How do you know if the gentamicin has worked?

That is, roughly speaking, one thousand, six hundred & eighty metres closer to where you want to be.

*fist bump

And it wasn't you 'trying', by the way. It was you doing.

 

Keep up the good work AnneT

 

Hang in there, Anne.

 

There is no turning back AnneT. I doubt you would seriously consider it. Onward and upward is my new mantra. We gotta rid ourselves of this beast. I'm looking forward to my VNG tomorrow.

 

AnneT it sounds to me like you are making progress and doing all the right things. You will be tired as your brain adjusts. I never had the vision issue you described. Taking an afternoon nap is always a good thing after your walk to calm down. Keep soldiering on each day should start getting better.

 

Yes, the brain is working really hard, and it is very exhausting. I think the recovery from gentamicin is similar to the recovery from laby surgery. I had similar vision issues for a while which cleared up in the first week or two post-laby. All of your symptoms are good signs that the vestibular function in your bad ear is undergoing the destruction that will end your vertigo. Tell your vertigo anxiety system it can shut off now.

My vestibular therapist cautioned me to avoid vestibular depressants like benzodiazepines, alcohol, etc. during this period. You want your brain to really connect to the vestibular capability on your good side, so it's got to be in top shape. It's great that you're walking so your brain can pick up those proprioceptor signals from your ankles and leg muscles. Do the one-foot standing. And work the vision exercises as well. As redwing1951 said, indulge in naps, and keep soldiering on. Anticipate the discomfort you feel now may last over a few months but it will decline noticeably each week, exchanged for increased confidence and functionality that bring meaning back to your life. It's truly a time to be hopeful!

 

At my post-laby assessment the vestibular therapist had me do various activities -- walking, standing on one leg, eye movement, head movement, and so on. With that she was able to quantify a baseline of functionality at that point in time. That proved useful later on in determining the percent of improvement over time.

The other thing the initial assessment did was allow the therapist to observe and tailor exercises that would be most helpful over my progression. The set of exercises I started with changed at following visits. For example, oscillopsia was more of a problem in the early days, so exercises to focus on a point while moving my head was important. It was months later that I stood on one leg and tried closing my eyes (still have difficulty with that). She tried to keep my exercise time to a minimum by prescribing only the most productive activities. Knowing what the purpose of each exercise was and how it would help me regain function made me know what hopeful signs to look for. The exercises never made me sweat, but they unquestionably were mentally exhausting.

 

Both physically & psychologically, in this instance, the irony of actively drugging up & hiding away lies in the allowance you grant that which you hide from to likely metastasise, & grow to scales that become impossible to escape.

*nods… exercise your proprioceptors whenever possible.

Added to this equation, by voluntarily exposing yourself to scenarios, such as physiotherapy, that may trigger balance related social anxieties will allow you to enter these given scenarios in a braver manner every time you expose yourself to them.

Emphasis is placed on voluntary exposure. A stressor imposed voluntarily activates psychophysiological systems associated with approach & challenge, as juxtaposed to a stressor imposed involuntarily which activate systems associated with defensive aggression &/or withdrawal—which may lead you to back to the desire to drug up & hide away.

The systems associated with approach & challenge a) feature positive emotion, rather than negative emotion, & b) are much less hard on you, physically & emotionally, as involuntary systems will have you push your peddle to the metal while your breaks are on.

Moreover, by viewing yourself as a creature who's ready to apply stressors upon yourself willingly on a habitual basis, to take risks in a non-naive way, & to act in a voluntarily courageous, forthright manner while encountering the world & the unknown, will allow you to forge & harbour something within yourself to behold. Something you can subsequently use to "treat", award, & comfort yourself at night, or during moments that you would otherwise resort to the comfort of sleeping pills.

Decompose what may at times appear to be a monolithic, unclimbable cliff face into much smaller, manageable footholds. View not the difficult days ahead, the rate in which they will come, or the difficult weeks or months ahead, view instead the intermediate, smaller, manageable, & easy to reach footholds amid the larger spans, one step at a time, one minute at a time.

 

(Please do excuse any possible typos or grammatical errors that my eyes simply aren't noticing at this moment. It has been a long & exhausting 48 hours)

 

Ha. There it is. 'Gentamicin' in its full, unclipped, beautifully sounding form.

Excellent, as I was beginning to question the purpose &/or services provided by public rooms labeled 'Gents'.

 

AnneT sorry you are experiencing such awful side affects. I hope you turn the corner soon. Try to rest and don't let anxiety take over. I know easier said then done. Positive vibes coming to you right now!

 

Anne -- so sorry you are going through this. In your post just after meeting Dr. Hwang she mentioned that the worst imbalance would come about 2 weeks post-injection. That's where you are now; hopefully the awfulness will begin to subside and you will start seeing improvement week by week.

In the database there is a thread from 2015 by mbach. Here's an excerpt:
The "off" feeling was fairly profound for around 2 weeks once it kicked in. I had at least a week where it was strong all day. Then things slowly and I mean very slowly began to improve. If I had to drive myself to work, I would assume 2 weeks into this I probably could have. Not including the first week while i was "waiting" for the Gentamicin to take effect. I suppose many people could go to work right after the injection and just wait for it to take effect before taking a leave. It didn't just begin like a ton of bricks hitting me in the face, this was a gradual build up. So you would have time to figure out what to do.

Believe that it will get better. There is a bright light at the end of this tunnel.