The journey to health(ier) by slowing instead of wandering aimlessly and pushing forward…
Should have been a “stop sign”, instead I see 85mph.
This post is a way to get the messages out there without drawing attention to myself. However, this story is about me, and you.
I’ve had vertigo ever since I’ve retired from the airline. The inner ear gift that I received for 15 years of service :). Sometimes it was incredibly difficult to do anything. Walk, open my eyes, eat or sleep. Wacky stuff.
Over the past 15 years or so, in the spring, I would get a bad sinus infection (Thanks airlines!) which would lead to bronchitis. That would challenge my other job of commentating. It would invade my throat and chest. However, I just kept trucking right along. Nah…it’s all good. I’m fine. Ignore it, and it doesn’t exist. Right?
This year was a bit different. I went through Speedweek and it’s long days of travel and talking. Towards the end, I got a sinus infection. Frankie (Andreu) and Dana (Walton) finally encouraged me to go to the CVS Clinic in Atlanta. (Side note: I met this incredible doctor and we had some very deep conversations about life etc!) She prescribed a high dose of Antibiotics. NaDa. Nothing. No change.
1 month later, Dana had a ENT appointment with Dr Vickery of Augusta ENT (Augusta, Ga). Dana asked Dr, Vickery if I could trail, that she’d feel better having Chris “look at me”. I got suckered in a good way. He looked in my ear, “Have you had issues in the past?”. Me: “Nope, not that I’m aware of”. Dumbass. Of course. Years and years of it. I had convinced myself the dizziness and sinus issues were what I had to live with post flying.
Dr Vickery (cyclist!) prescribed Prednisone in hopes of reducing the pressure in my head. I went 1 month without being able to pop the pressure in my head. Maddening. Talk about frustrating. Did a hearing test. And did a crystal adjustment which did nothing. When you see three doctors chatting about you with a look of hmmm….makes you pause. I leave to go home to Fort Mill with vertigo still in tow. Some residual sickness as well. We are going on 2 months now.
Everything was so frustrating. Breathing, eating, walking, being cordial. All of it. I wanted to scream. Finally, time for a Cat Scan. The 3 minute cat scan? Yup, I got vertigo. I wanted to scream…again.
It was time to review the Cat Scan and see Dr Vickery. When he viewed it, you could immediately see him think, yup that’s it. Mastoiditis. What the hell is that? You can click the link to learn more but yuk. Dana forced me to listen to her READ all the potential complications.
So, I went in for the procedure. Got a tube in my head. The result? Slow. Slow. Slow. However, I was flying to Colorado for a week to hike. Yes, a 14er or two. Yes, on a plane where all this started. Constant fluctuations in inner ear pressure would be a potential issue.
Procedure :)
I’m writing to say that the 14er went great. Vertigo maybe 10% of the time, which would have been 80% before surgery. I’m staying at 9200 feet so I’m clogged up and have nasal issues. But, who doesn’t when you spend a week at 9000-14000 feet 🤣? I’ve hiked all week. I’ve slept a fair amount, eaten pretty good.
What do I still have? Some wobbly. Some sinus issues. Some of what 10,000 feet offers I’m sure.
Handies: Class 1 and our first 14er of the trip.
So, why post? Maybe it’s the altitude but…. we should ALL be accountable for our own health. I wasn’t. Who goes 15+ years thinking this is ok? Who also ignores (unknowingly) the potential risks that were coming around the bend? Death? Paralysis? If I was asked the potential risks of my “situaltion” I would have said: “Uh, being dizzy all the time?”. Nope.
The moral of my story is: Get checked. Get looked at. Listen to your better half or your friends. The nudge from Frankie and the full on push from Dana allowed me to potentially avoid any additional complications. (Full results won’t be known, my guess, until I get back down to sea level and “re-calibrate”. )
I chose to take the long and winding road. I would suggest you do not! If you feel something is “off” don’t discount it. Heart pains? Lethargy? Onset of headaches? Eliminate variables instead of increasing them.
Tailwinds,
Chad