Wednesday, September 9, 2009

WILL IT GO ROUND IN CIRCLES?

vertigo-1

Last week My Harley Stud was suffering from Vertigo. Oddly enough, it didn’t make him romantic like the movie by the same name. In fact, he was pretty cranky. It seems the more his head was spinning, the more heads he wanted to bite off.

The condition proceeded to worsen and I became concerned. I mean, who likes having their head bit off all the time? MHS was experiencing a spinning room each time he laid down or got up. He also had this problem from looking up and to the right.

I consulted my employer doctor. While some might think that asking a breast surgeon about vertigo might not be advised, she is my go-to source for all things medical. She suggested that I take MHS to a Neuro Otolaryngologist. What? That’s quite a mouthful for a dizzy doctor. I, of course, scoffed at the idea. I was certain that his dizziness was related to the neck pain that preceded it because you know I received a medical degree from watching ER for several seasons. I just knew he needed to see an orthopedist or a neurosurgeon or possibly even a chiropractor. Nevertheless, I made the appt with the neuro-otowhatchamacallitist because my boss gets very offended when she gives free medical advise that isn’t heeded.

I always accompany MHS to his doctor visits because he is terrible about relaying the information after the appointment. If I want to know….I’ve got to go.

The doctor was able to reproduce MHS’s vertigo by laying him down. He looked at MHS and said, “I can see in your eyes that the room is spinning now, isn’t it?”

My jaw dropped.

He brought him back up and looked into his eyes again. “Oh yeah, you’ve definitely got it.”

I asked, “ You could see it in his eyes?”

He replied, “I’ll show you all about that in just a minute. The good news is that there is no medicine that will cure this condition but we do have a treatment here in the office that we can do right now. Most people have complete relief with one to three treatments but it can take up to 10.”

He asked us to follow him into another room. Once in the room, we were staring at a contraption that looked like something you would pay to go on for entertainment at a fair.

spinning steve2

I apologize that this picture is so small but I took it with MHS’s phone and if I enlarge, it gets blurry.

So, MHS was strapped in for the ride of his life securely and is equipped with what amounts to a headband with a camera focused on his eye. (You can see his eye in that video monitor to the right of the doctor.)

Due to the headband, MHS couldn’t see me so I announced to him that I was taking pictures. I was hoping for a nice smile but was rewarded with a special finger salute that is just starting in the above photo.

spinning steve

I would have taken more photos for your viewing pleasure but just as soon as the doctor got him upside down, he called me over to watch the movement of MHS’s eye. It was so cool, I completely forgot about the camera. You could actually see his eye moving in a kind of circular motion. The doctor turned him upside down three times for about 30-60 seconds each. Each time the reaction of his eye was less and completely resolved by the last spin. I was in awe. My Harley Stud, on the other hand was not as amused as he was the one dumped on his head with all the blood rushing to his head making his eyes want to pop out of their sockets. He came out of it with a headache but minus the vertigo. So cool!

The procedure is called the Canalith Repositioning Procedure. It will not treat all types of vertigo but worked like a charm for MHS’s problem. He has had no problem with vertigo since. He even canceled his follow-up appointment (with the doctor’s permission).

If you or a loved one ever have the misfortune to suffer from benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, MHS and I highly recommend trying this procedure.

Or maybe next time, we’ll just take a trip to Disney World and ride the "ROCKIN’ ROLLERCOASTER”.




Hugs,
Smart Mouth Broad

41 comments:

Chicken Herder from Westville said...

THAT IS AMAZING. I SUFFER FROM VERTIGO, WHEN I GO DOWN STEPS THEY COME UP IN MY FACE.

cheatymoon said...

Oh my goodness, SMB. I have had vertigo on and off all summer. My doctor tested me for a bunch of stuff, but it hasn't been bad enough to go back. I will keep this very educational post bookmarked in case it comes back.
It is the worst feeling - I thought something was really wrong.
xxoo thanks for sharing - love the photos.

Jan said...

I'm glad that it's something so easily treatable - I was worried you were going to tell us he has Meniere's Disease, which can make you just miserable.

Anonymous said...

holy cow...that's all i got to say

Liz Mays said...

I can't believe it was so easily remedied. That's absolutely fascinating.

I've never heard of this before but dizziness has to be one of the absolute worst feelings. It's so closely tied to nausea too.

I'm happy that he's better now and a little tickled that he managed to flip you off.

Organic Meatbag said...

Wow...just the thought of being in one of those contraptions is giving me vertigo! Yikes!!

Anonymous said...

What a great machine. It looks like something they would place an astronaut in and spin him around in in preparation for space flight. No? Am I over-thinking this?

Di

Anonymous said...

Vertigo sucks (or is it spins?). I've never experienced it to the degree that MHS has, but can only imagine how awful it must be. For me, the vertigo causes an inner ear equilibrium issue and makes me vomit. Lovely, huh? Nothing worse than a woman stumbling and falling down...oh yeah and vomiting. barf.

Deb said...

Hi SMB! I am so glad that the treatment cured him. Also wanted to let you know that I have a new blog www.howdyfromcowtown.com (formerly deb at views from my porch). Please follow me over at the new blog. I won't be posting from the old blog because of stalkers (long story). I have added you to the blog roll on the new one.

Thanks,
Deb

Boozy Tooth said...

I really enjoyed this post - funny AND informative!

My mother has bouts of vertigo and it's really scary. It comes from the formation of "crystals" in the inner ear that affect equilibrium. Sometimes hers is "cured" by manipulation of her head and neck to get the crystals back into alignment. Sounds weird, I know... but it usually works.

Anyway... love the gyroscope photos. Bet hubby was thrilled that you were snapping away while he was ass over tea kettle.

Congratulations on your POTD mention from authorblog.

Mrs.C said...

That is so bizarre. I've never heard of a treatment like that. So glad it worked for him!

Cheffie-Mom said...

Wow! Very interesting! I came over from authorblog. Congrats on the Post of the Day Award!

midlife slices said...

I tried telling my 84 year old father about this, but he swears "those newfangled treatments are just a way to get more money out of ya". Ha! Some things never change. I'll wait until the next time he spends 3 days on the sofa because he can't stand up without hurling....and then I'll remind him of this treatment.

MHS rocks! Uhmmm....I mean spins!

Teresa said...

Looks like a modern version of something from a medieval torture chamber!

Congrats on the POTD nom!

darsden said...

Congratulations On POTD

demainca said...

Thats so cool! I have known a few people who suffered with this and didn't know that there was a treatment for this. How great. Now I know if this happens to me there is hope! I am really happy for him.

ReRe said...

I am amazed!

TONY LETTS said...

Fascinating. I get 'bog-standard' vertigo but your man's version seemed nastier

Maureen@IslandRoar said...

Amazing!
I love happy endings.
I had vertigo for a year on and off about 11 years ago. It turned out I had a quarter-sized hole in my eardrum requiring complicated surgery. This is a much better solution!

Debbie said...

Hi Smart Mouth! I miss coming here but alas we are at a snails pace and still UNDER EFFING CONSTRUCTION! Someday I will be back. My cousin suffers from Vertigo and has had this procedure with no good results. It apparently is a different type of Vertigo than MHS's. My sister in law had what she thought was this for quite some time and it turned out to be Menairs (spelling?) disease. It got so bad she thought she had a brain tumor or something? They diagnosed it, but by the time they got to her, she had lost major hearing in both ears. She now wears a hearing aid in both and is only 54. She has to watch salt intake and takes diuretics for life and other meds. From what people tell me, it's a horrible thing to have vertigo. My cousin says she would not wish it on anyone. It makes you throw up violently when a real bad bout comes on. I am so glad he is alright and they were able to help him. She was told that we all have what they call crystals in back of each ear. When those crystals are out of whack, we experience Vertigo. Glad he is ok and that is pretty funny you got a photo of him in that contraption. Him giving you the finger while in there would have been priceless!

NitWit1 said...

I was referred to this site by one of your readers as I am suffering from some inner ear infection with side effects similar to vertigo.

Sorry. I'm nauseated just reading it. I'm glad MHB is better. If I were he I would not mention the syndrome if it reoccurs.

My best friend's Dad had to have neck surgery once. They first put him in a Stryker frame which looked like some Medieval torture device. It stretched the neck and rotated you 360 degrees for an indeterminate time like a day or so. You could not move any part of your body.

Mike said...

That looks like that thing from that movie "Contact"!!!!
I am glad that he is better!

cheatymoon said...

Oh, Otin, it DOES look like the machine in Contact...

whoohooo SMB - POTD.

Beth said...

Wow! Who knew that those rides were medicine in disguise?

Unknown said...

Is this like when a bit of cartalidge gets dislodged in your inner ear? If so, I had the same thing and an ear specialist told me how to lie down, then very swiftly turn over and back again. It worked for me!

At any rate, it's great that HS has a solution to the problem because vertigo is horrible.

ReRe said...

I passed this onto a friend, her mother is suffering with some kind of vertigo problem. Thanks for the information.

Pseudo said...

Talk about serendipity. I am reading Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver and one of the characters just went through this..

(Character was a grumpy old man ; -) don't tell MHS I said that).

Ms. Witi said...

OK..so how do you think he got the vertigo in the first place? Did he take too many curves on the ol'Harley?

I DO NOT want to be put in a contraption like that so I need to know how NOT to get vertigo! :o)

Thanks!

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

I am having the same problem as MHS and it has been going on on and off for about four years now. They gave me pills that said "these could cause stroke or heart attack..or dizziness!" WHAT????
Anyway...I am still suffereing and finally got an appointment for Sept. 30th but now I can't keep it as the 29th is my date for surgery (that colon thingy)..but I am writing this all down because they say you have to HELP yourself and take responsiblility for your own heath care..blah, blah, blah!! I hope it works for me...but maybe I'll just opt for the roller coaster rides. Do they let 73 year old women ride those things? I am finding a wee...just a wee bit of discrimination.
Maybe I should ask the surgeon..if they work as hard on senior citizens as they do for the younger ones. Just askin'..
(God, I hope so. I mean, SMB..what if they said "NO!" ARGGGG...

Stacy Uncorked said...

That is amazing! Glad MHS was able to get his vertigo taken care of so easily. Well, easily for you, maybe not so much for him... ;) My mom had vertigo once, but it was because of an inner ear infection - so she didn't' get to ride one of those wild rides. :)

"Vanilla and Thyme" said...

This is so amazing! My daughter is in her last year of nursing school, and would love to see this! Glad he's much better!

Nina said...

I've never heard of this but I'm so glad it worked!! Love and Light, Nina P

Joe Todd said...

I think your husband is ready for the astronaut corps.

Joe Todd said...

Actually, my sister has a terrible time with vertigo and I just forwarded her the info in your blog and a link to it. Seems like she has tried about everything but not this. Thanks SMB

K Dubs said...

That is SO cool. I've had it off and on (amazing how many people suffer with it, huh?) and it may or may not be related to the ruptured disc in my neck. It could be an ear infection. Not sure. But wow. That's great they fixed him in one shot!

Deanna Bland Hiott PhD, MSN, RN said...

Funny!

Stepping said...

That is an amazing contraption and reminds me of a round thing we had when I was in elementary school. You would sit in it a swing it until it took you head over heals in a spinning motion. I used to go get in it while waiting for my Grandmother to get ready to take me home from school. I would literally make myself sick on it but it was too cool. Glad your Stud go relief.

Nanny Goats In Panties said...

Wow! That's awesome. I'd never heard of that procedure before.

Midlife Roadtripper said...

Or maybe next time, we’ll just take a trip to Disney World and ride the "ROCKIN’ ROLLERCOASTER”."

WEll at least he lets you go with him. I definitely vote the rollercoaster next time around.

Hope he is much better.

Reader Wil said...

Vertigo is nasty. Great that there is a treatment for it. Your post is informative and very amusing! I hope that your husband won't suffer from vertigo any more.

Hit 40 said...

Oh my heavens! I wanted to hurl just looking at the photo. I have had terrible vertigo from my MS. The room has spun non stop for a week at a time. Had to go the the hospital for dehydration. Just awful! Seriously just wanted to die.

Forget water torture. Vertigo wins!!