Happy New year! I’ve got a new ear for a new year!
I got a tube put into my ear today. It was a complete surprise. I wasn’t expecting a tube when I made this ENT appointment six months ago!
It’s a very weird sensation to have your ear drum numbed. It took several hours to wear off.
And…..as many times as I have considered stabbing my ear with a hypodermic needle and imagined the pressure release…… the tube does JUST that. Pressure release. Feels so good!
Hopefully this tube keeps me from getting dizzy at higher altitudes and puking my guts up on trail. I’ve done enough of that in 2025!
I brought steroids with me on our last trek. When I started getting dizzy and threw up going up, up, up, I took steroids and within the hour, ear was normal and dizziness subsided. Nausea took a bit to go away. I wanted to determine if the ear issue was, in fact, worse at higher altitudes.
You may remember that over a year ago I started nasal washes with steroids. They helped some, but I’ve had 4 middle ear infections this year…. The ENT had discussed stretching my Eustachian tube if the washes did not work at my last visit.
So I was expecting to go in today and schedule surgery—I was not expecting an ear tube.
When he said, “I could put a tube in your ear today.” I said, “Today!? In the office?” He said, “Yes.” I said, “Let’s do it!”
So we did! He thinks this will fix my Eustachian Tube issue. If I like how this smaller, temporary one works, he will put a bigger, more permanent one in when I go back in April. He said he doesn’t want me getting sick summiting Katahdin— so he’d make sure I have more permanent ones before then. If this temporary one works.
Here’s hoping this works!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 No more vomiting on trail! Yes! As I go to bed tonight, my ear feels fine. Slight pressure, but nothing major. My voice sounds strange in the right ear. When we got out of church tonight, the noise of everyone talking sounded different. Not bad or good. Just different.
When you have ENT issues you have an otoscope that takes pictures. So you can send them to your doctor!
I wanted to see what the tube looked like inside of my ear, so I got it out when I got home. My left ear is normal and requires no intervention—Just for comparison.
This may end up being life changing. Airplanes are hell. Altitude is hell. It has been a battle my whole life- right ear damaged as a kid. In the 70s I was just given decongestants and my ear drum burst a number of times.
I’m so excited about the possibility of being able to backpack without getting dizzy and sick. We had a few rough days because of this when we did the 50 miles. Marty was very patient with me. I knew we had to get the miles in, so I just moved as fast as I could. It wasn’t very fast!
Here’s to all the trails I’ll be able to hike without getting sick in 2026!
Happy New Year!
My Little Red Bike 