New Diagnosis

I'll start by just saying hello, and I guess I'll dive in from there.

I was on vacation in my home state of New Hampshire when I first felt the dizziness and vertigo come on hard. I had been feeling it on and off for a few weeks, thinking it was just due to stress.

I was returning from the beach one beautiful afternoon and was about to order out, when I realized I was going to vomit. And I did so 9 times in the next several hours. We thought it was food poisoning, the stomach flu, but a few days later things weren't getting better. At the Urgent care I was diagnosed with Labyrinthitis. But things got worse again, and I ended up in the ER. They hospitalized me for a short time, then sent me home and told me to see an ENT.

I saw the ENT four days ago and he said he believes I have Meniere's Disease.

I have been able to stay in New Hampshire while I convalesce and wait for the vertigo to subside so I can drive back to my work/living state of Connecticut. I've been out of work for about 2 1/2 weeks, including the week I should have taken for vacation time.

I am doing everything I can; reducing sodium to about 1000mg-1500mg a day. Exercising, meditating, cutting caffeine and alcohol, taking the steroids, tracking every possible symptom. The vertigo has subsided a bit which I am tremendously grateful for.

So, that is where we are at. And I am aware this is all pretty primitive since I haven't had my hearing test. Because of COVID, the soonest test I could get in was July 14, although I'm on the waitlist for other ENTs hoping to get it down as soon as possible.

I have an incredibly demanding, stressful work environment, working in the audio industry as a radio producer. So the prospect of losing my hearing, all while having to navigate possibly going back to work in that environment that would likely only exacerbate this disease. And because the disease is in so many ways invisible, I often feel like my employer is suspicious of my condition.

I have come here for some love and support. I need more empathy than strategy right now, but if you have helpful advice feel free to share. I am a bit raw, overwhelmed. What I need most is compassion and understanding and reassurance that this is not all in my head.

 

I hope you had a good flight Bryan. Hoping to figure it out soon.

 

I'll see what I can find for an otolaryngologist or neurologist. One of my biggest goals is to not let it define me. Trying to stay challenged and try something new everyday. Today I did acupuncture and was shocked to find how much better I felt. Thanks for the kind words, Kevin!

 

Hi Eric - HR/employer is great! More worried about what my boss and coworkers are thinking if that makes sense...but I have to keep reminding myself that this is just about my health. Not others opinions. Thanks for your kind words!