So.......I woke up at 3am Thursday morning with the room spinning. I couldn't focus. I couldn't walk without falling down or getting sick. So I did both. Then stumbled back to bed and went back to sleep - or was it just going unconscious? When I woke again at 5am, I knew instantly it wasn't just a bad dream. Somehow I made it downstairs, where I collapsed on the couch - room upside down and spinning. A combination of merry go round and roller coaster. Neither of which I would ride unless paid a very large sum of bribery money.
It didn't stop, unless I closed my eyes and laid very still.
I called in sick, somehow managing to use the telephone.
Then passed out again.
I have a vague recollection of feeling like this after a particularly wild party in college....too bad - this time - I don't seem to remember having any fun before all the spinning and upside down stuff started.
Periodically I woke to spinning and sickness.
Hubby called to check on me. I must have sounded really bad.
He called back a few minutes later to tell me he had spoken to my doctor, who told him to get me to the emergency room.
WHAAAA???
OK, maybe I'm having a stroke? A heart attack? I have a brain tumor?
I went upstairs and woke my son. Good morning, can you please drive me to the hospital??
The merry go round was still a wild ride. The roller coaster had slowed down a bit.
The hospital was wonderful. They were nice to me. They gave me lots of tests - EKG, chest xray, CT scan of the brain, blood work. They gave me medicine to make the roller coaster stop.
Diagnosis : Vertigo. Possibly Meniere's Disease - a disorder of the inner ear. They sent me home with medicine. And a phone number to call the Werner Institute of Motion. Apparently they do things like hang you upside down and shake you. Can't wait!
It really is so incredibly true - if you have your health, you have everything.
Happy to report, a few days later, no more spinning.
9 comments:
Dear Sara, sorry you had to go through this scare! I am glad it's nothing serious! Our pediatritian had this kind of thing. He built himself a frame/bar on which he hung upside down like a monkey every night. It cured him!
xo ulla
Holy cow. How scary. I'm glad you are feeling better. And hopefully, if they do hang you upside down and shake you, it works!
Oh Sara, i am so sorry to hear of your troubles. I know how you feel...I just got diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis and diverticulosis!!! One day healthy as a horse and the next???? Hang in there my friend.
Take care, cheers Marie
Sara, I had the same thing about 8 years ago. Woke up with a headache, took some pills a while later, probably too late and threw up. Afterwards I was super dizzy,vertigo,eyes going side to side,getting sick when getting up again and so on. This went on for a few days.
My doctor thought it might have to do with dislodged crystals in the inner ear and did a certain movement to move them, but it just made me throw up again. I just got pills for motion sickness and eventually it went away.
Well in the end, no one had an explanation for what happened . However, I have tinnitus in one ears since too.
Recently I had some similar dizziness again, just not as severe.
My doc here gave me some instructions for the dislodging movement . I will scan it tomorrow and send it via e-mail to you. Maybe it helps you.
Hope you feel better soon dear Sara!
No fun being this dizzy ...
So YIKES.
My Mom does the vertigo thing - hers is sinus related (so she says) but I know that's about as un-fun as you can get. I'm interested to hear about your Institute of Motion experiences should you choose to be hung upside down and shaken (not stirred).
Just found your blog...had to comment on this as one of my co-workers had the same thing happen...because of an inner ear infection! She's still recouperating, (because she's nearly 70 it's taking a bit longer), but thank goodness it was nothing else!
Scary!
:) maureen
Weird...since we have moved to TN, my mom, sister, husband and I have all had an episode of this. It was horrible. And weird! motion sickness pills do seem to help, but until they do, one is completely helpless.
wow, what an experience. it's so scary to know that one moment you are ok and the next anything could pop up....glad you are ok.
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