my life and meniere's disease

Dehydration and Meniere’s disease

2013-05-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

Now that is almost summer time I thought that it would be a good idea to about staying hydrated especially during the hot weather. (I also received a comment about drinking water as well!). Personally this has always been a particular problem with me whether it is hot outside or not. I have never been much of a water drinker but drinking water and lots of it every day is a great idea. The comment that I referred too also mentioned that it has helped some with their meniere’s disease as well.

Here is part of the comment…

I went off the medication after one week and tried to adapt. I have been a poor water drinker. Yesterday when I went for a round of golf (18 holes)I got severely dizzy as I went to tee no 11 and had to steady myself with a three iron. I discontinued the game. I took 2 quick bottles of coke zero because I was thirsty. Then two more bottles of water slowly. Suddenly I realized I was much less wobbly than usual up until now as I continue to drink more water than usual.

I don’t know if the coke zero helped any but it appears that the water was beneficial. Of course if you are in the middle of a meniere’s’ attack water won’t help any because you probably wouldn’t be able to keep it down.

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The physical and emotional pain of Meniere’s disease

2013-05-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

When you think about your Meniere's disease which problems seem to jump out at you, is it the trouble associated with vertigo and its aftermath or is it the emotional baggage that comes along with this disorder? For me it was the vertigo and how terrible and helpless I felt not to mention how long it took to get over an attack. The emotional aspect of it after a while made it even worse because I always was wondering when my next attack was going to be. Michelle sent me an email wondering if others were also experiencing physical pain such as ear aches as well as the emotional problems created by Meniere’s.

Here is part of Michele email…

In doing research on Meniere’s and the Methotrexate post on your blog I came across a renowned clinic which stated in its’ description of Meniere’s Disease and I quote, “ There is no physical pain associated with Meniere's Disease. However, there is considerable emotional pain when the disease is difficult to control, and the spells are unpredictable.”

Personally myself at times my ear(s) hurt! Barometric changes are especially painful for me, the pressure gets so intense my ear(s) ache just like when I was a young child and would have ear infections. While most of the other symptoms I can tolerate to a degree because I know they will eventually subside to a manageable point the ear pain is what I dread most. Ear pain combined with the other symptoms will wear me down faster than anything.

I was just curious if you or any of your other readers experience ear pain.

Thanks Michele

Like Michele I also had ear aches and infections while I was growing up. Different things such as a change in weather or altitude would bring on the fullness in my ears and the pain. But regarding the past several years that I have had meniere’s ear aches haven’t been a big problem.

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Is there a time limit on going bilateral with Meniere’s disease?

2013-05-05T04:30:00.000-07:00

I have had Meniere’s disease since 2005. The problem has always been in my left ear, why my left ear? I’m not really sure but that is the ear that had to go through all the scrutiny and all of the gent injections. How did the doctor surmise that it was the ear where the problem was? I can’t completely remember other than the fact that my hearing was terrible in my left ear and that I had problems when I was kid in that ear. Over the years I have been told a few times that meniere’s is caused by a viral infection that I guess just happened to be in my left inner ear. Of course that doesn’t explain why it hasn’t gone into my right ear after so many years. I don’t worry much about that happening but you never really know because there isn’t a time limit on the meniere’s going from one ear to the other.

I saw a few comments this week about going bilateral

Here is one from Peggy…

Yes, I was also told there was no way I would ever go bilateral because if you're going to go bilateral, it will happen very soon after the first side starts. What a crock.

It's now the thing I am most afraid of in my life, although I try not to think about it too much. Clearly, many people do go bilateral a VERY long time after the initial diagnosis on one side.

That definitely is scary because there doesn’t seem to be any explanation on how or why the meniere’s would go to the other ear whether it was shortly after being diagnosed or even after having the disorder for years.

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Certain tests for Meniere’s disease

2013-04-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

I know in the past that we have talked about if there are any reliable tests to determine whether you have Meniere’s disease or something else. Unfortunately there isn’t any that will give you a definitive answer one way or the other. Mostly it is a doctor’s diagnosis from the basis of their examination and certain tests that might provide clues.

A recent email from Deb talks about her meniere’s experience and what tests she had.

I was diagnosed with Meniere's about 4 years ago after several attacks of vertigo. I was treated for several months for an inner ear infection before I got the diagnosis. I have had great success with Dyazide, 1500mg sodium diet and valium when I felt symptoms coming on. But I have had constant vertigo, balance issues, headache, and fatigue for the last 3 weeks. I have never had a spell last this long and it has me concerned. I recently had a MRI and it ruled out other issues, but I am wondering what kind of testing you have had. I have been doing some research and found the following test should be performed. Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Electronystagmography "ENG". There also another test called the Caloric
Transtympanic electrocochleography (ECOG Test)
Syphilis Mumps or other serious infections in the past Inflammations of the eye Auto-immune disorders or allergy or any ear surgery. I believe I had the ENG already done, but wondering if it is beneficial to have the other testing done. I am at my wits end at this point. It just scares me that I have done so well for so long and then have this go on for so long.

I had the ECOG test done a few years ago but I can’t remember whether I ever had the EEG done. I also had the Dix - Hallpike test to rule out vertigo early on. I think that my own description of the attacks that I was having was probably was probably the biggest determination as to whether I had meniere’s or not.

As we all know Meniere’s disease has always been quite a mystery to those who have it and to those that treat it.

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Methotrexate and Meniere’s disease

2013-04-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

Last week’s post received a lot of great comments that I certainly appreciate! In some of the comments I noticed a medicine that I don’t recall seeing before and that is methotrexate.

Here is part the comments from Peggy and anonymous …

“I'd be curious to know the rationale behind methotrexate for Meniere's. It's not a steroid as far as I know, and is usually used to treat diseases like cancer or rheumatism. What does it do to help with Meniere's?”

“Methotrexate is used to suppress the immune system in some cases of intractable bilateral Meniere’s when there has been a response to steroids. It has to be dosed slowly and blood work has to be monitored closely by a Rheumatologist. Although it can be a risky drug, oral steroid for long periods have all those nasty side effects, so they use methotrexate. I had never heard about it either until recently but you can Google the literature reviews.
The goal, is to do this as soon as possible, to capture the hearing before it goes down and maintain it as well as control all the other symptoms. This is the way it was explained to me.”

As most of you who have been dealing with meniere’s disease know doctors seem to prescribe various types of medication for this disorder some work and some don’t.

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What are your criteria for choosing a Meniere’s disease treatment?

2013-04-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

While there aren’t a lot of options available for those with Meniere’s disease it certainly is important to consider which one is right for you. I know in the first couple of years that I had meniere’s I was really confused as to which treatment would be the best for me and from writing this blog and receiving all the comments from the past several years I know that it can be difficult for everyone in this situation.

I received an email this week asking me why so many folks have decided on having the laby surgery. That is a really good question because this isn’t the easy type of surgery to go through plus the negatives of it can be rather high. But there are some that have been satisfied with the results so that is important to consider as well.

In my own case I decided against any type of surgery opting for the gentamicin injections instead. It is even difficult to say now years after the injections whether or not I am satisfied with the results. On the one hand I don’t have the terrible long attacks that I use to but my balance is a lot worse off and I don’t think that will change any time soon.

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Accident prone and Meniere’s disease

2013-04-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

This past week Peggy sent me an email about how recent balance issues have resulted in her having a bad fall.

Here is part of the email…

For a long time I've known that having Meniere's, and now compromised balance since having the labyrinthectomy, have made me more clumsy and prone to tripping and falling than I was before. But last week I confirmed it the hard way. I fell on the stairs to our basement because I was in a hurry, and because my balance is just plain bad now and I have a very difficult time saving myself once I lose my balance in any direction. I ended up with a bad sprain to one ankle and am on crutches now.

I'm curious to know whether others think they are more accident-prone now than they were before they got Meniere's. I worry more and more that I will do myself a really serious injury some day because of the balance issues.

I can really relate to this! After all those gent injections my balance has taken a real hit. No matter where I am at or what I’m doing I ‘m always careful because of my shaky balance. I have been lucky so far that I haven’t had any real bad spills.

Let us know if you have become more accident prone after your treatments for Meniere's disease.

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Blood pressures issues and medications for meniere’s

2013-03-31T04:00:00.000-07:00

Blood pressure has been a problem in my family for a long time. Part of the reason my father died was because of it and I am sure that it affected my mother’s passing as well. I have taken blood pressure medicine long before I had even heard about Meniere's disease. With the medication that was prescribed I have keep it under controlled for years, in fact the only problem that I have had in the past is that it was too low at one time. Unfortunately now there might be some problems with it now.

About 8 years ago I had an EKG and an irregularity was found. I was referred to a cardiologist and after a battery of tests it was determined that the irregularity on the EKG wasn’t a problem. This past week I had another EKG test and this time there were additional changes on the graph my regular doctor told me to check with cardiologist to see what the problem was. The cardiologist (the same one as before) showed me the two graphs one from eight years ago and the recent one, the changes were significant. I will be going for a stress test and an echocardiogram test in a few weeks to see what is going on.

The cardiologist suggested that the muscle wall in my heart may be getting thicker or it could be hardening of the arteries, the test results will hopefully give the answer.

My regular doctor suggested that my diuretic that I take (which also lowers the blood pressure) might have to be cut back or changed if there is a problem. I hope that isn’t the case because it does seem that it has been helping me over the years.

I will keep you up to date.

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Water in the ear canal and Meniere’s disease

2013-03-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

It seems that I have always had problems with my ears, even as a child (way before Meniere’s disease) I often had to go to inner ear specialists because of some problem or the other. It also seemed that I had more than my fair share of earaches and the pain from them was unrelenting. Water in my ear canal I believe was the main reason for the reason for those terrible earaches. Although I don’t have the earaches like I did when I was a kid, for some reason I continue to have to deal with water in my ears.

What makes water in my ears so troublesome now is the feeling of fullness that it creates. Often when my ears feel full my balance seems to be off as well which could eventually lead to an attack. I notice the biggest problem with water in my ears in the morning when I wake up. For some reason it apparently happens at night and especially when I have the windows open. I suppose that is the reason that I am feeling the water in my ears so much lately because the weather has become warm enough to sleep with the windows open.

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Exercise update for 2013

2013-03-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the year I wrote that I was going to try to exercise more this year than in the past. Actually that isn’t setting the bar too high because in the previous years I haven’t exercised at all. This year is starting out a lot better which is not only good for my health but it seems good for my meniere’s disease as well.

From past experience I know that I have to start out slowly with any type of exercise plan, or it just won’t work. The natural choice for me is riding an indoor bike that my wife uses as well. I started in January and tried to ride a little each day even if it wasn’t for just a few minutes and I also created a spreadsheet to keep up with my progress. So far I haven’t missed a day and the amount of time I ride as slowly increased ever since I started. I really feel like my stamina is increasing.

Another benefit is that I feel a little steadier on my feet. Although I still have balance issues it seems that with stronger legs it is easier to deal with. I also believe that exercising has a positive effect on stress as well.

If you have Meniere’s disease you of course have to be careful about what exercise you choose but I think it is a great idea to try to do some type of activity.

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Another view about labyrinthectomy

2013-03-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I wrote about how many great comments that I have received regarding the surgery labyrinthectomy. Does the surgery work? Some folks feel that it has while others not so much. Margie wrote about her experience with the surgery.

Here is part of the comment…

I had the Labyrinthectomy Surgery in Aug.2012. It has been almost 7 months and I have problems. I don't have the severe vertigo attacks, now I have constant fog in my head. Head seems to want to bobble around. Don't do too much reading or stay on the computer for any length of time because it makes me queasy. Riding in the car makes me dizzy. When I get up in the morning it is the worst, after laying down for so long. My balance is way off.

Peggy who has also had the surgery responded…

It WILL get better, but it takes time. Even now, I'm certainly not 100% back to how I felt before I began having Meniere's attacks, but I am much better than I was in the first year following the surgery. I can't tell you exactly how long it took because it was so gradual.

Thanks to everyone who comments, it really helps to keep the blog going.

David

Success with the Epley maneuver

2013-03-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

After my initial meniere’s attack, one of the first things that my ENT checked on was to see if I had vertigo or Meniere’s disease. Unfortunately I didn’t have vertigo, which is similar in many ways to meniere’s. While vertigo can be difficult to deal with it can be treated unlike meniere’s. One of the best and most common way to treat vertigo is something called the Epley maneuver. This past week I received an email from someone who had success with it.

This is from Diane…

Epley saved my sanity! I was diagnosed with BPPV a couple years ago. The first time I had had a dizzy attack, I thought I was having a stroke. Since then, my husband still jokes about the rocks rolling loose in my head. :-) I had an Epley done twice when I've had bad spells, and the occupational therapist taught me how to do a home Epley. I do that when I start feeling a little more spinny than the usual flashes of dizziness. I haven't had a full-blown, knock me on my butt dizzy spell since. BEST THING EVER!!

Here is a link to my original post about the Epley Maneuver.

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Staying positive with Meniere’s disease

2013-02-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

I have an old friend who has had quite a bit of serious health issues over the past decade. Life has really given him a rather bad hand when it comes to his health, but you wouldn’t know it to talk to him. He has always been one of those folks who don’t let the negative things in life get him down. Unfortunately I am not that way it especially since I have developed Meniere’s disease. As with meniere’s most of you know that times can get extremely difficult to the point that you just want to give up. Hopefully you don’t give up and continue to fight and try to stay positive.

As we talked about before stress isn’t good for Meniere’s disease because it may bring on an attack and a lot of stress can cause other health issues as well. But we all know that preventing stress can really be difficult. Luckily there are things that you can try to lower the amount of stress such as exercise, where you really don’t have to do a lot of it just some every day. Proper nutrition also helps with stress. Eating the right things is always the best way to go. And of course there is always counseling, which is something that has helped me in the past (and probably sometime in the future as well!) talking about what you are going through can be very helpful.

I know that it is difficult to have meniere’s and try to do the things that you have always have done but you don’t want to give in and let it take control of your life.

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Big meniere’s attack for Dana White

2013-02-17T04:30:00.000-08:00

If you look up Meniere’s disease on Google news then you probably have seen the name Dana White more than a few times. I wrote a post about how he is dealing with Meniere’s disease and still remaining as president of UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). This past week while receiving an award in Ireland he had a pretty bad attack this coming a few weeks after having surgery to help with the Meniere’s disease.

Before the surgery Dana White described the procedure, (this is an excerpt from Bloodyelbow.com)

“They're going to cut my ear off," White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "My left ear, they're going to cut it off so they can get inside. They're going to insert a tube, and this surgery is pretty new – within the last year, I think, this surgery has come out. They have to get inside there to insert a tube, so they have to go in there and go through the hole. They insert a tube, and then they reattach the ear.”

This sounds like the stent operation that I had decided not to have, although I am not sure because he says the surgery is relatively new. Mr. White went on to say that there was a chance that he would still have attacks after the surgery and unfortunately that’s what happened.

While I hate that this is happening to him it does bring to light what meniere’s patients have been going through for years. I also appreciate the fact that he is so open about having meniere’s disease and what he is doing to correct it.

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Eyes open during a meniere’s attack

2013-02-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

After your first attack of Meniere’s disease you probably are wondering what in the world you can do to relieve the nausea and discomfort of the massive vertigo that you are going through. If you are new to Meniere’s then you might not think that there is anything that can be done especially while you are having an attack. One of the comments that I received recently brought up one tip that I have used in the past.

Here is the comment from A. D. Seeley

“I used to close my eyes when I had a vertigo attack, but during a test where they put water into my ears to give me vertigo, they told me to keep my eyes open so my brain could see that I wasn't really moving. Since I started doing that, I noticed that my attacks don't get as bad as they did before and that they usually don't last as long either. Even in the middle of the night, when I have one, I open my eyes and focus on something I can at least see the outline of and it really seems to help a lot.”

I can’t say that keeping my eyes open made the attacks any shorter but it did seem to help with the vertigo particularly if I stared at point in the distance. Closing my eyes for some reason made the vertigo even worse and unfortunately the nausea as well.

Of course this might not work for everyone but it is certainly worth trying.

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Are you having sleep issues with Meniere’s disease?

2013-02-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Being able to sleep has always been an issue for me. As I have written before I also have obstructive sleep apnea where I wake up numerous times throughout the night making me rather tired the next day. I have tried the usual “cures” for sleep apnea (various types of CPAP machines) and they haven’t worked for me. But I’m not sure that the sleep apnea is the only thing that is keeping me from getting any rest. I think the Meniere’s disease that I have and its symptoms also cause sleeping problems.

While I don’t have the meniere’s attacks as often as I used to have I do find myself dizzy quite often and if it is at night then it becomes difficult to fall asleep. It doesn’t seem to matter that the bedroom is dark because I can still feel that dizzy feeling even though my eyes are closed.

I recently wrote about my bouts of tinnitus and the strange sound that it produces, and if you have any experience with tinnitus then you know how irritating it can be, especially if you are trying to fall asleep.

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Tinnitus and Cochlear Implants

2013-01-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

I have written about tinnitus quite a few times since I started this blog in 2009. I do occasionally have bouts with it but it’s nothing compared to what some folks go through. In an old post from 2009 a few people were asking about whether cochlear implants help with tinnitus, at the time there didn’t seem to be anyone who saw improvement with their tinnitus from the CI. But this week I received a comment from someone who did.

Here is part of the comment…

I wanted to let you guys know that I am a cochlear implant (CI) recipient since 2000. Each case is different for each person much like no two snowflakes are alike

However, I have been experiencing tinnitus for a few months now and it does HELP if I have my CI turned on to mask the noise. I will try melatonin at night when I need it for sleep. I do not have much trouble sleeping at night it is during the day if I do not have my CI turned on.

Like some of the posters said, second and third opinions are best and describe your symptoms very carefully, write down your life style and episodes of tinnitus and other symptoms, job them down.

Thanks to anonymous for the information!

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Possible hearing solution for Meniere’s disease

2013-01-20T04:30:00.000-08:00

As I have written many times before my hearing since I was first diagnosed with Meniere’s disease has gone down dramatically. In my case it was probably due mainly to the gentamicin shots into my bad ear, at least that is what I think happened. I have considered hearing aids in the past to help with this problem but I haven’t gone through with getting them for a couple of reasons. One, my health insurance doesn’t pay for it and another I’m just not sure that it would work. This past week Peggy wrote about her hearing aids that are different than the older versions.

Here is Peggy’s comment…

Mine are from Phonak, sold by the hearing center I have been going to for years, and the system involves two hearing aids that are connected wirelessly. They cost me about $2,000 for both, which is pretty reasonable as hearing aids go. Mine don't amplify sound at all, just transfer from the left ear to the right so I don't miss anything.

I couldn't believe it the first time I used them in a party situation. And I no longer have to position myself carefully at a table in a restaurant to be able to hear everyone. I feel so much more "normal."

One of the problems that I have heard from others who have hearing aids is the amplifying of sound which can at times distort what is being said. This system seems to eliminate that. If you are in the market for a hearing aid you might want to look into it.

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More about the Labyrinthectomy surgery

2013-01-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

There have been some very interesting comments about the laby surgery the past few weeks. Over the years I have written several blog posts about the surgery and whether or not it is effective. As a matter of fact one of the posts on this type of surgery drew over a 192 comments! It is certainly something to think about having especially if you have tried everything else and it hasn’t helped any.

In my own case I had the gent injections in 2008 and 2010. My answer to whether they have helped is yes and no. Yes I haven’t had any big attacks in the last few years but my balance is a lot worse and my hearing is almost gone in one ear.( It is ironic that although one ear is seemingly fine I am having a terrible time understanding what people are saying to me. )

I thought about having a laby in 2010 but I decided against it mainly because of how bad the recovery was from the gent injections. I also wasn’t very confident in the doctor that I had at the time either, which raised a big red flag to me. And the fact that the surgery would end any hearing in that ear also bothered me at the time, of course there isn’t much hearing left in that ear anyway.

I am glad to hear that many folks that follow this blog who have had the surgery feel that it has been a big help especially with the vertigo. It is always good to see that there is something that gives relief.

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Starting off 2013 right

2013-01-06T04:30:00.000-08:00

I hope that you had a wonderful holiday season without any meniere’s attacks or other problems. The New Year is upon us and it is a good time to start thinking about any positive changes that you can make for the New Year 2013. Peggy wrote a comment about just that the other day and I thought that would be a great way to start the blog in 2013!

While I don’t have the big attacks like I used to I still deal with balance problems. Whether I am walking or riding in the car there is always a point where I will feel like I am losing my balance. And what further complicates the issue is that when I feel that way or get slightly dizzy I worry about having an attack. Like I wrote earlier I don’t get the big attacks but I can get a smaller attack that doesn’t last as long but can still leave me feeling pretty lousy.

My plan this year is to continue exercising and start to do balance exercises. Years ago I went to vestibular therapy and they gave me a list short exercises that I could do at home, hopefully I can find them somewhere around the house. I don’t know for sure if they will help but it is certainly worth a try. At the least it may give me more confidence that I wouldn’t fall when I am walking somewhere outside.

Let me know what you are going to this year to help fight against your meniere’s disease

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Happy Holidays from My life and Meniere’s disease

2012-12-23T04:30:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is upon us and I just want everyone to have a happy holiday and merry Christmas. As I reminded you last year at this time make sure to take it easy on the salt intake (as well as the alcohol!) during this festive season. Don’t overdo it.

I know that for some Christmas can bring on stress and anxiety what with buying gifts and making preparations for company or travelling. Try not to let the stress get to you because we all know that stress can lead to an attack. And above all don’t worry about getting an attack that will just make things worse.

Relax and enjoy the season!

David

Do stressful situations lead to meniere’s attacks?

2012-12-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

I have written a lot about how the emotional impact of Meniere’s disease can have on someone, particularly me. This disorder has brought on quite a bit of stress and anxiety in my life over the past several years, what with the sudden attacks, the numerous visits to doctors (some successful, some not) and the fact that I am no longer working. Of course I certainly had stress before I developed Meniere’s disease but I have to wonder about how much impact that stress has on attacks and balance issues.

I know that Meniere’s disease isn’t just brought on by stress and anxiety although I have had one doctor tell me that was pretty much the problem. In my case I am almost positive that the car accident that I had triggered the Meniere’s disease, plus the fact that I had a history of ear problems since I was very young. But I have also dealt with depression all my life as well.

Recent stressful situations have made me wonder what impact this has on my having vertigo attacks or maybe it was due to the mysterious timing of meniere’s. I don’t really know. I do know that constant stress and anxiety isn’t good for anyone and it is certainly something that I have been trying to deal with lately. Exercise seems to help me (I ride a stationary bike) and researching information about stress and depressions is helpful as well.

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A question about disability insurance and Meniere’s disease

2012-12-09T04:30:00.000-08:00

There are certainly tough decisions to make in life but one of the most difficult decisions for me was going on Social Security Disability. You wouldn’t think it was that tough if you had Meniere’s disease and suffered through of the problems associated with it plus the way it makes work extremely if not impossible to do. But it is a big, big decision to make. This past week I received a comment from Cindy who was also wrestling with the idea whether to try to get on Social Security disability or not, here is part of the comment.

I have had Meniere's for about 15 years, I was lucky it was mild in the beginning then went into remission. I came out of remission about a year and a half ago. Ever since then I am having more trouble working and was actually out for 6 weeks twice. I have an appointment with my ENT tomorrow and I think it is time to talk about permanent disability. I am lucky I have disability insurance that pays 75% and my attorney told me I can file for SSI after being out 3 months. This all sound good and like I have it all figured out but I am scared to make the final decision to go out.

I too was scared about making that final decision but now it seems that I have made the right choice. Being on disability takes time to get used to and it certainly isn’t easy financially either but at some point you have to realize that you just can’t work anymore.

One thing to remember is if you are going to try for Social Security Disability, get a lawyer. It is very, very difficult to be approved without one.

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Winter relief and Meniere’s disease

2012-12-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

While it is still about a month away winter will finally be here. I’m certainly glad because this year seemed a lot warmer than most and I’m also glad the year is coming to an end as well. As I have written before I do better with regards to my meniere’s disease when the weather is cooler, at least I think so. Just stepping outside when the temperature is low somehow makes me feel better. Of course the winter in Atlanta isn’t nearly as cold as I remember growing up in Western Pennsylvania but it gets chilly down here just the same.

Winter has always been a reflective time of the year for me. The past year has had its ups and downs, the good having to do with getting on long term disability which took about 2 years to happen (and a ton of paper work!). The bad part of the year has been dealing with my mother’s death and serious health issues with other family members.

I also wanted to mention that I have been receiving a lot of spam comments, so I will have to approve all comments at least for the time being. I hate to do that but someone for whatever reason is sending them on a daily basis.

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Tinnitus again

2012-11-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

In June I wrote a post about how I had tinnitus in my ears. The sound was strange because it wasn’t the constant humming like before this was softer and almost musical. Well the past week the tinnitus returned and it is really driving me crazy. It also sounds like there is music floating through the air and into my ears. At first I thought that the sound might have been coming from the neighbors but my wife and son told me that they didn’t hear anything.

In the past I usually had tinnitus right after a particularly bad attack of Meniere’s disease. While I have been light headed and my ears have been a little full I haven’t had any attacks recently. I don’t really know what has brought it on but it seems particularly bad at night when I am lying in bed and there aren’t any other sounds to compete with it.

I have read about other folks with tinnitus and how it sounds to them. One of the most interesting descriptions comes from Pete Townsend

“For me it started in a delightful way. I used to wake up in the morning and think, 'I can hear the birds singing! I've never been able to hear the birds singing.' It started with peeps and whistles and beeps so it was very much like birds singing."

He went on to tell David Letterman that he uses alternative medicine to deal with the tinnitus. I might also have to try something real soon if this doesn’t go away.

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