I recently met with a nurse practitioner for an expected Dx of a sinus infection--get them all the time, if I had a degree, I could be diagnosing myself, but..oh well. The shocker came when she looked in my one ear and told me I had a huge hole worn away in my ear drum. Now, to explain, I have a 'permanent' tube in that ear. Tho technically, by 'permanent', the dr really means that he hopes it stays in for about 5 yrs. atleast. Its anchored into bone instead of the typical-- just set into the tympanic membrane..but its still expected to be 'grown out of' (or something like that). I've had it since 2006...so well past the expected/hoped for 5 yrs. I can only assume the movement of the tube has something to do with the hole in my eardrum...I'm not sure since I haven't been to an ENT yet.
At this point I don't know if this new dr will want to simply remove the tube (the surgeon was from OH who put it in originally). It was placed to equalize pressure between the middle and outer ear more than for drainage so I don't know what he'll advise. Oh well..I'm just tired of having soo many extra holes in my head :-/
