Jump to content
VA Disability Community via Hadit.com

VA Disability Claims Articles

Ask Your VA Claims Question | Current Forum Posts Search | Rules | View All Forums
VA Disability Articles | Chats and Other Events | Donate | Blogs | New Users

  • hohomepage-banner-2024-2.png

  • 27-year-anniversary-leaderboard.png

    advice-disclaimer.jpg

  • donate-be-a-hero.png

I Can't Hear Nothing!

Rate this topic


Recommended Posts

Members on here pretty well know I am up to deaf without my hearing aide! First of this week had an ENT appointment (seems like I go every month lately) anyhow I was having problems with my service aided ear draining like crazy and could not get it to stop. Went in on Monday and saw the ENT resident with some trainee there and told them my problem. They look me over and poke in my ear and says that there is some inner ear stuff going on sounded like she said deflection? Guess that means the drainage not sure. Any how gave me some ear drops and told me to use for 5 days and come back in a month.

Used the drops for 2 days and yesterday morning I had my aide in and it was making some kind of suction noise for lack of knowing what else to call it. Took it out and there was blood all over my mold and caked in my ear pretty bad. Blew me away and I was freaking out tried to call the VA but you know how that is. Sent them a message by secure messaging and the answer came back today. They said this is normal when using these drops and is part of the healing process!!

Would have been damn nice if they had told me when they gave me the things!! Now I can not use my aide at all so I"m deaf for the next couple of days till it heals!

I hate the fact they didn't bother to tell me before hand! GDVA I am sure some of you know that stands for!!

Stillhere (huh?)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 7
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • HadIt.com Elder

She might have said "infection" instead of "deflection". If you have stuff draining from your ear I would go get a second opinion in a hurry. Were you in Arty in the army?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not a doc...nor am I qualified to give medical advice, BUT...secure messaging via MyHealtheVet should NEVER be used for emergencies whereby a fast response is required. Pretty sure it says so on the site somewhere. Not saying you had an emergency situation either. But if I was bleeding out my ear, I'd be inclined to get to an ER asap...just my opinion.

I'm concerned about you. Nothing more, nothing less. Hope it winds up being nothing more than an inconvenience for you if that makes sense. Please keep us posted!

LC

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have to admit that Loose Cannon has a very good point - secure messaging is great if you don't need something fast and the clinic you're working with actually responds. I've no idea how far it is to the VAMC for you to get into an ER if that's your only option, but there is a way to contact an on call nurse 24/7 at least in the regions I've lived and been enrolled. At a minimum, you might consider that option in the future if it's available where you live. I think I had to call the VAMC after hours and choose the option to be connected to some sort of triage nurse. Of course, the problem of calling by telephone is that you need your hearing to work...and if your ear is full of caked blood impacting your aid working, you're sort of up a crick...

I used the nurse call line one time over a weekend several years ago. Had painful swelling around my eye. After asking me 20 questions, the nurse told me to drive 3 hours to get to the VAMC ER in Durham. I looked up the potential serious condition on the internet (whatever she said it might be), decided on my own that I very likely didn't have it, declined an ER visit, but called primary care at the local CBOC first thing Monday. Because there was a call in the system about my problem, help was STREAMLINED. Turned out to be minor but needed treatment by the CBOC's eye specialist.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all your thoughts! Something you all said about phoning in, I could not hear anything so calling in was not an option.

Hope to be able to put my aide in later today after I do some real good checking and clean up.

Stillhere

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Guidelines and Terms of Use