Category: Day-By-Day

Hi.

So. We left off where I was experiencing vertigo, couldn’t walk straight, threw up not only everything in my stomach but I’m pretty sure there were bits of liver in my gunk, fell asleep and snored in front of the doctor I work for and me thinking I was never going to be normal again.

I’m happy to say, I’m normal again.

Or, whatever that means to you and however that defines me.

After that crazy episode, which lasted 20 hours straight and then I had another 15 hours of dizziness one day later, I’m happy to say I haven’t experienced any more vertigo, but I have had some dizzy spells. 

Actually, more like wooziness. Like I’m standing there and things just sort of start getting ..swimmey. Wavy. Distorted. It was very disorientating but it wasn’t severe enough for me to get nauseous and thankfully, it would only last about ten seconds before going away. I had quite a few woozy spells on Thanksgiving day, one after the other, to the point where I felt like we were going to have to leave dinner because it was making me feel sick, but again, luckily, after about thirty minutes, they didn’t go away but they weren’t happening as often and I started to feel better. 

But after Thanksgiving, I stopped having the woozy spells. I didn’t really notice I wasn’t experiencing the dizzy spells anymore for several days and then it was like, “Hey! I feel normal again!” And I haven’t had any more episodes since. I don’t know what I did, or what I didn’t do, but I’ll take it. I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone. 

I will say though, I have been careful with my head movements. I’m not living like a robot, but I definitely don’t bend over and blow dry my hair anymore as I’m afraid when I come back up, I’ll have a vertigo episode. Maybe I’m being overly cautious, but if that is what it takes NOT to experience that Funhouse Hell again, I’ll take it. 

I put off seeing a doctor for a while. Again, I don’t have a primary care physician (PCP) and I really needed to become established with someone because you may be healthy, and that’s great, but if something happens, a PCP is a heck of a lot cheaper than Urgent Care or the ER. 

So I bit the bullet and went to see someone. It was a nurse practitioner actually, not a doctor, but that’s okay. I really only wanted two things from seeing someone:

1. A referral to Ear, Nose, Throat. (Because it’s a specialty and usually requires a referral to see someone) and
2. Do a full lab work up to make sure my levels were good and my thyroid was working correctly.

To begin the appointment, I told her my vertigo experience. I didn’t give her as much detail as I gave you guys, but rather, the cliff notes version. I explained that it was my one and only, (God willing), experience and I have no idea what happened and I pray it never happens again. Shen then proceeded to look in my ears. 

She couldn’t even see into my left ear canal. She said it was super small and she couldn’t see anything. 

She then looked in my right ear. And though I have wax build up, (because you couldn’t PAY me to stick a Q-tip in my ear at this point in time because I’m afraid I’ll trigger something or knock something loose – also, you’re not supposed to clean your ear like that), it wasn’t as much as she would have thought given my experience. 

She then told me that she would refer me to Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) doctor, (YESSSS, goal #1 accomplished) and that she wanted to do a blood draw and run some labs to check my thyroid and various other levels. (YESSSS, goal #2 accomplished). 

She then said she wanted to make another appointment for me to come back for a full physical, including, but not limited to, a breast exam and paps smear. 

*sound of screeching tires*

Um, no.

I get why she wanted to do that. I’m menopausal and I’ve never seen a family doctor so she needed a base line, but erhm, no. But I made an appointment, and then I promptly rescheduled it out a few months because … UGH, NO.

The physical is now in February – the end of February. I may go … (but probably not).

I finally touched base with ENT. I’m scheduled to see them the first part of February. Yes. I could have gotten in sooner but … UGH. I loathe being messed with, whether that’s getting my hair done, my teeth worked on, or my body looked at. I. HATE. IT. But I know I need to get this checked out if for no other reason than to see what is going on with my inner ears and how I can hopefully prevent this vertigo thing from happening again. 

And that  brings you up-to-date on the vertigo thing. Thankfully, I haven’t have any issues with dizziness since Thanksgiving and everything is looking good. I’m still very aware of the way I position my body and not bending over or hanging my head down. And I think that helps. I hope it helps. At any rate, I’m not taking any chances on triggering another “attack.” 

I hope your 2022 is going well so far and that you’re staying healthy. We have a lot of people out sick at work and of course the hospital is freaking out about it because that’s what we do with this COVID nightmare, we over react. 

More on that soon. 

Do you have a favorite quote that you return to again and again? What is it, and why does it move you?

I like quotes. I’m inspired by quotes. And I like to post quotes on Facebook because it tends to annoy people and I can be all soapbox-ish without it really sounding like ME. I didn’t exactly SAY it, now did I?

But my absolute favorite quotes are about responsibility.

(UGH! I said the “R” word!)

Like this one, for example:

Because yes, we’re ALL responsible for our own lives. That includes the good AND the bad choices. Find yourself in a bad situation? How did you get there? How do you get out? By taking responsibility for your part in the fiasco and then changing it.

Want it? Take the first step to GETTING it. Waiting around for someone to hand it to you is the lazy way out.

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

“Have you ever made a New Year’s Resolution that you kept?”

So I went back and checked out my 2013 and 2012 resolutions – and how sad is it that they’re EXACTLY the same? And do you know why they are exactly the same?

Because I was too lazy to come up with new resolutions. That and my goals haven’t changed.

And if you’re too lazy to click over to see what I’m talking about (no worries – I won’t judge you, I’m right there with you), then here they are:

1. Manage my energy levels. (Which have gotten better, but I’ll probably never be the Energizer Bunny like Kevin – I don’t think there’s a human alive that can keep up with my husband, he’s exhausting).

2. Write. Newp. BIG huge fat fail there, too. I mean, I think I blogged a dozen times the entire 2013 year. NOT IMPRESSED.

3. Take more pictures. I’d take more pictures if I ever did anything outside of leave the house and go to work. My life is uber boring, ya’ll.

4. Travel. We have actually been pretty good about this one and I guess I’d answer the above question with travel. We have been taking a mini trip and a week-long vacation somewhere twice a year for the past several years. We went to Colorado May, June? I went back to look and I didn’t write about it. GAH! Do you see why blogging is so important to me? Because I don’t remember this crap. That’s something else I’m going to have to tell ya’ll. (My list is getting overwhelming). And then we went on a cruise to Alaska, which might I add, WAS AMAZE BALLS.

So yeah. I think we’ve done a pretty good job of keeping our travel resolution. I’m really going to concentrate on writing more, though.

A goal without a plan is just a wish.” I have a lot of wishes. lol

Where were you last night when 2013 turned into 2014?

Kevin and I (and when I say Kevin and I, I really mean ME because watching movies has become an instant sleeping pill for Kevin – I can’t think of the last movie Kevin actually remained awake for), streamed “Serenity” last night on Netflix. In fact, we used the “Max” feature on Netflix. Basically, if you can’t think of a movie to watch, “Max” will give you three categories to choose from – then will offer several movies from that category until you find one you’d like to watch.

It’s a pretty cool feature, actually.

After “Serenity” was over, I was actually watching an episode of “Heroes” when the stroke of midnight happened. (Kevin was drooling – ha!)

Suddenly, we heard fireworks (the nearby country club, I’m betting) and Blake comes out of his room to cheer, “Happy New Year!”

I suspect the boy was buzzed on the Bud Light Margarita-style drink that he helped himself to (he’s 21 after all).

It was pretty funny, actually. He denies he had a buzz going, but Kevin couldn’t even drink half of his before he claimed to feel the buzz. I was going to drink one, but my stomach was giving me issues and I didn’t want to take any more chances.

So yeah – it was a tame New Year – but at least I stayed awake for it.

*ahem-Kevin-ahem*

It snowed another four plus inches last night – we broke a record.

The kids were out of school again today – they’ve already used up three out of six snow days this year.

But then again, why do I care? Our kids are no longer in school …

The comments people leave whenever weather like this hits and they have to make the decision on “weather” (pun intended) or not to call off school, or keep school open, on Facebook is a never ending string of entertainment for me.

The school system can’t win for losing.

Bottom line: If you don’t feel like your kid will be safe going to school in bad weather, then keep ’em home.

Be a parent. Make the call. Don’t apologize about whatever you decide.

Then shut up about it.

Easy.