please chime in.

[satman]

i am 4 months postie,still going to reheb,barely can walk,although i can,
and a lot more to go with it.
what im concerened with now is the dizziness.
i am doing vestibular therapy in rehab,and i have beeen told that this type of therapy
will help get balance back and help get rid of this dizzy feeling.
i get dizzy with sudden movements,moving head right and left real fast,etc,etc.
does this dissappear over time,with or without therapy ?
it can almost drive one crazy !
i think the anwser is "patience,time"i just need to hear it again i guess.
thanks guys.

[Raydean]

Boy, learning patience is a hard one!!!!   Please continue to do your vestibular excercises.  Balance is one of the things that continues to slowly get better.  It won't happen over night (back to patiences <g>)  But it will happen.  You have to work for it and to safely push the limits.  Hang it there it will get better!!!!!   Gotta Believe!!!!

Hugs
Raydean

[Jim Scott]

Hi, satman: 

I believe that time will eventually heal most of your dizziness problem and of course, patience is going to be required.  Although time,  healing of the nerves and the brain learning to function with SSD will happen, keeping up the vestibular rehab can't hurt - but certainly can help and, hopefully speed up the process a bit. 

Jim

[Dfcman]

I remember myself asking similar questions on this forum when I was about in your shoes.    I did outpatient rehab from the end of August until the beginning of March.  I was still using a walker when I started then started walking on my own, but with assistance.  The winter was esp rough because of ice.  Just don't be discouraged, and if something seems harder for you now in therapy or otherwise, keep practicing at it.  If they say do a set of 10, do a set of 20.  You'd be amazed with how u progress.

Chris

[nancyann]

Hi John:  Yeah, the dizziness will get you with any quick moves, turns, etc.  I started balance therapy at 4 months out - I did the exercises religiously the first 2 weeks or so then slacked off which is why it took me about a year to start feeling really balanced again (though I do still have my moments, especially when tired).  Chris is right, you've got to keep at it even though at first it feels like it's making things worse.     Always good thoughts,  Nancy

[linnilue]

Hi Satman,  So sorry to hear of your distress.  I know exactly how you feel.  The same thing happened to me and it took a long time (I hate to say but it's the truth) for the symptoms to decrease and though I am 2 1/2 years out , once in awhile I still get the symptoms but they are fleeting now.  Mostly with weather changes, barometric pressure, storms, humidilty and quick movements.  But as I said the symptoms are now quick to leave where once I thought  I would never feel "right."  It is a slow process and my vestibular rehab. therapist was honest and told me so.  She also told me that forever in my life if I was to have an extended period of time in bed (aka immobile) that I would experience an increase in vertigo, imbalance, etc. and that I would have to practice the technigues that she had taught me to regain my balance and decrease the vertigo.  so, say that you get the flu, this would put you in bed for several days and thus you might experience a resurgance of symptoms.  Trust me, it took me a very long time to get better, two years which is very unusual but the point is, I did get better.  I will keep you in my thoughts and send positive energy to you.  Holly

[OTO]

Satman -

I'll be 3-months post-op tomorrow, and I still have some dizziness.  I'm lucky it is not dibilitating, and I drive and I am back at work.   Sudden movements can start the room spinning.   The worst is that instant in morning when I wake up, open my eyes and roll over in bed... and the room starts spinning.  It really feels like its spinning like I'm on a tilt-a-whirl.   I have to close my eyes and take about 10 seconds to re-boot...

[Boppie]

I think you are doing fine!  At four months I was a clumsy walker.  I had to get the electric cart to hike a ride in the Houston airport.

I am about 19 months post op and can bend forward and touch the floor without feeling like I'd pitch forward.  I no longer have to stand on a shower mat.  I began to notice big changes in the last month on balance confidence;  I am more able to stand up really straight on my toes and not feel like my head might pitch back.  As others have said it takes a surprising amount of time to get rid of the dizzy days altogether.  I am not looking forward to winter head colds or flu.

Muscular strength and lots of exercise has a lot to do with balance.  I am not as good at exercising on a regular basis as I should be.

[tony]

Yes it takes a while - I am two years out now
was a time when 3 holes was a long way, these days 36 holes is possible
The exercise stuff will tire you at the time
- but overall the body just gets stronger and adjusts
Best Regards
Tony

[satman]

when walking i have to stop to look left and right for  cars,i'm hoping with
a little time and patience this to will pass.
has anybody had to deal with that ?how long on average did it take to subside ?

[Boppie]

19 months out...I doubt I will ever be able to stop looking right and left for cars, since I can't hear them coming on my deaf side.  But the dizziness that accompanies this action has gone. 

In bright sun I have some mild problems, though.  I'd say the visual/head moving problems have been stable since a year post op.  I have some movement issues due to bone density problems.  So my recovery is probably slower than some on this issue.

[Jim Scott]

when walking i have to stop to look left and right for cars. I'm hoping with
a little time and patience this to will pass.

has anybody had to deal with that ?  How long - on average - did it take to subside ?

Hello again, John:

I would think that anyone with SSD has to deal with this.  I assume that, when walking on a public road, at an intersection,,I'll always have to look both ways for approaching cars, since I cannot hear on one side, so I have to compensate by using my eyes.  One unfortunate fact of having an acoustic neuroma tumor - whether surgically removed or radiated - is that the patient usually loses hearing in the affected ear.  We eventually adjust to it and do what is necessary to compensate.

Jim

[Windsong]

Hi Satman,

Good to see you!  You are the one with that humoungous An that was 8 cm etc? So amazing  and glad to hear you are out walking and looking right and left.....

This business of have having to look right or left is truly kind of weird I find. I mean normally one looks left and then right and then crosses the street. But truth be told I have had to check  left and right more than once each way every time many times whether I am walking or driving across an interesction.

Now I wonder "why" that is? (because the way/reason/experience of my doing this now is nothing like before An)..... look right /look left... we all heard that as little children....heck it's ingrained in us..... but the look left/look right with an An is much different... some of it I know is hearing issues but I think some other things are going on in the brain..... it may be a spatial disorientation I don't know (remember that going-down-the-stairs-thing that some Aners have?)  or it may be some other thing, but I'd bet my money that Aners look left/right more times now than they ever did before they got their An and  cross an intersection.

Good for you to have come along the way you have.

Take care and be well.
windsong

PS: maybe i became aware of this issue due to the fact that not all intersections are the same..... the one that makes me look left and  then right more than 3 x is one that is in a valley with a steep grade to my An side and a more shallow grade to my right...... so I am of course aware that a car might come down at faster clip or whatever, but the thing is that I crossed that intersection many many many many many  times in my life with no more than your typical hey i was taught to look left and then right type of thing. So why do I find it necessary to look 3x + is quite noticeable to me now.....is it hearing? is it spatial? is it something else? I don't know.

when walking i have to stop to look left and right for  cars,i'm hoping with
a little time and patience this to will pass.
has anybody had to deal with that ?how long on average did it take to subside ?

[marie]

After nearly 40 years  I still have to stop before looking left and right.  I have generally pretty good balance, but I don't trust my balance enough to just look and step out.

[mema]

Hi everyone,                                                                                                                                                                         


I'm a little confused, maybe someone can clear this up for me.  Is the dizziness everyone is talking about on this thread vertigo or off balance issues.  I just went to my ENT yesterday for an earache.  Seems wearing earplugs the pressure effects me with an earache. Anyway I described to him the three types of vertigo I get.  The first is the worse.  I can't even move my head without the room spinning out of control.  It keeps me in bed for a week or two.  The second type which happens more is upon awakening a picture on my bedroom wall seems to be moving or if I stand up the floor seems to move.  Going back to bed for about three hours and it goes away.  The third and most frequent is if I turn my head, stoop down etc. I get very lightheaded with nausea.  The dizziness goes away in moments but the nausea lasts an hour or so.  He seems to think the type of vertigo I describe is not going to go away because nerve if affected.  I also feel lightheaded very often, more so than not.                                                                             


                                                                                         mema