with trying to get any stitching done. On top of the small wreck with my van ($12,000 damage and 3 more weeks till it's fixed) and the broken tooth (root canal last week and gum surgery tomorrow so they can attach a crown) I have been bothered with increasingly frequent dizzy spells (as opposed to my usual ditzy spells). I had a fairly severe ear infection in December and when I went to my doctor, I happened to mention to her that I had dizzy spells quite frequently so it took me awhile to catch on to the fact that there was something wrong. Being a good little doctor she referred me to an ENT.
So, after a brief visit wherein we discussed my dizzy spells he sent me to an audiologist to be evaluated. After two 2-hour sessions in which I was made VERY dizzy and rather nauseous and a follow-up with the ENT, I have been diagnosed with Meniere's disease. Lovely. Good news... I have excellent hearing with only minimal loss in one ear. Bad news... I have to go on a very low-salt diet in order to reduce the incidence of vertigo and to keep from losing my hearing.
Mega bummer. Do you know how much I love salt? Gah!!!!!!!!!!!
So, I get to learn to cook all over again and what I make will not taste quite right. Yes, I can do it and it will be a good thing all the way around but it is rather frustrating!! Of course it also tells me why I've had dizzy spells for years as well as periods of nausea (that both I and my former doctor thought was heartburn) for no reason. Oh, yes... and the tiredness... apparently it is rather tiring to get these spells. So far 2007 has not been conducive to getting lots of creative work done.
My brother and his son are coming on the 22nd for a few days to check out Arizona State University, and then (oh, joy of joys) my mother will be here for the month of March. Adding these two visits into the mix has been adding extra work on the home front as we try and get everything together.
Would you like some cheese with that whine, Marty?
Why, yes... but please make it low-salt!
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On a happier note, I have joined two webrings, Susan's "Around the Block" and the TAST Webring run by Debra Spincic. The buttons are on the sidebar. Also, in case you haven't noticed, I reworked my blog roll a couple of weeks ago so do check them out and see if you find something special.
I'll be back with quilting content shortly. Promise.
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9 comments:
Yeah, I hate when life gets all uppity like that. It really cuts into the creative spirit. Sorry to hear of your Meniere's disease. I think Jane Ann has it, too. Maybe you can get some insight from her.
Go ahead and whine. You're allowed.
I hope you're feeling better already!
Marty, we have reached the age of "findings"...some news or other seems almost inevitable as our old "cars" start to wear out a bit.
But at least you are diagnosed and can take some action! That part is really wonderful.
I wish I still had my mom so I could host her for a month. Do enjoy yours for me! Mine's been gone since I was 22...
Congrats on the webrings and cretan stitch work...just keep on keepin' on, girlfriend!
Thanks ladies... Rian, I'll talk with Jane Ann, thanks for the info. Allie, sorry to hear you lost your mother so young. I want to have a good time while mine is here; however, she is determined to move back in with Glenn and I and will spend a good part of the month nagging me about it. I'm not looking forward to it.
Onward and upward!
Hi - I enjoy your blog! Your stitching is always very inspirational! Sorry to hear about the Meniere's & salt thing. I remember how devastated I was about cutting out the salt (hypertension)a few years back ... surprisingly, I hardly miss it anymore! It does get better.
Sorry for the salt free living, but at least you have a diagnosis...and an answer. :-) My car was in the shop for a month after my wreck five years ago...it has been fine since then. LOL
Yes, Marty, welcome to my nasty little club (what a memory, Rian!). Allie's right; it could be worse, but at the time I was diagnosed I foolishly surfed the Internet for information and cried for a week. Don't do that, if you haven't already. I presume you've had an MRI, balance, and hearing tests? My hearing loss is significant in one ear (though some days it seems better--probably lower-salt days, and it's still better overall than Don's!). I haven't been bedeviled with dizzy spells much the past couple of months, but just before that they seemed to be getting more frequent.
I'm fortunate (and it's quite rare) that mine is more positional that episodic. I can stop or control my spinning (sometimes I liken it to a super fast camera taking rapid shots in succession) by altering how I tilt my head. That means some motions of my head are not possible, but it's things like looking straight up or suddenly turning. That's fine except for sleep when I toss around and wake with nausea. I don't even do that very much any more--I think I've trained myself to barely move at night.
The salt thing is tough. You're going to start reading labels on everything now. I never ate much salt, but we had 10 days at the beach when I walked in the ocean (skin is the greatest conductor of sodium so stay away from system water softeners), ate lots of seafood, flew in an unpressurized puddle-jumper (no more of that). Just had an overload of sodium exposure and ended up in a neurosurgeon's office a few weeks later. Processed food is full of it, but there seems to be more awareness of it now so maybe that will change. You actually can ask McDonald's for no-salt hamburgers and fries (I went for about 3 years without either--not that I eat them very often anyway--until my daughter suggested I just ask). You may be surprised how many restaurants will accommodate you.
Let me know if I can offer any more counsel.
Marty, check with your doctor and see if potassium chloride has the same effect as the sodium. If not, it tastes almost the same in your food. =) Morton's has it in very light blue containers in the grocery - or used to, I don't do the shopping any more, so I'm not sure.
Well, that's your three things, so you should be finished with disasters for a while. =)
You can always come over to the Quilter's Lounge (www.qlounge.blogspot.com) and do the weekly weigh-in with us. Instead of weighing in you could do a weekly recap. It seems to help keep people on track.
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, and it's fine if you whine. :-) Mrs. Dash is a great salt substitute. I reduced sodium for other reasons and now salt is just too salty for me! :-) Wishing you the best!
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