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Talksurgery adheres to the Health On the Net Foundation's Code of Conduct
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No more 'Barn Doors'
Pros:
People stopped calling me names as a child.
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Cons:
My earlobes stick out a little bit, and they are not quite equal. But people don't seem to notice.
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Cost:
Not sure
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Healing time:
3 weeks
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Pain-o-meter: 9
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When I was a child, I was often teased because of my ears, which would stick out. I was constantly crying coming home from school and was very miserable.
I had earned the nickname "barn doors". As you know, being accepted by your peers at a young age is very important. When I was 9 years old, my mother offered to pay for ear surgery to correct the situation.
I am a little fuzzy on the details of what the doctor told me, as it has been a long time ago. However, I do remember him to be reassuring even though I did not understand most of what he was telling me.
I was very nervous on the day of the operation. It was to be performed with local anasthesia. What I didn't know was that the doctor would have to make 27 injections per ear. I counted them and still remember, for it was the greatest pain I had ever endured.
Essentially, the doctor removed a "slice" at the back of each ear for them to be properly folded back. He then sutured them, and bandaged my head. The bandages made me look like I was wearing big white earphones. But it didn't matter, because we timed the operation during the summer vacations. Only my neighbors would tease me about them...
I would get splitting pains in the ears and cry constantly for the first two weeks. It seems I was continually on Aspirin. The bandages got quite dirty, because I used to go play with my friends and climb into piles of tractor tires at a construction site nearby.
After three weeks, we went to get my bandages removed. I was very apprehensive and excited, all at the same time. The removal was a little painful, because of all the clotted blood. Also, removing the cotton in my ears the doctor had placed there to protect my hearing was not pleasant. The sutures fell off with the removal of the bandages.
I was horrified when I saw myself in a mirror, for my ears were still covered in blood, and were a purple-yellow color. I was not allowed to wash them or touch them for three days, so I stayed inside after we came back from the doctor's.
Sleeping was a nightmare, because I had to stay flat on my back. If I changed positions during the night, the pain would wake me up. They were still very tender. Washing my ears after the requisite three days was a relief. Also, the pain was diminishing rapidly.
The result was spectacular, and definitely worth it. I could not see my schoolmates' faces when I returned to school in the autumn, because we moved at the end of the summer.
But I never got teased again.
Here are more details:
How results differed from what I expected:
Except for the earlobes, everything looks great.
Biggest fears pre-procedure:
I was just a kid, and have always been horrified of the operating table. I really didn't know what to expect, but the alternative was being teased constantly.
Healing aids used:
Not specified
Number of doctors consulted:
1
Number of years I thought about having the procedure:
9 (since I was born...)
Had an elective procedure before:
No
Complications or follow-up procedures:
The removal of the bandages was particularly painful, and the doctor had put cotton swabs in my ear canal to prevent damage to my hearing. I had a mild infection which was cured within a week with antibiotics.
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This information is not to substitute for professional medical advice. You
should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or
disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please
consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have
regarding your condition.
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Gender:
Male
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Age:
33
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Ethnic group:
Caucasian
Education:
Post-graduate degree
Country:
Canada
State/Province:
Quebec
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About 52 percent of American women consider themselves to be overweight and 40 percent are currently trying to lose weight.
(Source: The Role of Weight Management in the Health of Women" by Sachiko T. St. Jeor, professor and director of Nutrition Education and Research at the University of Nevada, School of Medicine)
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