Here I am back again about this damned vertigo that has been plaguing me but yesterday was the absolute limit and I am back to my GP tomorrow and I really am going to insist he listen to me and if he can't suggest anything to help then I need to be referred to somebody that can help.
I awoke yesterday fairly early and sort of felt all was not right but went back to sleep and when I woke a couple of hours later I knew all was definitely not right. I once again had the staggers when I got out of bed. I immediately took a stemitel and popped back into bed for a couple of hours. Have to lie there with my eyes closed so I don't see the walls whizzing by although not as bad yesterday as previously, thank goodness although anything is bad.
I did eventually decide to do my insulin injection and get up and sit in my recliner and have some breakfast. The stemitel definitely stops the nausea thank goodness and I am able to eat. Stayed there through lunchtime (with Precious asleep on my lap most of the time) and had a sandwich but still the items in the room wouldn't keep still so can't read or watch TV. Thank goodness for my little portable radio.
Mid afternoon I decided I would do some rearranging of genealogical files I'd been wanting to do and was able to gradually get on with that for a while. I also turned on my computer but wasn't really in the mood for doing much there. The movement on it didn't do me much good.
I then thought I'd see if I could find somewhere on the internet the manouvres I had heard of for curing vertigo and I did find one that seemed quite simple. I had to lie on the bed on the 'bad' side for 30 seconds, then turn and lie on the 'good' side for 30 seconds and then sort of hang my head (on the good side) looking down towards the floor (without falling off the bed), also for 30 seconds. Amazingly enough it did seem to ease the vertigo and within minutes it had stopped.
Was this sheer coincidence or had this manouvre worked? Hard to say but I definitely was able to walk OK although, as in always the case after even a short 3 hour attack, I was incredibly weary. Fortunately it was the turn of MOH to cook dinner last night so I could continue to take it easy.
Today I woke up at 8.45am and when I got up everything was back to normal balance-wise and the room was completely still but it took several hours to feel really good and so far (it is now 7pm) all is going well and I do actually feel quite good.
My problem? I just don't want to continue to lose whole days out of my life as I just cannot afford the time!!! There are things I have to get on with. One day this house will have less junk in it. That is a promise I've made to myself and nobody can fix that except me.
I am sorry, and do hope that your doctor will finally listen. It is interesting that the tips you picked up on the internet helped. It is probably worth mentioning that to the doctor as well. These days I often take a list in with me, so I am certain that I have covered everything. And was really grateful to a specialist I saw recently. He diligently took notes all through the consultation - nothing new there. And, at the end of the appointment he peeled them off (a duplicate beneath) and gave them to me. It meant that I could go home and think about what he said, and be sure that I wasn't leaving anything out or misinterpreting it. A lovely idea. I wish more medicos did it.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you have better luck tomorrow.
I saw my GP and did some straight talking. He once again was going to give me the printout about vertigo that he had given me before. I told him that it said these attacks should last from 30 to 60 seconds and my last attack lasted up to about 8 hours. I told him about the manouvre I tried and he said yes, he knew there were different types of treatment that could be done.
DeleteI have a referral to an ENT man but he is unavailable until 2013 but he has an offsider who can see me on 26th November and I have to have a hearing test first.
Thanks once again EC for your thoughts and kind wishes.
P.S. I usually do take a list when visiting any doctor and my dermatologist is the one that listens best of all. Wish he was my GP...he is wonderful.
I really hope your doctor listens to you and more testing is done. surely they can't expect you to just live your life like this? In the meantime, maybe keep doing the manouvers on the bed which seemed to help.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment River. I think I did lay it on the line yesterday. Told him I was losing large chunks out of my life which I could ill afford to do at my age and it was also very upsetting for my other half when these attacks happen. My GP said he couldn't do anything further so yes, I have a referral to an ENT man (see my reply to EC above). I am keeping fingers crossed they can find something simple that can be fixed.
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