I can't heeeear you~

I haven't been a very good blogger lately and mostly because I just haven't felt very good. Back in February I went to see my doctor about my right ear being "stopped up." He peeked in and boldly stated that I had a very nasty ear infection and gave me an antibiotic, nosespray, and a couple of shots then sent me on my way. Well, every day I kept thinking it was going to clear up but it never did. Some days my ear would ring, some days it would throb, and every day I kept saying I just don't feel good.

In March I started having vertigo spells...these crazy dizzy spells where I couldn't walk straight and keep my eyes focused while the room was spinning. I know everyone thought I was crazy. One day in April when i was trying to get ready for work, a vertigo spell hit me and I went to lay down for a few minutes. When I got back up I immediately threw up...laid down again and when I tried to get up the same thing happened again. That was the last straw, I knew I had to figure out what was going on with me and Coco took me to the emergency room.

The doctor in the ER told me to keep taking my allergy meds and gave me another shot. I told him I don't care about not being able to hear, just make me not be dizzy! Again, a week-2 weeks pass and no relief. The hearing loss in that ear is huge and the continuous ringing or ocean sounds, depending on the day, was really becoming annoying. (T is still tired of hearing me say, "I don't feel good.")

I go back to my doctor, he doesn't have a clue...thinks it's fluid and sends me to see an ear, nose, and throat specialist. Sounds easy enough...but they are all booked for a month out. I was so happy to finally go see a real doctor this week.

The good news is when I told him my story, he pretty much knew right away what was wrong with me. Meniere's Disease. The bad news is there is no cure, just a suck-it-up and deal-with-it. He told me to cut back my sodium intake to less than 2000 mg a day but I've been shooting for less than 1000 mg and only my caffeine in the morning, water the rest of the day. After doing that for 4 days I am already feeling better. I don't feel like I'm in a daze or spinning out of control, but my ear still has hearing loss and an ocean sound. Guess that is better than the ringing or throbbing though. Oh, and no signs of dizziness the last couple of days at all and much more energy.

I'm going to the Audiologist next week and then back to the specialist after that. Hopefully, everything comes back that it is Meniere's and not something horrible like a tumor. I suppose there's always that chance.

I've reflected on my ears over the past few years and there were weeks here and there when my ear was "stopped up." I assumed it was because of me overusing q-tips and after I stopped a week or so later, it would clear up and I could hear again. Now I know that it wasn't those silly q-tips, but the onset of this disease. I hate that word.

About those ear candles that you can buy at the health food stores for a homeopathic remedy. They are completely ineffective. I asked the doctor....and yes I did try it. They are dangerous too!



But I was desperate.....