Here I lie, in my hospital bed...tell me sister Endone, when will I be supping again?
And I don't think I can wait that long...
For you see that I'm not that strong...

With sincere apologies to the Rolling Stones.

But here I am in the ward at 610am with half a footy taped to my head staring down the barrel (sadly not) at 6 weeks out of the water and a headache from Satan himself.

I'd be keen to know what anyone who's had the pleasure did to stay fit and stay sane during thus time. If you pm me I will be happy to give you my address for deliveries of fine wine, handcrafted ales, chocolates, massage therapists and so forth.

Now please go and have a wave for me. I want the best one from every surf you have til Xmas!

Cheers tang

Dear Tang, i've no recovery tips to give to you and can't send to you some fine wine from my country , just i can reckon is to wash your ears after surf with " audispray". As Mastbender said wear plugs but personally i don't , i just wash it after surf

So far I'd have to say stehar is out in front!

Definitely plugs plugs plugs from now on ( or a hood anything that blocks the wind and water) I have had the op on one ear so far and am holding off for the next. I used to spend a good portion of most winters with one ear completely blocked which is a nightmare. I would trade the 6 weeks out of the water for being able to hear from both sides any day.

As far as how to cope with the time out of the water well that is just hard gotta tough that one out

best ear plugs i found are surf ears, let no water in but you can still hear, just amazing
had mine for 6 weeks now, the bees knees imo
cheers

got them direct from thier website !!!
surfears.com

webbo100 said..
got them direct from thier website !!!
surfears.com

+1 - Very impressed with them

JacobMatan said..

boofy said...
I would say to anyone that is thinking of having this operation to get second and third opinions 12 years ago I was told by an ENT surgeon on the Gold Coast that I needed my right ear done as it was getting infected all the time and was to narrow due to bone growth. I found an ex navy doctor who talked me out of it and to buy good earplugs (which I still havent done) but I use aquaear through summer and have managed to put it off.
cheers Boof

Both boof and kami have mentioned using Aqua ears( or other types) these help to stop infection but do zero for bone growth in the ear which is the real problem, plugs or a hood is the go!! The cold winds are more to blame than the water, or just move to a tropical climate

I got already bone growth mainly in my right ear because of North wind of West coast in northern hemisphere but washing ears with aqua ears after session avoid infection and being death for a while . I do it in tropical water too.
You are right, i should wear plug but can't stand it;

how did he do the job , incision at the back of the ear and pull the ear forward to go in ?

Doc's Proplugs have been the best ... when I have used them. However I have been lazy : www.proplugs.com/

Thanks Rosscoe, much appreciated. I'm actually doing it now instead of prime time - I love august. not being freezin, but the uncrowded waves and bit of size.

sands, I'm not entirely sure how he did it. I sort of zoned out when he was describing a scalpel interacting with my head. Feels like a rusty machete thru the jawbone and a 18mm masonry bit on a hammer setting at the moment. From the look of the stitches they go thru the front of your ear rather than peel it off from the back....

Id agree with all of the above, just one thing to add, don't go back in the water early, imagine getting an infection in the wall of the ear canal/bone, not worth it.

I've had one ear done my problem is im fricken deaf in that ear anyway, I should really get the other one done but my understanding is the surgery itself can damage the hearing a bit (think how loud that drill must be, going off in your ear for and hour or so while your out to it), i cant afford to get any more deaf in my good ear (which is already pretty deaf also). So like the guys above i just wear plugs all the time and hoping for the best, at least hoping to delay the surgery as long as possible.

seems to be working, 4 or 5 years after sticking the plugs in and my unoperated ear is still 90% blocked

I hate wearing the plugs but thats better than a world of no sound.