Instant Healing
Either I was half asleep, or I witnessed what it was like to have Eustachian tube dysfunction heal in seemingly an instant. Upon getting out of the shower on Tuesday, I felt the pressure equalize. My hearing has returned, and all feelings of fullness are gone. No more tinnitus annoyance either! My quick turnaround was confirmed as most of my thresholds were back in the -5 to 0 dB HL range. There was one exception at 4 kHz, where each ear dips to 10 dB HL. Mini noise notch? What's that all about? My preceptor simply remarked that I was just getting old (possibly forgetting that I still have hair, ha!).
I certainly won't forget my brief experience as being mildly hearing impaired. It's been interesting documenting my progress and drawing connections with my patients. My classmate did accuse me of milking the situation and being a "drama queen." She's probably right!
I continue to be baffled by my tendency to mirror academic performance with Kobe Bryant's game performance. At the close of March, he went through a brutal shooting stretch, seeming to be running on fumes. He could not hit the broad side of a barn, shooting below 40 percent FG at one point. I couldn't read 10 textbook pages in an hour. He missed a few games due to a shin injury (sinus infection anyone?) Lately, he's been on a tear, scoring well and shooting over 50 percent FG. I haven't had to stay up past midnight to finish stuff in a week. The Lakers have 10 or so games remaining in the regular season; I have 15 days of academic study left (close enough). Luckily, the playoffs will be during my break. No, I am not worried about an impending postseason meltdown negatively affecting my own performance. I'm just happy I'll be able to watch all the games. Some family and friends time will be nice, too.
There is definitely a cone of light at the end of the tunnel.