Résumé
by Brianna De La Fuente '27 On the outside, I look like a healthy person.I've played sports ever since I was five years old and am now a Division 1 student-athlete.However, I've struggled with ear problems since I was a little girl.My hearing issues played a major role in my everyday life over the past year, affecting me both academically and athletically.My world turned upside down as I was flying back home from a softball tournament in Texas.I immediately knew something was wrong.When we landed in New Jersey, the pressure caused my right ear to feel clogged.I thought as time progressed, it would feel better, and I'd eventually find relief.However, that never happened.After a week, I told my mom that my ear was still clogged from my flight.My pediatrician, Dr.Jones, knew my history with ear problems and how constant and painful my ear infections can get.Only certain medications work for me.After two weeks of being on medication, I felt no better.My mom called the ear specialist I'd seen since childhood.Dr. Smith had put ear tubes in and taken them out two times and removed a foreign object from my ear -all in all, she had performed five surgeries on my right ear.I waited two months to see Dr. Smith, and as time progressed, I could feel my hearing getting worse.At first, I couldn't