Extraction of Cerumen (Ear Wax) under Sedation

I first felt an ear pain 5 days before I went for a check up. I ignored it thinking that the pain was due to a severe cold that I had acquired when my husband was still here. Until the other day, Wednesday, when I can no longer take it. I felt like half of my face was already affected so I went to the EENT where our insurance is accredited. The doctor tried the possible ways like flushing and scooping the ear wax but there was no way it would succeed. I just couldn’t take the pain and I was literally crying like a kid because of that. The pain was already severe and he said that he can’t guarantee if the pain reliever can help me ease the pain. He suggested that I get admitted and go through a procedure under sedation where I’d be totally unconscious and a tube will be inserted in my mouth for support.

I thought about it and agreed later on. If I did not, I would still have to go through the flushing and the like but gradually, still feeling the pain during and after. So why put myself into so much trouble when it can be done at one time. Risky but I know I’d be relieved after sometime. So I called my mom and told her about it.

That same day the procedure was done. I was admitted at 2pm as instructed by Dr. Tolentino. The usual, tests were done first i.e. skin tests, xray, CBC then the IV. I was taken to my room after that on a wheelchair. It felt odd being on a wheelchair. I never experienced that even the day I was on active labor with my two girls, I always resisted. I told the guy I can walk but he was so strict and said it’s an SOP otherwise he’d be reprimanded.

At 5pm, my mom was sent to get the medicines including the sedative that will be used. Before 6pm, I was already taken to the Operating Room and didn’t even notice that Dr. Lutana, the anesthesiologist had administered the sedative.  All I remember was when Dr. Tolentino asked me “Are you nervous?” I still answered “A little….” and then everything went blank. I was already unconscious. Totally unconscious.

At 8pm, I was brought back to my room. Mom said while I was still taken out from the OR, I have been talking silly things. I was really off my mind. I open my eyes for sometime and say something which are irrelevant to the questions being asked. It seems that I answered the word “Facebook” when the anesthesiologist asked me “We’re done, how are you feeling?” Dr. Tolentino also told me that while I was going off my consciousness, I told him to take a picture and just tag me on FB hahaha!

I was back to my normal self at 10pm, and learned that I was on oxygen for more than an hour, but still drowsy. I don’t even remember that Deye came, hugged and kissed her goodnight. The procedure was done successfully (except from nursing a fever at 39 the whole night and the next day) having removed the cerumen as big as a sampaloc seed from my left ear and two bean-sized from my right ear which was really in a bad state. It seems that my right ear canal is already deformed due to infection, and that the cerumen was slowly eating the flesh of my ear inside. I’m really glad that I agreed to have this procedure, otherwise, it would have been worst. Because of the damage in my right ear, I was endorsed to have a hearing and speech test, just to make sure that I can still hear normal. Again, I am thankful that despite the damages in my right ear, I passed the test and it did not need a procedure with stitches.

Lessons learned:

1. Do not ignore even the slightest pain that you feel, especially when it’s uncommon.
2. No to cotton swabs. I am so used to this, that’s why. Instead of getting my ear cleaned, the wax even the good one that serves as a protection to our ear gets pushed inside which has caused me pain as the wax had already accumulated, expanded and hardened.
3. Do not pick your ear. The day I felt a severe pain, that was the time when I used a curette, the ear picker that looks like a tiny spoon.
4. I also learned that fear, stress and anxiety may result an increased production of earwax from the ceruminous glands.
5. And that health insurance and PhilHealth are very important. Otherwise, Reading glasses for men might be required by my husband to check if the figures were right.

I got discharged today before lunch after feeling a lot better. Off to a follow-up check up on Monday.