Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Vertigo

Not Bob, me. My first time to experience positional vertigo and let me tell you, it's a real head spinner!

I was scheduled to go to our clinic for some lab work so I saw the nurse practitioner while I was there. The dilemma was getting there. Bob didn't give me a choice, he pronounced he would drive me. I was in no shape to argue.

We arrived on the clinic parking lot in time to watch a pitiful scene. I would say the woman had been there to see the rheumatologist. Her limbs were difficult to use. She had struggled to get her fold up walker in the back of her car and was closing the door as we drove up. She then used a cane and the side of the car to slowly make her way around to the driver's side. I can't imagine how she drove.

I was pretty sure Bob was taking all that in. Sure enough when we got home he said "How was my driving?" I could not tell a lie, his driving was fine, couldn't have done better myself. Then I tried to remember why we stopped him from driving. 1) His BP was unstable and he was symptomatic with episodes of dizziness. 2) He was refusing to wear his glasses that he needs for distance vision and needed a new prescription. His BP is stable now and he was wearing his new glasses.

One of the biggest frustrations of this journey I'm on with this man is nothing is ever settled, done, nailed down. You see where I'm going with this. I am 100% sure he's going to want to do some driving again.
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Me needing him gave him such a burst of energy. He was like Cinderella on steroids. I heard him scratching around in the pantry and decided I'd better see what he was up do. I was near despair when I saw his grocery list on the table and realized he was digging out the ingredients for his annual candy making. Horrors, another battle to fight. He never moderates in his thinking. In Texas he made a lot of candy but we had friends, family, and co-workers to gift it to. In Oregon, not so much. We don't need candy in this house.
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The new pill box had to go. Because he was unsure about it he wouldn't leave it alone. Late afternoon he brought it to me once more and he had mixed up the meds again. He said he wanted to go back to what we were doing before the new pill box. Lesson learned: an all in one pill box can be confusing to some people. Who would have thought it.

18 comments:

  1. Hubby and I just had a conversation about pill keepers. Neither of us takes medication, but this week he was prescribed a Z-pak to rid him of a throat and chest infection. The first day is easy, take two pills, but then one must remember to take a pill each day. Yesterday, he forgot if he had taken the requisite tablet. In counting the few remaining pills, he knew he had taken the day's dosage. But, what about those who have many pills to take each day. That's where we started talking, and couldn't imagine how hard it must be to keep track.

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    1. Medications are intensely complicated and as frustrating to the medical world as to the patient. I know of no one who has an answer to the problem.

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  2. Goodness, did you get something to help with your vertigo? That has to be scary. Good thing he was able to help you out when you needed him. I can see where it would pump him up to be the one needed.

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    1. Positional vertigo generally lasts 3 to 5 days they told me and that seems to be true for me. Bob totally smothered me with TLC during that time.

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  3. I had one episode of vertigo several years ago. Woke up that morning and had to hang onto the wall to get downstairs safely, staggered to the sofa and stayed there until the episode passed in a few hours. Very weird; very debilitating. For sure your Knight in Shining Armor will assume he now needs to drive whenever he wants. Good luck!

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    1. I hope your vertigo clears up. It's not fun.

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    2. It is indeed a weird feeling. Never had it before and hope I never have it again. I'll try to hang loose here and see what my little boy does about wanting to drive again.

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  4. I had vertigo for about a week -- maybe three or four years ago. The nausea was no fun, but having to hold on to the walls just to get to the bathroom was awful. I can't quite remember now what the problem was, but I remember that I took Meclizine for maybe three days, and then it started getting better. I haven't had it since. Very strange. I hope yours disappears for good.

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    1. I'm not sure what causes vertigo but I think it's something about crystals lodging somewhere in the ear instead of continuing to slosh around in flluid in the inner ear. Did I make that up?

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  5. Vertigo is awful. I had it so bad once, I ended up in ER and literally couldn't tell up from down for days.

    That's too bad the pill box didn't work out,

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    1. So far I'm not impressed with vertigo. I'm ready for it to pack up and leave. I was very disappointed to wake up with some of it this morning. Son invited me to go with him and the grandson this evening to dinner and see a Christmas play by one of the theater groups in town. His wife prefers a quiet evening at home, alone. I'm hoping for improvement as the day goes on.

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  6. I had to look up positional vertigo. I have experienced momentary vertigo, and can induce it easily by hanging my head over the edge of the bed where my head is lower than my body. I do hate that feeling. At least it is just fleeting.
    It's quite a roller coaster ride you are on with Bob. Hang on tight.

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    1. I can usually manage what ails Bob. Vertigo, not so much. I was relieved yesterday when he asked me to drive him to the trash area. I would have bet money he'd try to go back to driving again. I hope that means we aren't going to have to fight that battle again.

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  7. So sweet, Bob rising to the occasion. I think that once in the dependent role, it feels really good to be in the position of taking over to care for the caregiver. Hope the vertigo resolves quickly for you.

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    1. He's been a super nurse. It's been interesting to see how energized he's become over it.

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  8. I was happy for Bob feeling needed and useful and then immediately distressed at a build up of what may well be unhelpful confidence. I can only imagine what a roller coaster it must be for you. No wonder you have vertigo. Geez.

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    1. It seems like there's never a day without a challenge of some kind with Bob. Some challenges are easy to deal with, some, not so much. Son has invited me to dinner and theater this evening. Those two hours or so are so wonderful because I know that's time I don't have to wonder what challenge Bob is going to present.

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  9. It is always exciting at your house. That driving is a big deal. I remember my grandmother and my grandmother-in-law were hit so hard when they couldn't drive anymore. Like the song says... How you gonna keep them down on the farm when they got to drive you to the doctor.

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