Still dizzy after all these years...

Amazing how just about anything can call to mind a Simon and Garfunkel tune...

Thankfully it hasn't been years that I've been dizzy, but it sure as shit does feel like it. Sigh.

Stayed home from work today and ventured back to the walk in clinic for further medical investigation. Since they told me on Sunday that the meds they'd given me should make me feel right as rain in two to three days, once that time period was up and I was still feeling as shitty as snow I wasted no time in returning.

Sure enough, it's gotten worse. Much worse, actually. Balance is even crappier and now I have pain and a constant whooshing sound in my ears. Goodie!

Apparently the technical term for what I'm dealing with is labyrinthitis. And here's your dose of medical information for the day:

Labyrinthitis Overview http://www.emedicinehealth.com/labyrinthitis/article_em.htm

Labyrinthitis means an inflammation of the inner ear structure called the labyrinth. Sometimes the term labyrinthitis refers to other causes of inner ear problems that have no inflammation because those problems produce similar symptoms.

• You have a labyrinth in each of your inner ears, encased in thick bone near the base of your skull. As the name implies, the labyrinth is a maze of interconnected fluid-filled channels and canals. Half of the labyrinth, the cochlea, is shaped like a snail’s shell. It sends information about sounds to the brain. The other half looks something like a gyroscope with 3 semicircular canals connected to an open cavern or vestibule. The vestibule portion of the labyrinth sends information to the brain regarding the position and movement of your head. Any disturbance of the vestibule can lead to faulty information going to your brain.
  
  
• Your eyes also send positioning information to your brain. When information from the labyrinth and the eyes don’t match, the brain has trouble interpreting what is happening. This misinterpreting often leads to a sensation that you are spinning (vertigo) or a feeling that you are moving when in fact you are remaining still. Feelings of motion sickness (nausea and vomiting) often follow. Sometimes you will experience hearing loss or abnormal sounds such as a high- or low-pitched ringing (tinnitus).

Thanks to a comment on my previous post regarding the potential of my issue being vertigo. I clicked on the link and found more info based on what the doctor today told me I had.

So yep, the above pretty much sums up the past six days of my life. Who wants to be me? Come on, I know you do!!!!

After the lovely trip to the doctor's office and the procuring of penicillin that will hopefully knock the snot out of this infection, I came home and watched Sicko. Apropos, I thought. Have you seen it? Wow, all I have to say is wow.

Now, I take everything Michael Moore has to say with a grain of salt. I love what he does, but I'm educated enough to realize that clever editing and juxtaposition of timelines can make great film and tell pretty much whatever tale you want told.

But wow - was I ever grateful to be Canadian after watching that film. Not that I wasn't before it graced my television screen but still...as someone who had only a few hours before seen a doctor and left without paying a cent, I can most certainly appreciate what we have. Yes, there can be long lines and yes, it's not perfect, but I'll take our system over an HMO each and every day.

Well, that's pretty much all that's gone on in my day. I went to the doctor, watched the movie, had a nap, watched Gossip Girl, had another nap, had dinner, watched Heroes and Toy Soliders (great flick), blogged and soon I'm off to bed. Back to work tomorrow despite my mother's protestations to the contrary. She wants me to take the rest of the week off, but that's just not reasonable, ya know? I wouldn't mind it either but there's stuff to do, people to see, all that jazz.

And on that note, I bid you adieu. Hopefully the next time I write the drugs will have kicked in and my world will be a bit more stable. And I'll find something way more interesting to write about than my inner ear!!!

And that's your daily dash. How's your diva doin'?