How Vestibular Peripheral Vertigo Changed My Life
As someone who suffers from chronic sinusitis, I’m no stranger to sinus issues and dizziness. Little did I know how deeply sinusitis would affect my life and how hard it would be to get a proper diagnosis. I essentially lost almost 2 years of my life to vestibular peripheral vertigo. Read about how I survived Covid-19, too.
I have had three sinus surgeries. They became routine. Every few years, another sinus would become blocked, and I would have yet another surgery. Recovery was normal for my first two surgeries. Sure, it was miserable, but I healed normally and had no residual issues. So, I expected the same results from my third surgery. Boy, was I wrong.
My surgery was in December 2016, just after Christmas. It went without a hitch, and my doctor told me at my follow up that I was healing properly. But, I had a lot of dizziness to the point where it was hard to function. I had never experienced that after my other surgeries, but my doctor assured me it was normal and that it should subside within a week or two. It didn’t.
I called a couple of weeks later and was told it was likely just residual from my surgery and that it would go away. After another few weeks of unbearable vertigo, I called my doctor again, and he suggested that crystals had shifted during my surgery. He told us how to do the Epley Maneuver and was confident that would be what I needed to feel better. It didn’t work.
Physical Therapy
The next step was physical therapy. I went to therapy 1-2 times a week. They thought the culprit was crystals that had shifted as well, so I did a variety of exercises that included rolling me from one side to the other and sitting me up from a laying position. They also tried acupuncture, which made me pass out. It was pretty scary waking up on the floor.
After about a month of therapy, I was told that since nothing was working it wasn’t shifting crystals causing my dizziness. They referred me to a neurologist, which is pretty scary. It definitely made me worry about a brain tumor.
Could it be a Tumor?
The neurologist sent me for an MRI to make sure there was nothing to worry about from her standpoint. The MRI was clear. And, let me tell you – having that done was a nightmare. They had given me 2 valium to take beforehand, but my anxiety was SO bad that I still couldn’t have it done. I ended up having to be sedated for it, which was such a surreal experience. They couldn’t completely put me under so I was in a twilight state. I knew what was going on but I truly didn’t care. That’s really the only way I can explain it.
After the MRI came back clear, I went to see a spine specialist. He had a good feeling that giving me a steroid shot in my skull would work. Let me say that again – A STEROID SHOT IN MY SKULL. The pain was unbearable. I was sobbing as I had it done. And, guess what – it didn’t work.
Finally, a Diagnosis
By now, it was July 2017. I hadn’t left the house since my surgery because standing up made me feel like I was going to fall over. Riding in the car was awful because it made me dizzy, so I would rarely leave the house. I would go out with my family on occasion, but it was so hard on me. I would fall when I walked, so my husband had to help me around the house. It was awful. We went back to the neurologist, who referred me to a new ENT. She told me if anyone could figure out what was going on, he could.
And, y’all – he was my hero. He walked into the room, we told him my symptoms, and he immediately said I was suffering from vestibular peripheral vertigo. I had never heard of it before. It turns out, part of my ear was damaged from a sinus infection – likely the last one I had before my surgery. That part of the ear controls balance, which is why I was so dizzy and so prone to falling. My new doctor gave me the name of a physical therapy practice that has therapists who focus on this type of vertigo.
Physical Therapy, Take 2
Therapy was so surreal. I had to wear a harness because I was a fall risk, and I had to walk from one line to another. It took quite a while to be able to walk straight without leaning to the side. I had to close my eyes and stand to see how long it took for me to tilt. One of the really fun therapies was virtual reality. I had to stand (with my harness on, of course) and try not to tilt has the pictures on the screen moved. For example, one scenario was in a grocery store. As the shelves moved past me as if I was walking, I had to try not to tilt.
By November 2017, I had come far enough to wear my therapist thought I could start doing my exercises at home and not have to go in every week. Those exercises focused on eye movements and included moving a pencil in front of my eyes side to side and then move it from my face back away from my face.
Starting to Get my Life Back to Normal
My life started to get back to normal by April 2018. It had been 1 1/2 years, and I had missed out on so much – my daughter’s dance performances and school programs. Driving for the first time was so hard. I had anxiety and avoided driving on the interstate for quite a while because I was terrified of going so fast. I had no idea how much this would affect my life.
I still experience residual dizziness from vestibular peripheral vertigo every now and then. I don’t know if it will ever go away. But, I’m glad that I kept pushing and was finally able to get a diagnosis and treatment so that my life could go back to normal. Being your own advocate is so important. When you know something isn’t right, don’t back down until you get the answers you need.
We went through something very similar, though different with my husband. All the tests, changing doctors and after 6 years, one had the answer. Blessings to you.