If you're wondering what this has got to do with deafness, then think again. It's got everything to do with deafness in my case, since I got menieres disease ten years ago.
I would not wish menieres disease on my worst enemy..well, maybe *chuckles to himself *. It's a disease that affects the inner ear and it's balance mechanisms. I'll never forget the day it first struck.
Working alone on a job as I normally did then, I felt a sudden whoooosh sound in my right ear. It felt like all the air was being sucked into it and then nothing. No sound, nothing. Since I did wear a hearing aid in that ear I tried changing the battery to no avail. I was concerned at this point and decided to go home to look into it more. On arriving home, out of nowhere came the spins. The spins had my stomach in knots and feeling god awful. I made my way to the bathroom, where I laid on the floor for sometime, daring not to make any sudden movements as it only made me feel worse.
After a fitful sleep, I felt somewhat better. But the hearing in that ear was still missing. I saw the GP, who as useless as ever, didn't have a clue. So I went private and saw a specialist ear doctor. After various tests done it was suggested I had secondary hydrops. I was advised to take Serc and try a low-salt diet which I duly did. The interesting thing was the Serc did bring back my hearing, but only for 24 hours! I got the spins again which took my hearing permanently that time.
I gave up and resigned myself to wearing just one hearing aid in the remaining ear. For two whole years, I managed well and held a good job which gave me a good lifestyle. I could also hear over the phone well.
But apocalypse came on 11.09.2001, the same day the terrorists struck on the world trade centre. I watched the news report and as I did, I felt my hearing go all funny. It went quiet, at the time, I thought it was just shock. So, I retired to bed early.
Next morning, I felt better and drove to work. Only whilst driving did I start to feel a vertigo attack coming on, so I immediately did a U-turn and came home. My hearing went again and I got mild vertigo. I went to see my GP that day, only that it wasn't my usual GP, instead I was seen by a junior one! He dismissed it as a cold and suggested rhinitis. He also said I could continue flying as I had a holiday planned that week.
So I flew to Tenerife and it turned out to be a big mistake. I got very sick from the flight and ended up spending most of my holiday in bed. I was mostly drunk all the time from vertigo and totally deaf as well!
Back in the UK, I had various tests done and steroid treatment. I only got my hearing back for 12 hours, then it was gone forever.
Menieres won and what was to follow, wasn't good..
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