As you may already know, I am planning to study abroad in Florence next semester. I've applied for a visa, booked a flight, and selected my courses, but that was only the beginning of a very long, complicated process. There are so many forms to fill out, and deadlines to meet that it can make you want to not go abroad anymore. But I'm slowly getting everything done, and today, I went to the doctor to do a physical examination and obtain my medical records.
After waiting for like an hour, I finally got to see my doctor. We did the whole pre-physical exam dance -- the blood pressure, the weighing, the questionnaire -- so that it's not that weird when it's time to touch your privates.
And then the real physical exam started. My doctor checked for heart murmurs with the stethoscope, checked my eyes, and then gave my ears a look. She let out a gasp, and I immediately knew something was wrong. "How long has this been in here?" she asked as if she had uncovered my secret stash of candy. I asked what she was talking about, and she told me that there was a cotton swap stuck in my inner ear. And apparently, it had been stuck there for quite some time. How gross is that?
At first, I was not that concerned. I mean, if the cotton swab had been living inside my ear for such a long time already, it has probably found a way to adapt and contribute to my body's functions. But my doctor insisted that the Q-Tip tip needed to be removed, and so we flushed it out with at the emergency eye wash station.
As a result of today's doctor visit, my hearing has drastically improved. In addition, I will also be more careful with cotton swabs.