumsy but also mentally foggy—what she calls "hard of thinking." Her spring break consisted of missing calls, not hearing alarms, tipping over, and constant discomfort.
The broader question posed by her experience resonates deeply: Of all our faculties, which one would we most hate to have compromised? For Macdougall, the temporary loss of hearing revealed how interconnected our senses are with our daily functioning and quality of life.
This medical journey serves as a powerful reminder not to dismiss seemingly minor symptoms and to appreciate the complex symphony of senses we often take for granted until they're disrupted.
