Good news…and a big change

 In my last update I was looking forward to seeing a new ENT at the end of March. My mom came down last Thursday and went with me to the appointment on Friday. The appointment went GREAT. This new doctor was very knowledgeable and gave me some great information. He sent in a request for me to get a CT Scan of my brain which would confirm whether or not I have Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome (SCDS). Along with this referral, he also pointed me once again in the direction of Persistent Postural Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) and Vestibular Migraine (VM), both conditions that have been on my radar for about a year now. He believes I have both of these, and possibly SCDS as well… Over the next two-three weeks I’ll be monitoring my foods and starting a migraine diet to see if the foods I eat have any impact on my triggers.

I’ve mentioned SCDS, PPD, and VM before but haven’t gone into detail about what they are.

PPPD - treated with medication and physical therapy as well as supplements and diet change

• Persistent sensation of rocking or swaying
• Unsteadiness
• Symptoms worsen with upright posture, movement of head or body and exposure to complex environments (supermarket syndrome)
• This syndrome occurs when in bright supermarkets with lots of shelves lining the halls. Traffic can also cause symptoms
• Symptoms are present more than half the days of the month and last at least three months or longer
• PPPD often comes after a vertigo effect like a vestibular migraine, concussion or whiplash, or BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo - most common vertigo diagnosis

As I’ve said before, I know a lot of my symptoms are triggered by vision and motion and this condition lines up with what I’m experiencing most of the time. 

VM - treated with medication and physical therapy as well as exposure therapy and diet change

• Dizziness that lasts more than a few minutes
• Rocking or swaying sensation
• Extreme motion sensitivity - feeling dizzy when you move your head, body, or eyes
• Sensitivity to sound
• Usually a history of motion sickness and migraine, even if they haven’t occurred recently

SCDS - can be treated by surgery

• Rare condition caused by thinness or a hole in the superior canal bone in your inner ear
• Hearing loss, sound distortion, balance problems triggered by loud noises
• Patients hear internal sounds like eyes blinking, heart beating, ankle moving, loud footsteps or loud voice

Now for a life changing update - I will be applying for long-term disability around mid-May, meaning I will no longer be working at the Zoo. This is HARD. While being home and focusing on my health will be beneficial, I worked so hard to get to where I was and loved my job, but this condition has taken that part of my life away. I am so appreciative of all the experiences I had and the friends I made. I will miss it so much.