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Smile - it's newsletter time! Issue No. 186
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John Finley
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May 12, 2009 07:49 PDT
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John Finley's Learn English newsletter
Tuesday 12 May 2009 © 2009 Issue No. 186
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Hi
Here's an update on my ear operation - I'll try to get send a newsletter
next week.
I was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday 21st April and then on the
Wednesday had an operation on my left ear.
The initial plan was to remove a cyst from the ear canal that was
dramatically affecting my hearing - essentially a repeat of an operation
I had back in 2001 ... the cyst returned soon after that operation and
since then a few times a year I couldn't hear at all with my left ear
for a week or so (and the rest of the time the hearing was noticeably
weaker than the right ear).
The operation was 'complicated' and lasted three hours - they removed
the cyst and reformed my ear canal to prevent it being blocked if the
cyst comes back. Then they also reconstructed my inner ear as well
(which I originally had done in 1989) and so somewhere in my ear there's
now a titanium plate!
Ben came in on the Wednesday evening to see me and was really shocked
and upset as there was a big patch of blood on the bandage over my ear.
See:
http://picasaweb.google.at/1130wien/Hospital?authkey=Gv1sRgCK7Uko-Lp7et6gE&feat=directlink
I was discharged from the hospital on the Saturday and then stayed at
home recuperating. I was a bit of a zombie for the first week.
One week after the operation I had the main bandage and net removed and
the stitches taken out. They cleaned inside the ear too – using a
syringe needle which had a function like a vacuum cleaner to suck out
the blood and gunge inside.
That wasn't a nice experience, plus it really upset my balance and it
took a couple of days before I felt happy walking.
Now I simply have a piece of cotton wool in the ear which I have to
change often as the ear is still bleeding inside (this could continue
for a few months!).
When I saw my ear after the net was removed I was really shocked as the
ear stuck out a lot - I thought that the doctor had messed up the
stitching of the wound. However, it seems this was mainly due to the
swelling behind the ear which has reduced a lot and so the ear doesn’t
stick out so much now.
It's too early to say whether the operation has been a success – the
surgeon said it could be up to 2 months before he can properly say. The
hearing is weaker than before for certain frequencies but should improve
over time.
I returned to work today and so am getting back to normal.
And that's all till Monday!
;-)
john
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