Bollocks.
I never did have good timing.
On Friday I flew back from yet another week in Switzerland, looking forward to my first free weekend in a very long time. On descending towards Amsterdam I started to get serious trouble from my right ear as it's inner pressure wouldn't equalise. Weirdly, it got worse that night - I (and by proxy kensaro) was woken up early on Saturday morning by what I can only describe as some of the worst pain I've ever experienced.
A quick trip to the hospital the next day revealed I had flown with an inner ear infection - not a clever idea by anyone's measure. I've got antibiotics and a truly wimpy ear drop solution, but while the pain at night is easing up, I still have loud and incessant ringing instead of hearing in my right ear. My sense of balance is completely off and sitting up straight often results in a dizzying sensation not unlike being caught sideways in a tumble dryer.
Understandably, I'm taking some time off work (and flying) while this fixes up. I'm trying to reassure myself that I haven't done any permanent damage and enjoy this extended break from work freakiness, but it's rather hard when the two things you most wanted to do (listen to spangly new sound kit* and leap around like an idiot on skatey things**) are currently impossible.
* Uber-snorty-ninja-grade-8.3-surround doesn't sound very impressive when it feels like your head's stuck in a Vaseline-filled fishtank all the time.
** I've just about mastered walking without falling over sideways now. I've avoided skating for three days now, despite my masochistic little shoulder devil urging me to go anyway.
On Friday I flew back from yet another week in Switzerland, looking forward to my first free weekend in a very long time. On descending towards Amsterdam I started to get serious trouble from my right ear as it's inner pressure wouldn't equalise. Weirdly, it got worse that night - I (and by proxy kensaro) was woken up early on Saturday morning by what I can only describe as some of the worst pain I've ever experienced.
A quick trip to the hospital the next day revealed I had flown with an inner ear infection - not a clever idea by anyone's measure. I've got antibiotics and a truly wimpy ear drop solution, but while the pain at night is easing up, I still have loud and incessant ringing instead of hearing in my right ear. My sense of balance is completely off and sitting up straight often results in a dizzying sensation not unlike being caught sideways in a tumble dryer.
Understandably, I'm taking some time off work (and flying) while this fixes up. I'm trying to reassure myself that I haven't done any permanent damage and enjoy this extended break from work freakiness, but it's rather hard when the two things you most wanted to do (listen to spangly new sound kit* and leap around like an idiot on skatey things**) are currently impossible.
* Uber-snorty-ninja-grade-8.3-surround doesn't sound very impressive when it feels like your head's stuck in a Vaseline-filled fishtank all the time.
** I've just about mastered walking without falling over sideways now. I've avoided skating for three days now, despite my masochistic little shoulder devil urging me to go anyway.