One of the few things that still triggers my vertigo on a regular basis is when the weather fluctuates. It has been doing that a lot lately and it needs to fucking stop. 

Vertigo.

That’s not to say that it’s gone, because it isn’t. But it is significantly less of a problem than it used to be and that makes me very happy.

Aside from finally having an answer about my vertigo, my favorite part of the diagnosis is this packet I got about Meniere’s Disease. I just love the illustration of the really dizzy guy because I think it beautifully captures the moment of panic when you seriously feel like you’re about to fall over.

I haven’t been posting much lately because I had a four day weekend after our national convention and then we moved in to our new office immediately afterwards, and things have been a little hectic. Here’s a quick summary of what’s been going on with me over the past week:

1. My doctor appointment last Thursday finally gave me some sort of clue as to what might be causing my vertigo. Namely, a variant of Ménière Disease called endolymphatic hydrops. You have no idea how excited I am after four years of confusion to be able to potentially put a name on this and have a course of treatment that might work.
2. Speaking of the course of treatment, it involves the following:
   • A dietary supplement which is only available online (and for which I am still waiting to arrive in the mail).
   • Hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic that is currently making me urinate every 45 minutes.
   • A dramatic decrease in the amount of sodium I’m supposed to have in my diet. I could write an extensive blog post on this subject alone, but suffice it to say that reading food nutrition labels has become pretty depressing.
   • A substantial increase in the amount of water I’m supposed to drink every day. Combined with the diuretic, this has turned my body into a veritable water filtration system.
3. Over the past couple of days, my head has started to feel a little bit clearer. I don’t know if that’s due to my new treatment, the dissipation of my Klonopin withdrawal symptoms, or the placebo effect but I don’t really give a shit as long as it continues.
4. Our new office on K Street is awesome, and I’m pretty happy with the location of my new workstation. The only real drawback is that I’m now as far away as possible from the kitchen (including the coffee machine) instead of right across the hall like at the old office. I guess I’m lucky if that’s my only complaint.
5. Did I mention that my ear/nose/throat doctor figured out the cause of my vertigo? HOLY FUCKBALLS I AM EXCITED.

GPOYW - Lab rat edition

This is my Mecca: the Dizziness & Balance Center.

The receptionist looked at my paperwork and told me I have a long morning ahead of me. I choose to take that as a positive sign.

I’m extremely excited for tomorrow because, for the first time in at least two years, I will be undergoing a new series of tests to figure out what the hell is causing my vertigo. I had gotten to the point where I thought they had already run every test in the book on me, but that’s obviously not the case. Here’s the list of procedures I’m having done:

1. Electrocochleography
2. Computerized Dynamic Posturography
3. Platform Pressure Test (Fistula Evaluation)
4. Vestibular Autorotation Test (VAT)
5. Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMP)

Even after reading the descriptions of the tests I don’t think I understand what exactly they’re going to do to me, but I’ve never been more eager to drive through DC morning rush hour traffic in order to get strapped in to a harness and have electrodes placed all over my body.

I’ve got an appointment with a neurologist later this morning and I’m meeting a new ear/nose/throat doctor on Thursday. My vertigo has now been around for four years, and I’m starting to worry if maybe my vestibular system is just broken because nobody can tell me what’s wrong with me.

By the end of the week, my totals will be:

• 2 general practice doctors
• 4 ear/nose/throat doctors
• 2 neurologists
• 2 emergency room doctors
• 1 physical therapist

And none of them can figure out how to make me stop being dizzy. My expectations have gotten so low that, right now, all I really want is for someone to make my Klonopin withdrawal go away and I’ll just put up with the dizziness. *sad trombone*

And my body does NOT like it. I feel weird.

Nobody seems to have noticed, though, so I guess I’m doing a pretty good job of keeping a straight face. 

Just about any ailment would be better than vertigo, which has kept the Anaheim Ducks’ Swiss goalie off the ice for all but four periods since he played in his first All-Star game six weeks ago.

“At least with a broken leg, they can tell you how long it’s going to be until you can play again,” Hiller said.

Nobody can explain why Hiller’s incredible reflexes and puck vision suddenly were enveloped by a fog of dizziness and fatigue in early February. Nobody is sure why Hiller feels perfectly normal away from the rink, and nobody can tell him when — or whether — it will go away.

As someone who suffers from vertigo, I sincerely empathize with Jonas Hiller’s predicament. As a Red Wings fan, I am sincerely amused by Jonas Hiller’s predicament.