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Back, and Thankful to be Hearing

I'm back in Southern California. I am very thankful to have such capable and caring siblings in New England. It makes it a lot easier to deal with being so far away from my mother during her recent health concerns. On the flight back, I practiced a new-to-me ear clearing technique - it involves pinching your nose closed, and swallowing with your tongue held against the roof of your mouth. The swallowing creates a vacuum in your mouth and pulls your eustacian tubes open. Of course, I had to repeat this about ten times a minute during the descent, but it paid off in pain avoided. The Michigan Ear Institute provided that and some other very helpful tips for preventing ear problems when flying.