First, a note to the mods. You can move this whole topic to Post-Treatment section if you like. I just wanted to keep my updates together.
As most of you suspected, I did quite well at the docs today! I do have more issues with balance again though. My balance over the last 2 weeks has been deteriorating. It used to be just light-headedness, but now I even lose my footing. Just yesterday I stumbled down two small steps in my home, dumping half a cup of coffee onto the floor. The doctor wanted to know what I was doing walking down steps with a cup of coffee in my hand
. He said that two things are probably causing my decrease in vestibular function. 1) My returning to shift work is likely upsetting my sleep habit, thus keeping me more tired even if I don't notice it. And 2) I have stopped walking everyday since returning to work, because of the shift work, rain, and heat this time of year.
Along the same lines (vestibular), I mentioned to him that my up and down head motions cause some pretty intense light-headedness. He said that's because I have not been using that motion much compared to the left to right. I guess I need to find someone to talk to that I can agree with more often (shake head up and down like a "yes" answer) instead of someone who is always wrong
.
We talked a bit about hearing. I can hear low tones, although they have to be louder than normal. I thought it was interesting that I could hear the high tones through my head and into my good ear
. If I had wanted to, I could have cheated the system and shown good hearing in my AN ear
. I pointed to my good ear each time I pushed the button to let the audiologist know where I was hearing it from. She just smiled and said it was quite common. Even with the static, I could hear high tones through my head and to my good ear. Anyway, I have no useful hearing left. Words sound like muffled vibrations in my AN ear. Unfortunately, that does translate to interference when I'm in loud places. That is, while I hear good in my left ear, my brain is also trying to process the muffled garbage in the AN ear. I'll probably pick up some earplugs. Dr. Bartels feels that my brain will eventually learn to ignore the AN ear since there is nothing useful coming from it. I hope he's right. He wanted me to try out the BAHA sooner than later, suggesting it's better for the device to be part of the original learning curve of the brain as opposed to adding it later after the brain has adapted. Unfortunately, I'm not yet convinced it is necessary. My next appointment is in 3 months, and I will decide then.
Otherwise, the appointment was pretty uneventful! I'm back to doing everything I was before surgery, except riding roller coasters. I did forget to ask him if I was completely off restrictions though. I'll have to shoot him an email.
Thanks for reading, and I sure hope others can enjoy as quick and complete of a recovery as I have been blessed with.
Ernie
