My Ear Infection... Why Men Are Wimps

If the title "my ear infection" does not leap out and pull you in, then your soul is dead. I try to make it a policy to not complain and share medical problems on my blog since nobody likes a "whoa is me" post, but in this case it may be therapeutic for me. I have had inner ear problems since I was a little kid. I remember a couple times walking to school and getting so dizzy I had to drop down on my hands and knees. There were periods of time when despite being such a super human athlete, I could not swing and hit a baseball since my inner ear and balance was so messed up.

Over the years this condition got better to where now I just get a bad ear infection every several years after I have a severe cold or if I get really stressed. Last night I had one of those wonderful experiences. I played in a basketball game and was feeling great but fifteen minutes later I started to feel pressure in my ear. It built up quickly until about three hours later I found myself rocking and whimpering in bed in the fetal position.

There was such a sharp pain in my ear that it reminded me of the scene in Star Trek when Ricardo Montalban reminds his staff to smile then proceeds to put an ear wig in the ear of his enemy.

Gradually the pain spread until it felt like my jaw had been removed the right side of my head had exploded. The pressure and pain in my face can best be described by the following actual photo of the event.

This is where I give credit to women for being so tough. If my wife experienced the same thing, she may have had a furrowed brow but she wouldn't be moaning like me. I felt like I was re-enacting the final torture scene from Braveheart.

My wife was patient and supportive but I have a feeling deep down inside, anyone who has given birth doesn't want to hear about how excruciating an ear ache is. I think the sign below best describes how men handle sickness as opposed to women.

Even though I admit that guys can be wimps, I still have to say this was not your average ear ache but rather a full blown eardrum rupture and it hurt like *&!@#!. Sorry to use symbols like that in front of the kids.