Therapy for ear problems, y'all won't believe what I gotta do.

[ponytug]

I still worry about falls.

All the best, Peter

 

[Mtsoxfan]

Good luck with PT. Sounds like some are about balance as well, Drs. say good balance helps in many was as we age.

 

[RSKY]

I hope it helps!

Me too! I haven't driven any since this started with two exceptions of a very short distance. I have always driven since we retired fifteen years ago. My wife is a good driver but would sometimes go for a couple weeks or more without getting behind the steering wheel. To be blunt she has scared the sheet out of me a few times. But she has improved a great deal since this all started. We had trips planned for the past summer that we canceled and don't go anywhere at night. Also I'm tired of asking everybody to repeat everything they say. I think the hearing aids have triggered episodes and haven't had them in for a month or more.

RSKY

 

[MossRoad]

As therapy for my ongoing inner ear problems (see my earlier posts) I was given instructions on some exercises to do for the six weeks between doctor visits. I can foresee the last one on the list causing me many problems in the neighborhood. And no, I don't have to run around naked or anything. What these exercises are for is to let my brain get used to ignoring the signals or lack of signals from my bad permanently numbed right inner ear and depend only on the left one. Let me start with the first on the list. "Look up, then down, head not moving, at first slowly, then quickly, 20 times". Then the second one which is looking side to side the same way. Easy enough. Then bending head forward, backward, side to side with eyes open, then side to side with eyes closed.

Starts to get harder with sitting and standing with eyes open, then closed. Doing the 'drunk walk' heel to toe across a room with eyes open, then closed 10 times. He11, don't know if I could do that with my eyes closed with no inner ear problem.

Anyway, I have progressed thru nineteen of these exercises while walking two miles a day nearly every day for four weeks now. And I am at the bottom of the list. Here is the last one. And I quote, "With someone to guide you, walk one-half mile, rotating shoulders vigorously, with eyes closed"!!!! I added the exclamation marks. I will have to do this by myself because the wife will only go to the end of the driveway and back with me. Don't know if she's embarrassed or if it is because I nearly knock her over when I start staggering.

Now I already have a kinda crazy old man reputation in the neighborhood. And on my daily two mile walks, due to my inability to walk in a straight line because of the vertigo I've had people I've never talked to before stop and ask me if I'm okay. Our road doesn't get much traffic or I wouldn't even attempt this. Too many curves and traffic can't get much more than 25 mph and can be heard a long way off. So I have been closing my eyes and walking in the middle of the road and counting steps while on the two miler and have made it 35 steps one time before stepping into the side ditch. Yep, ran off the road four times this afternoon while walking and once nearly hit my head on a stop side. So tomorrow I start the walking 35 steps "vigorously rotating shoulders" with my eyes open, then 35 steps "vigorously rotating shoulders" with my eyes closed. Wish me luck!!

Guess I will lose the last shreds of dignity I have remaining.

RSKY

Good luck and be careful. You'll get there.

When I had my back surgery, I had to walk as much as I could. I just walked up and down the driveway for as long as I could, several times a day. Driveway is only about 110 feet. So touch the mailbox, turn around, touch the garage door, turn around. Repeat. Must have looked pretty silly.

Then one day, I got to the mailbox and instead of turning around, I turned left and walked down to the corner and back. Felt like Forest Gump! Did that for a few days and finally went past the corner, down the block, around a local cemetery several times and got up to an hour a day. Still do it as much as I can.

Therapy can be a bit disappointing if you aren't seeing results. But stick with it. Eventually things will get better.

 

[ronjhall]

Some interesting therapy. Hope it works for you.
Today I needed to replace the reverse osmosis faucet on kitchen sink. Got under sink and started removing water lines. Did not take long and things were spinning like usual. Rested for a minute. Then went back at faucet removal. Same response. After 4 times I noticed that spinning had stopped. Completed the replacement without anymore problems. I had read your post this morning. So tried closing my eyes while getting under sink and during spinning event. Seems to help. Not sure I would walk without some assistance on a road.

 

[RSKY]

Had a bad day this morning. Slight headache, kinda dizzy, just didn't feel good. When the 2-1/2 year old went down for her nap, after eating a huge lunch, I took a nap. When I woke up the headache was worse. I realized that I had been without any caffeine for three days. Was told by chief nurse at doctor's office to slowly get off caffeine and so I have been cutting back. Anyway, brewed me a cup of hot black tea and drank it and WA-LA, headache gone and I felt good.

As a side note I am amazed by how much food that 2-1/2 year old granddaughter can put away. Kept me busy this morning fixing fruit for her. Pineapple, grapes, and blueberries. Bet she ate a half cup of blueberries. Then for lunch she had her favorite meat which is ham, and cream style corn (Silverqueen), green beans (KY wonder pole), and some kind of microwave frozen mashed potatoes. Then she slept for two hours. When she woke up she ate the rest of the package of blueberries and half of a huge apple. Don't know what she had for supper but my daughter texted a little while ago saying that the little one had overdosed on candy and might not sleep tonight. Out of the five grands this little toot is the best eater and will try anything and eat just about anything.

Hope everybody had a great Halloween.

RSKY