my poor ears

I got my ears pierced when I turned twelve.  I wore earrings all through junior high, high school and college.  Being in Ecuador, I didn't wear many on my mission, but I was given a beautiful pair of gold ones as a gift when I left.  I wore those earrings almost every day.  Until I lost one.  Then I didn't wear earrings much for a while, and when I tried to start wearing them regularly again, my ear lobes would get sore.  I'd treat them with an antibiotic ointment and eventually they'd get better.  After fighting that cycle over and over, I just quit on the earrings.  And since, my reaction seems to have gotten much worse.  The past few years, my ear lobes turn red, burn and itch within minutes of putting in regular ear wires.  The reaction is almost instantaneous.  Beorn suspected a metal allergy, which seems odd, since I have no problem with rings, bracelets or necklaces.  We've tried all kinds of metal earring wires, all purporting to be great for allergies, but nothing works.  Even titanium doesn't work.  It takes ten or fifteen minutes, but in the end they are red and painful.  Beorn bought some plastic ear "wires" for me to try - that should be the solution for a metal allergy, right?

It took three or four hours, but the end result was the same.  My ears were red and painful.  So, I took a pic and pulled them out.

Sorry, honey.  It's not a metal allergy, my body just won't tolerate anything in my piercings.  Looks like your wife just will never be able to wear earrings.  :(




UPDATE:  I had a thought and tried JUST wearing the wires all day today (nothing hanging on them)... and my ears were a little sore, but not red and burning.  I'm not sure that wearing little loops of plastic in my ears looks at all attractive, but at least it's an improvement, of sorts.