Vertigo

It all started Tuesday morning...I began to feel really dizzy. I am not talking about the "I stood up too fast" kind of dizzy - I am talking about the "I have to hold on to the wall to walk" kind of dizzy. Now, I have had my fair share of dizzy spells in the past and they always go away. Well, after 24 hours of constant dizziness, there was no change. I couldn't figure out why I was feeling this way or what it could possibly be. I had not eaten anything different, I was drinking plenty of water, sleeping fine at night. Then I was talking to my mom and telling her how I'd been feeling and she said, "Oh no, this is the beginning..." What?!? What is the beginning?

When she was in her early thirties, she began to have the same problems. It turned out to be an inherited genetic inner ear disorder that her mom also had. It is sometimes called Meniere's disease or Waardenburg syndrome. The worst part about it is that there is no treatment for it really. I did some research online and all the symptoms matched mine exactly. I started to panic - I remember my mom couldn't go on certain rides at Disneyland because of it and she had episodes of fainting off and on. Was this now going to be my life??

So, I called the doctor and was able to get in to be seen this afternoon. They tried to do some simple tests, which I couldn't complete because I was so dizzy I almost passed out. My blood pressure was unusually low - 90/60 and my pulse was really low - 62. The doctor wanted to have an MRI done on my brain just to rule out the possibility of something more serious. Then, she wrote me a prescription for some medicine that has been proven to help people with bad cases of vertigo...and (here's the kicker) she said I had to be on bedrest for the next 48 hours. I told her that she better write me a note because there was no way Ryan would believe me! :)

I went to have the MRI done late this afternoon (which was the most terrifying experience for someone with claustrophobia) and we should have the results by tomorrow. Ryan is going to get my prescription filled tonight (since I can't drive) and is taking the day off tomorrow since he will be on full-time duty with the kids!! He is such a trooper - he knows what he is in for and what a terrible patient I am when it comes to laying down and doing nothing! So, you may want to say a prayer for him, if you think of it...and please pray that they can figure out what this is and some way to treat it so I can get back to my normal life!