[Kitsa]

Thanks. It was a really frustrating visit. I saw my doctor's partner because each person there handles ONE AND ONLY ONE THING and mine doesn't do sinuses. So I went there and told them exactly what had gone down: that I'd caught a viral respiratory infection from my toddler a couple of weeks ago, that it had morphed into what felt like a sinus infection, and that the pain had settled in my jaw and upper teeth. Also, that my right ear felt clogged-up and I couldn't hear out of it.

I didn't actually graduate med school, but from the education I've had it seems like that's a fairly straightforward issue, as in sinus infections make teeth hurt a lot, that sinus infections after viral respiratory infections are pretty standard, etc.

So he looked in my ear and up my nose, told me everything looked clear, and then gave me hearing tests. It came out that my left ear was compromised, not my right (even though I can't hear out of my right ear?) and he told me to ask my dentist if I developed TMJ.

TMJ? This pain had sudden onset less than a week ago, during a sinus infection. My dad got sick the same time I did and he has identical pain in the right jaw and upper right molars. Some sort of infectious TMJ? There are several other people sick around here that I know of, and all complain of one stuffed-up ear with sinus infection symptoms and jaw pain.

Whatever. The physician was nice but the overall message was "Why are you here?" . He asked if I go to the dentist...I'm there once every three months, at least. I could breathe out of my nose today, but that was a novelty. I guess I wait till whatever this virus is decides to leave me alone, or I go insane and pull my own molars with a wrench like in one of those stupid episodes of House.