Sunday 8 May 2011

A chance comment

I had been off work sick a few weekends back, the usual problem feeling really sick and dizzy and unable to stand up or walk in a straight line. No I had not been out the night before consuming to much lemonade....I suffer from a condition called Menieres Disease.
Then back at work a few weeks later on was talking to a fellow colleague ( we will call her J) whilst we were preparing equipment to use that day and she asked "me did you enjoy your holiday" to which I replied "wasn't on holiday was off sick" and explained a wee bit about the dizziness and how I cant stand therefore cant function.



J looked at me and said explain a bit more...so I started to explain about being unable to walk down stairs without holding on, being unable to walk in a straight line effectively, knocking things over, dropping things, but also the horrible soggy cottonwool type of pressure feeling I have in my ear, the constant tinnitus, the nausea, terrible memory and varying other symptoms.

I have suffered from this on and off for over 20 yrs, I get a sore ear and I go to the doctor, doctor looks in ears and says looks fine, nothing wrong, but will give you an antibiotic in case its the start of a cold and it gets to your chest ( yes Im also asthmatic....oh the joys). Was beginning to think I was going loopy and it was all in my head and that there was no point in going back again and again as nothing was being accomplished.
I had had 17 weeks off work with this in one year and was pulled into the office under the rules and procedures policy in place at work, and from there was sent to occupational health, who sent me to ENT. I was diagnosed at ENT and given medication which I still take 3 times a day every day.

The poor woman stood there with tears rolling down her face, and Im thinking, come on get a grip I can live with it and the medication has made a huge huge difference.
She then gave over to me and gave me a hug, and then started to explain that she has been suffering from very very similar symptoms for a few years now, and that she had been to her doctor who had sent her for a MRI scan to rule out anything sinister, and like me she had given up going back in case they thought she was nuts.

Nobody she had spoken do could come up with any ideas or reasons for her being like she was and she (like I had) was trying to live with it the best she could. Unless you suffer from these sorts of things then you can not begin to understand how it makes you feel. People look at you as if your drunk, or avoid you when you fall over. Her husband was at his wits end with her, the kids were fed up with her holding onto their arms whilst she staggered round the shops.At last here I was, somebody she could talk to and relate to, and more to the point be reassured that she was not going nuts!!

She made an appointment for her Doctor and took along the info we printed out, and he listened, agreed with her it could be and wrote her out a prescription. She has now been on the tablets for a week, and hopefully in another month she should see a difference. Just a huge relief for her to have an explanation, and that if this drug doesn't work something else should.

So just a passing comment asking me about my holidays.....and J had an explanation that explained away how she felt.

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