The good news for me is that I don't feel the knife stuck in the base of my spine at the moment. The bad news is that it has been replaced as my dominant pain for now by that same knife jabbed into my left ear. An ear lobotomy if you will.

Christmas Day I'm getting ready for a big spread for dinner at a nice hotel we were staying at, when a, literally, ear piercing fire alarm went off. It was a bolt inside my head, and I instantly plugged my ears, but, as vanity took over, I had to arrange the suit one last time before leaving the room, taking my fingers out of my ear.

Big mistake.

My ears 'went' as I'm giving to saying for each spread, and the pain, with a continual high pitched ringing, lasted until I sat to eat. My right ear subsided, but my left ear stayed.

I guess I'm looking for any one with similar ear issues. Any advice, suggestions, for dealing with this new addition.