I am at Heathrow as I write. I went from my front door to the lounge in just under an hour using a combination of Uber, Heathrow Express and fast track security. There are a few perks… few… of being a frequent traveller, I suppose.
I am still trying to get my ear opened up. There is some squeaky movement, but it hasn’t really opened yet. I’d ask everyone reading this to stop, now, please, and ask Out Lady of the Clergy to give me a hand with this one. Gotta get this ear opened up.
The lounge here, for Virgin Air, is about 50 times classier than the ridiculously stingy lounges back home.
The WordPress app on my phone locks up every time I reboot the gizmo, so I am dealing with some tech issues before I can post my customary pre-boredom images.
UPDATE
Cricket is on in the lounge.
Interesting. I’d like to go to a match the next time I come over.
UPDATE
It’s a kind of awful older 767-400ER, with rather limited features for where I am sitting. At least the seat by me is empty, so I won’t have to be a human turnstyle for the Oblivious To Their Backpacks And/Or Girth™ or the trolleys.
UPDATE
UPDATE
Last leg…
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Prayed for you and your ear to Our Lady. I would love to see a cricket match too. I learned much about it from P. G. Wodehouse.
Prayers ascending to Our Lady of the Clergy and also to St. John Vianney for good measure. Will offer your intentions during the Rosary and at Holy Mass. May your travels be safe and free of pain.
Just said a prayer to Our Lady of the Clergy for you Father. Ave Maria.
We have the Cricket World Cup based here in New Zealand and Australia starting next month. Be sure to tune into the sports Chanel to watch
Bon Voyage.
Prayers for you, Father. May your travels be safe, uneventful and without pain.
Praying for your ear to clear out and heal. Prayer for your safe travels.
When I saw the subject line I thought it was a favorite nursery rhyme..Rig a jig jig and away we go,
high ho high ho high ho. Sort of fits.
Sorry I missed you, Father. I live in Cambridge, but I was visiting America when you came over here. When are you returning next?
Pray-ears ascending, Father. I too have flown with a blocked ear and know what you are facing. May Our Lord and Lady send quick healing!
Now remember to stay seated with you seat belt fastened!
Blessed Conon of Naso, please intercede for Fr. Z. Amen. (I just looked him up.)
WebMD lists these as helps for blocked sinuses, besides the antibiotics if needed.
Nasal Saline spray
warm, moist cloths on the face
humidifiers
avoid extreme temps (tough one)
keep your head up, don’t shake your head
blow your nose gently, one nostril at a time
no caffeine, salt, alcohol
increase fluids, the other kind
I’ll mention the valsalva maneuver, but you probably know it. If your eustachian tubes block, that is where the pain is originating. Pinch your nostrils shut and bear down. That may pop them open to relieve the pain.
You keep having this. I hope you see a good ENT when you get home. Feel better!
Said a prayer to God and Our Lady. Have a safe flight. God Bless.
I should have said, pinch your nostrils shut, hold your breath, and bear down. You will feel the pressure build in your sinuses. That pressure should, or can, pop open the tube.
Father, I am no doctor and even worse patient, but you may be suffering from Otitis media, an infection of the middle ear which feels like some poured treacle in your ear!
Father, that really stinks that you are still fighting with illness. I pray that good remedies will be revealed and made available to you, and that you recover from all these health annoyances. I wish you good sleep too!
Prayers offered for your recovery. Safe travels, Father Z. And God’s blessings.
I’ve added my prayers to those above. Be well and be safe.
Oh dear, poor father! I know exactly what you are talking about. Doing the valsalva maneuvre will probably worsen your problems and if it succeedes, you may be stuck with that pressure for days when you land.
The crucial thing is to reduce the swelling in your ear tube. Ask the hostess for lots of ice cubes and start sucking on them, one at the time. Tilt your head so that the cold water trickles down on the aching side. Also put some ice cubes in a plastic bag and hold them under your ear.
NO ALCOHOL! ;-) See your doctor when you come home!
Good luck!
PS For a better long time solution, mention Mometasonefuroat to your doctor (a nasal spray). It has completely cured my problems with clogged sinuses and ear tubes. Might be something for you too, since you get these nasty colds so often. VR
A Memorare for your quick relief, Fr. Z. I spent yesterday flattened by vertigo brought on by a congested ear, so I sympathize.
Now, about cricket. My husband is English and he and his brother grew up as avid fans and players. Last year they finally took me to a game at the Oval, a London stadium (actually in Surrey, being south of the Thames). Well, I am happy to have that checked off my bucket list. It was July, cold and windy. Action on the field was intermittent and somewhat mysterious. We finally retreated to a nice lunch in the glassed-in mezzanine where we could still observe the intermittent action. It can go on for hours and hours. I recommend you attend a county match on a warm sunny day, if you can find one. Scones with clotted cream, strawberries, and hot tea followed with a judicious Pimms should compensate for the lack of excitement on the field.
Here’s a cheerful article about France’s crowded urban Catholic churches.
Prayers going up for your ear, Fr Z. I am sorry to say this, but the eardrum may burst on the flight; if this happens (because of the cabin pressure and build up of pressure in the middle ear) the pain will stop immediately but your eardrum will take a while to heal. It sounds like you need a good rest on your return. May I recommend a tonic and plenty of vitamins including large doses of Vitamin C (I take 1000mg a day at present ) and also Zinc.
Regarding the cricket, a one day county match gives more rapid and interesting play and a satisfactory ending!
Prayers said to Our Lady for you, Father.
Oh dear, as a chronic sufferer from sinus and middle ear problems, I do feel for you, Father, especially as you have to fly. I have said extra prayers to Our Lady for you.
Dear Fr Z,
Thank you for your riveting Posts, whilst in England. Delighted you are interested in watching a Cricket Match, next time you cross The Pond.
For your assistance, and those of your Readers who have expressed a desire to watch a Cricket Match, the following Laws of Cricket (NEVER the Rules of Cricket) will be most useful.
THE “INS AND OUTS” OF CRICKET.
You have two sides,
One out in the field,
And one in.
Each man that’s in the side that’s in,
Goes out,
And when he’s out,
He comes in,
And the next man goes in,
Until he’s out.
When they are all out,
The side that’s out,
Comes in,
And the side that’s been in,
Goes out,
And tries to get out,
Those coming in.
Sometimes,
You get men still in,
And not out.
When both sides have been in and out,
Including the Not Outs,
The winner is declared . . .
If there is one.
Howzat !!!
Don’t broadcast your ear problem too much Fr. Z., you may get llloooonnnngggg confession lines.
All kidding aside, I hope you feel better soon. I suffered from earaches in my childhood, no fun.
God Bless
Cricket! Great game and very Catholic in it’s origins with (I think) the OP’s founding the game.
The Oval = the World
Pitch = The Church
Wickets (3 stumps) the Holy Trinity united by the bails as one
Red Ball = The Devil
The Bat = Righteousness
11 players + a ’12th man’ = the apostles and Judas (the 12th Man runs drinks and errands on to the field)
And the scoring also correlates to Church belief.
There are also 3 forms of the game –
Test Match (played over 5 days, the best of the best) = Extraordinary Form.
One Day Match (50 overs per side with innovations to the original) = Novus Ordo Form
Twenty20 (a relatively new form of the game) 20 overs per side = A Communion service.
Love my cricket.
Father,if you want to watch a game of cricket you need to come to Australia.
England are no good.We will hammer them in the up-coming world cup.
So….. how’s that ear doing, Father?
Peter G, from Australia, said:
“Father,if you want to watch a game of cricket you need to come to Australia.
England are no good.We will hammer them in the up-coming world cup.”
Retort from Old Blighty:
“Ashes to Ashes.”
Cricket fans in the USA – if you have Verizon FIOS and the sports package, Channel 806 (Willow) is cricket 24/7. Since it appeared on my cable system a year or so ago, I have become a fan. It’s fun and my two favorite (favourite?) sides played last night (morning) with Australia beating India.
http://www.willow.tv/EventMgmt/tvChannel.asp
Prayers on the way, Father. I am interested in these history books you find. Can you recommend some good ones in a future posting?