An 'Ear'ie Experience

Since i was unable to sleep, i picked a book at random from my book collection. It was an interesting book and before long i was engrossed in it.

Now i will recount a mind boggling experience. But since entering my experience in the blog I will just call it ‘mind blogging’…..

Engrossed in my book, ( name of the book in P.S) suddenly I felt my brain move….i was like shocked. Tried to get up but could not. Felt dizzy. Was too scared to call out to kids/ hubby who sleep in rooms close to the drawing room, where I lie down. It was like my brain was being stir fried with a spatula.

Known amongst my family and close friends’ circle for my cool demeanor, this feeling totally rattled me. I felt cold. But still broke out in a sweat. I was sure what I was experiencing was a brain hemorrhage.

Simultaneously I thought, if it was a brain hemorrhage, no point in waking anybody, since death was definite. I let myself calm down, taking deep breaths. I thought I felt something move in my ears. Then I was sure about something coursing through by ear tract. Suddenly it struck me that it might be something in my ear. All this time my brain was doing somersaults and there was terrible agony each time ‘the thing’ moved. I recalled having read somewhere that insects comes out if some light is let directly into the ear. Thought I will take a chance. But now torches in households are extinct. I had to think really fast. My groping hands found my cell phone, I was expecting a call from my sister in states. Otherwise me and my cell phone are not greatest of pals!! Well then, pressed some button because of which the cell phone emitted its bluish light. (“lead kindly light’!!!!! )Held the cell phone to my ear,…..lo and presto!!!! I could feel slow movement of something and waited for ‘it’ to reach the earlobe. I quickly grabbed it with my fingers. It was such a small thing. It was ‘AN ANT’ But the agony was intoler’ant’, really ‘mind-blowing mahia’

I found out then why mom used to tell us…when fighting don’t slap on the cheeks. Slapping effects the eardrum and that causes disorientation/imbalance, sometimes permanently. I also used to wonder when my uncle constantly complained of losing his balance when he had earache. On medical diagnosis it was found out that there was a small tear in his eardrum. It was surgically patched later on and he was all right.

Now this tiny ant taught me a big lesson that balance is the result of a number of bodily systems working together - the eyes (visual system), ears (vestibular system), and the body's sense of where it is in space (proprioception). So we really must take care of our senses.
For some time I think I will plug my ears with cotton and tie a scarf round my head, scared ‘what if a centipede gets adventurous and wanders into my ear?’ And even if I threw some light into the ear, it would have difficulty in turning its looooooooong body to wriggle out of my eary space….. and imagine the state my brain would be in ……..

P.S.:The book I was reading ‘Phantoms in the Brain’ by Sandra Blackeslee & V.S. Ramachandran.A book on Neurology….fascinating coincidence to say the least. Read the book. Its very interesting