Ménière’s??

This is a follow-up to Ménière’s?

Vertigo
It’s been a rough week. I had two major vertigo incidents. One ruined our Sunday plans with friends and family. The other happened quite publicly at work. Now more people know.

With hospital visits and sickness, I’m having to take a lot of time off work, but health takes precedence. It’s just hard when I go back because the work piles up while I’m away, causing extra stress.

Hospital visits
I’ve had several hospital visits since my last post: Ménière’s? Honestly, it’s hard to stay positive.

All of the possible diagnoses related to the vertigo and sudden hearing loss are incurable or degenerative. This is the third doctor I’ve seen and he is an ear specialist. I may consider getting another opinion depending on how the current plan goes.

The plan
The current plan is to have a weekly injection of steroids. This will be done through my eardrum and into my middle ear. I’ll also be doing other tests to rule other things out. I had the first steroid injection two days ago, and it was awful.

Hospital procedure
First, you go into the freezing cold operating theatre. Then, they hook you up to a heart monitor and put a strong painkiller in your ear. It’s like cold, loud water rushing into your ear. Then you wait for it to kick in.

The heart monitor showed me how nervous I was, so I used some breathing techniques to try to calm myself. The waiting is the worst part. Eventually, the doctor returned and used a suction device to remove the liquid. Then it was time to put a needle through my eardrum and inject the steroids.

It wasn’t very pleasant. It all feels unnatural. The force of the liquid going in made me feel like I was going to throw up (I didn’t). Then it was all done, I rested then they discharged me. I have to repeat this process three more times.

Next steps
If the injections don’t work, the next thing to try is a hyperbaric chamber weekly for five treatments. The idea is that 100% oxygen will help damaged tissue heal faster.

Whatever it takes (breathe!)
This gave me an idea. If the point is that I need more oxygen, then breathing techniques may well help alongside. As such, I’ve started easing myself into the Wim Hof Method.

I also took inspiration from Hal Elrod. Although I’m not dying, I want to try everything I can. I want to boost my chances of recovering my hearing and reducing vertigo. I’ve also seen traditional Eastern medicine doctors.

I figure if it’s not going to interfere with the other treatments or cause any harm, why not? It seems I have a limited time to fix my ear before the damage is permanent (if it isn’t already).

As I said, sometimes it’s hard to stay positive. However, there are still options that could work, and I can always try other specialists.

Hope
Although I’m facing challenges relating to vertigo and hearing loss, there is always hope. There is always something to be learnt. So far, I’ve learnt to pay more attention to health and I realise now how precious time and health are.

I wish everyone excellent health and I encourage everyone to assess whether your current lifestyle is working for you.

Over to you
Is your body telling you it’s time for a change? If the answer is yes, please don’t leave it too long. The time to act is now. Do whatever it takes to protect your health, peace and joy. And always seek medical advice from a professional.

What changes do you need to make to make your life more healthy, peaceful and joyful?

What have you learnt from listening to your body? We’d love to hear from you.

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References

Ménière’s? thejourneyx,  August 2nd, 2024:
https://thejourneyx.com/2024/08/02/menieres/

Hal’s Story: From Mediocrity to Miracles, Hal Elrod, 2024:
https://halelrod.com/about/

What is the Wim Hof Method? Wim Hof, 2024:
https://www.wimhofmethod.com/practice-the-method

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