Not my ear

Way back when my journal was just in its infancy I wrote an entry about a visit I once made to my doctor's off-hours clinic. I had thought I had an ear infection, and the nurse misunderstood me. I didn't understand why she asked me if it burned, and she didn't understand why I said loud noises were painful. We came to a meeting of the minds when she handed me a plastic cup. I then announced, "NO! Not a urine infection! An ear infection!"

This time I have been consistently saying my ear doesn't bother me, although the doctors have been telling me it does and is the cause of my vertigo. It doesn't feel like it's my ear, it feels more like the center of my head. But I figured the inner ear isn't that far from the center, so I must be off a few centimeters. Still, no pain or discomfort in my ear, although the vertigo can knock me almost off my feet at times. I cannot stand still - I weave like a happy drunk sometimes. I make other people dizzy who are trying to converse with me and keep eye contact.

So, today I went and had all the lovely, time-consuming tests for my ears. I had cool and warm air blown into each ear twice, and each time caused intense dizziness. I had been warned by others who have had this done that I might lose a meal. Or two. ST suggested I have grape juice and avacado after I mentioned that I might want to go for an interesting splatter pattern. Lucky for all involved, I didn't get very nauseated. I was glad for that, since I forgot to pack a second set of clothes, just in case.

I was made to wear a high tech head piece during the air tests, and also during another test while I tracked a light on a light bar. I wasn't too far into the tests when I realized that as annoying as they were, both ears felt about the same. Uh oh, I was thinking, what does this mean? Am I off in my thoughts or are they both having issues, or neither?

I was wired up to electrodes onto my face, neck, hand, and throat. Some test was done that way to see something that happens on my neck muscles that relates to the inner ear. After that, I had another hearing test. Then the doctor evaluated me, at least 3 hours after the first test began.

There is nothing wrong with my ears besides some asymmetrical hearing loss. I have lost hearing in my right ear, as I already knew. My dizziness is not caused by my ears. Is that a relief or not, I wondered? He again stated that he feels my symptoms are consistent with encephalitis. I must see a neurologist. I asked if he could send me to one closer to my home, since it took me an hour to get to his testing site today. He said I could see someone else, but that if I don't see someone who is very investigative, I am going to have 15 tests and nothing will be found.

His words - "What you have is not common. I deal with dizzy people all over the midwest. You don't have an ear problem. This is something for a neurologist, something in your brain."

I have had two MRIs in the last 2 years - one for the sleep study, and one for the ENT in the spring. Both say, surprisingly, that my brain is normal. I was just happy they confirmed I have one.

Meanwhile, I am leaving for a long trip and I am off balance for hiking over rocks and other uneven surfaces. Maybe that doesn't matter too much, since AZ is having some serious heat going on. I don't mind, but Late and Son might balk on occasion.

Maybe I should change my hair color so I can be a dizzy blonde. Who ever heard of a dizzy redhead?

Really, though, I don't feel dizzy. I feel like I am riding in a rowboat in a storm. All the time. Or sitting on a plane in rough weather. The intensity varies, but never ends.