Originally Posted by
unexpected
I had ear tubes placed in my ears when i was about 7 years old. I still remember going to the hospital and getting them put in. In 1991, you still had to go under fully- it was not an outpatient procedure like it is now.
I loved them- they fully stopped my ear infections until I had them taken out when I was 13. I was allowed to shower without earplugs, but I always went swimming with ear plugs. I actually rather enjoyed that actually. I hate the feeling of water in my ears, and as I was on a swim team, it helped me focus.
When I got them removed at 13, I started having ear infections again. From the ages of 13-23, I had SEVENTEEN ear infections. Anytime I got sick, a cold, minor congestion, anything, I would get an ear infection. The doctor recommended to my parents that they put the ear tubes back in, but my parents decided not to. By this point, I had gotten so good at self-diagnosing my ear infections, that I only had discomfort for 1-2 days, so it wasn't a big deal.
When I got them removed, I also had the same problem with the perforation in my ear drum for a little while. The pain for that was HORRIBLE.