I've never had ear issues. Ever. Oh, I've experience some ear piercing issues, but hearing issues, wax build-up, etc...? Never.
So imagine my annoyance at experiencing 'muffling' or 'clogged' sensations on both of my ears for a number of days (starting sometime last week). I could push my fingers only so far in and wiggle and that would alleviate momentarily and then it would come back.
I complained to anyone who was around me. I'm like that. I'm not really expecting anyone to help me, but it helps to 'kvetch' a bit.
On Wednesday morning of this week, Sophie & I had some errands to do and we went about our business with little incident. She's a great errand runner's assistant.
We got home about 11 and we planned to have a little lunch at home and then head out to the pool. I had a few little 'domestic' things to do around the house that I'd figured I'd take care before we headed out. The last item was to vacuum the entry way stairs (we live in a ranch type condo on the 2nd floor and have our own private entranceway/stairway to our condo, that is carpeted).
As I started up the stairs, I noted a sense that the world around me 'dipped' a bit. I kind of closed my eyes and thought, "that was weird" and continued on my way across the landing and started up the second half of the stairway. And the world around me 'dipped' again and this time I felt like I was going to fall backwards. Not a good feeling.
So I hurried up thru the last few stairs, thinking that I probably just needed some water. But by the time I got to my bedroom door (which is before the kitchen), I was feeling so strange/dizzy that I just headed to my bed to lie down.
But even lying down didn't seem to help. Closing my eyes helped, but by this time my stomach was becoming extremely nauseated. I got up to go to the bathroom and barely made it to the toilet in time to heave.
Can I just say that there really is nothing worse in a person's life than throwing up? Nothing. I absolutely hate it. (Side note: therefore bulemia is NEVER an option for me)
I managed to get back to the bed and called Linda at work. At this point, I was breaking out in a slightly cold sweat, breathing strangely hard and still nauseous and dizzy. As soon as I heard her voice, I could hardly speak, and kind of croaked that "I feel strange". She knew that I was not alright immediately. She asked a bunch of questions that I couldn't answer as the lump in my throat was in the way. She announced she would come home ASAP. (Work is only 10 miles away)
I continued to lie on the bed willing my stomach to get a grip on itself and failing miserably.
My Mom, Dad and brother had planned to come over to swim that afternoon, so my Mother called to tell me when, but I cut her off immediately and told her that I wasn't feeling well, and she, too, could tell that there was something wrong, so she shouted that they were coming over (They're 15 miles away)and hung up.
I proceeded to find a comfortable position in the bathroom as close to the toilet as possible. I was sweating profusely, dry-heaving and moaning.
Poor Sophie was summoned from her TV viewing in the living room many times by me for towels, wet washclothes, a can of seltzer, and to just make sure that she knew that though I was on the floor, I was ok and that Linda and Grandpa & Grandma were on their way.
She remained very calm, until I heard her ask in a small voice, "Can I call Linda?" I repeated that Linda was on her way home. So she asked if she could call Mama (my ex). (My title to Sophie is "Mommy"), so I said, of course. (What I found out later from my Mom, was that Sophie called my ex and announced to her 'Mommy is on the bathroom floor and can't move', so she thought I had had a stroke and dropped everything and headed over!!)
I don't remember much after that, except Linda coming home and seeing the state I was in and when I could barely answer her questions, made the decision to call 911. I heard my Mom, Dad and brother come in and my brother asking Linda, "Wouldn't she be more comfortable somewhere else?" and thinking to myself "I will live in this position for the rest of my life, if it will allow me to not be nauseous ever again."!!
I heard my ex come in and heard her talking to Linda and really thought I was having an out-of-body experience, as they have not been face-to-face except for once 3 years ago, when for Sophie's sake, she 'met' Linda in the garage of her home. I thought I must be dying, if they are talking to each other!
Then the EMT personnel arrived and started 'grilling' me on what I had for lunch (cottage cheese and yogurt) and hearing them ask Linda if they thought that perhaps I had eaten 'bad' cottage cheese. They asked me if I was having chest pains - NO. If i was having any tingling in my arms or hands -a little. Then they said that I had to get up and get into the wheelchair they had maneuvered into our bathroom (a stretcher could not be gotten up our stairs and into the condo unit itself).
I told them that I could not leave the toilet.
I told them that I could not move at all. I had no strength to barely talk, let alone get up.
But I finally managed to get into that chair (with them doing most of the holding me up) and though I don't know how, they carried me downstairs and out to the ambulance. I had a towel over my face as I was already so nauseous from just being alive and then to have that 'floaty' sensation of coming down the stairs and then rolling (which seemed like being on a roller coaster for me, but was probably just regular walking paced) me out and into the ambulance, made me feel even worse. It was great to be put on the stretcher just so I could lie down again.
So I thankfully didn't see the crowd of my neighbors gathered.
Unfortunately, I also didn't see the inside of the ambulance (I had always wanted to, for some strange reason), as I could not open my eyes. They kept taking my blood pressure, despite it being normal every single time! The hospital is under 5 miles from my home and I swear they pumped my arm up at least 5 times in that ride.
Linda followed the ambulance to the hospital. My ex took Sophie with her to her house. My parents and brother, seeing that there was nothing else for them to do, continued with their plan B and went shopping. Linda was instructed to call everyone with status reports throughout the rest of the day.
They held me hostage at the hospital for over 4 hours. They did an EKG - normal. They took blood. All normal. They let me doze as we waited to see a doctor.
Poor Linda hadn't eaten breakfast (as she normally doesn't) and was about to take a late lunch when I called, so she was starving. And freezing. I don't know why hospitals have to be so cold, but they are. Thankfully I had a cover. But I was still freezing and nauseous. A nice woman in the waiting room saw that Linda could not get the snack machine take her $5 bill and gave her a dollar so she could get some pretzels.
I was finally able to open my eyes without feeling sick about 4. (3 hours after the first symptoms appeared)
It seems that though there is no infection in my ears, they think that some fluid in my inner ear must have crystallized and gotten lodged somewhere it shouldn't have and caused my equillibrium to go amuck creating a severe sense of vertigo.
They gave me anti-dizzy and anti-nausea medicine and recommended I go see an ENT specialist and discharged me about 6:30 (4.5 hours after getting there! Not bad!)
I was taken to the hospital with no shoes, a golf shirt and cargo shorts on. My shirt was so soaked from sweat, they had removed it when they did the EKG (I barely even remember that happening), so I walked out of the hospital with the 'johnny-coat', their lovely slipper socks (with the rubber treads on them!), and my own shorts on. My hair was sticking straight up in the air at various angles. The whole look was quite 'hospital-chic' and though Linda snapped a coupe of shots with her camera phone, they're not gonna be shared here today, folks!
Yesterday morning I felt much better and went outside to meet Sophie as she was dropped off by my ex, who was heading to work. The older couple who lives across the way from us, came out and he said, "You had us worried yesterday. I said a special "Brucha" (prayer) for you last night." She said, "I was all set to make you some chicken soup today, but I'm glad to see you up and around, cuz i really hate making soup in the summertime!" They're such sweet people, they made me smile.
Another woman, who just moved in a month ago with her 3 kids, came out and offered me her concern, as well.
It was all very nice to know that in our little condo community, there was a genuine offering of concern for me. (I'm still embarrassed by what I must have looked like being carried out of my home, but I'll get over it!)
Suffice it to say that I took it easy yesterday and will see my ENT guy today (he's closed on Thursdays!).
I hope it's something simple to fix this issue, cuz believe me when I say ,that i don't want to EVER go thru this again.
Shabbat Shalom.
