Ok, just in case you’re curious – this is what a frostbitten ear looks like a week after it was frozen and thawed. See the darker colour on the lower portion of the lobe? That’s the frostbitten part. I don’t know if it’ll ever look or feel normal again. Despite having lived in frozen Ottawa all my life, this is my first experience with frostbite. I’m not blaming myself, or the Rideau Canal, or the handknit hat – I’m blaming the silver earring. Just so ya know.
I still think the strangest thing is that I didn’t even notice it was frostbitten until the next day. I thought frostbite was supposed to hurt like hell.
According to wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frostbite) you can possibly experience intense pain. Maybe you don’t have frostbite, but just “frostnipâ€
Dakota, that would be better…but the tissue feels almost numb now, and the symptoms of frostbite (swelling, hardness, draining) were all there the day after the incident – except for pain. I think if it were frostnip, my ear would have fully recovered by now.
I guess there is nothing else we can do; we have to amputate your earlobe. No just kidding. Sorry to read that things haven’t improved yet. Did you try to warm it up in warm water? That is what they are suggesting in several articles…….warm water and sterile dressings. But hey, you live in a place which has real winters, so you probably know best what to do.
Dakota, I think the warming thing is just a first-aid measure when the affected body part is still frozen. My ear thawed out a week ago
But hey, I’m glad you mentioned it, because now I can provide an update without doing a whole new post about my ear (I suspect most people have heard enough already!).
My ear is now peeling – the skin on the frostbitten part is coming off. I can hardly wait to see what lies beneath it.