A couple of weeks ago, I had the misfortune to contract an ear infection for the first time. I was less than pleased, to say the least. Was fine on Saturday, then woke up Sunday morning in pain. A couple of other fun symptoms came with it, so I was treating myself with over the counter meds. Eventually the ear pain went away yet the stabbing headache did not.
So off to the doctor I went, where I was given an antibiotic. This took care of everything but the lack of hearing in my left ear. I was told that it could take up to two weeks for it to come back. Bummer.
But then, last Tuesday evening, I got up to go to bed and whoa! I was feeling rather lightheaded. I've had dizzy spells before so knew I'd be fine in the morning. Guess again! It was still there in the morning. I had things to do, so I got up and headed out the door. Well, thought I was heading out the door until I kind of ran into the wall. WTF? Brie asked if I was all right and I said yep: just going to the bathroom.
Let me tell you a little bit about vertigo: it's like being a giant toddler just learning to walk, careening and crashing through the hall to get where you're going. Vertigo is a sensation of motion or spinning that is often described as dizziness. Vertigo is not the same as being lightheaded. People with vertigo feel as though they are actually spinning or moving, or that the world is spinning around them. That's what I had. Luckily I was able to make it to the bathroom without hurting myself, then I made it back to my room and laid back down, sweating from the effort.
Again, I figured it would go away in a little bit. Brie was concerned as I couldn't go to work but I said I'd be fine after that day. Wrong! Because my ear was still clogged, it did not get better. My equilibrium was messed up. By Friday I was driven to the doctor by one of Brie's friends. The good news was: I had lost eight more pounds so now I am only four pounds away from my weight goal! The bad news was the ear infection was still there so they had to flush out my ear, then pick at it, then flush some more. They called in three new prescriptions for me to start. Seriously??? They promised that these meds would do the trick and give the ear time to totally heal. So I'm on a steroid, something to stop the dizziness and a nasal decongestant. Trying to coordinate the spraying with sniffing and whatnot is for the birds, and you can taste it afterwards. Gross! Thankfully it's only once a day but still...The dizziness is still here but bearable: I'm hoping by the time I'm halfway through the steroid it will clear up. My ear is trying! I'm able to slowly walk with just a hand out in case I head for the wall. But I'm at work today so there's a plus.
It's been quite the year for me, but I'm still standing (albeit a little crooked, haha). This too shall pass. Then I promise the rest of the year will be amazingly good for me! I'm basically a pretty healthy person so this has been a bit of a shock for me. But I have faith and I keep looking up for the blessings to fall. I know they're coming, so stay tuned! 😊
