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The Wobbly Librarian shares all with all 3 of her readers regarding the latest in her saga of Meniere's Disease, and the friends and family who still stand beside her. Amen.
Friday marked the start of weekly intratympanic gentamicin treatments in my left ear.
Coincidentally, I awoke Friday in the throes of a strong episode of vertigo; when we arrived at Dr. Sun's office and it was my turn to be seen, the vertigo was ongoing- and when he looked at me he asked for permission to videotape my eyes. Not because of their beauty, but due to the lively nystagmus. He was jazzed and wanted to be able to show other patients.
Then he filled the ear with a topical cream and left us alone to relax for about half an hour. The cream numbed the eardrum and surrounding area- in preparation for installation of a Tympanostomy Tube (you know- the little grommet-shaped things that are placed into children's eardrums when kids have frequent middle-ear infections.)
My only complaint? The cream was cold. Yikes!
There was some discomfort when the good doctor vacuumed out the cream ... and some jokes about mouth-to-ear resuscitation that weren't funny, but were appreciated. (The doc gets my sense of humor, and for this I am grateful.)
Good times were had by all when he put the tube in the eardrum. Translation: A little bit of an ouch.
Next step: flush in the gentamicin. Allow it to bathe the semicircular canals.
(Just for kicks he waved the syringe full of gentamicin around in front of me. A long needle. Just to pretend to be mean. Made some brouahahaha noises (I did, to keep it lively).
I was already familiar with the medicine- not many places make the proper formula/concentration. The pharmacist had spent all Thursday morning titrating it to adjust the pH, and I had been relieved to receive the call that the syringe was ready to be picked up from his compounding pharmacy in Redlands.
A magic formula at the correct pH to bring a halt to the debilitating vertigo.
I'll have a hearing test this week, followed by another treatment.
Thanks for the prayers.
I know that God has a plan.
Perhaps it is to be home for just a couple more weeks.
Or perhaps it is to be back at work as soon as next week. I have not had an episode of vertigo since the treatment. That is very promising, indeed!
4 comments:
Hi Yvonne - guess I'm one of your three readers! Hadn't heard that this treatment was an option and have everything crossed that it works. So the is the same PE tube that the kids get? Will have to now do some more research on your treatment so I understand it because (and I DID miss a few classes in medical school - ha!) it doesn't make sense to me as to how it would help Meniere's....Hope to see you soon! Rita
Hi Yvonne,
My thoughts and prayers are with you.I know how scary and foreboding some of these treatments can seem but hope is a good thing to have.
Kathy
Dear Yvonne,
I am so happy that you have not had any vertigo since the first treatment!!!!! I know that you have been suffering intensely for months now, even though you have played down your discomfort and the debilitation that you've gone through.
God is good. I am so happy that you are improving.
Ginny
Yvonne, I'm glad your treatment went well. The things we do to get our health back to normal! My thoughts are with you, as we sick librarians need to stick together.
Lynda
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