It’s been a while.
Sorry peeps, I’ve been very silent recently. Mostly that’s been due to medical issues once again; I had about a week of quite unpleasant vertigo and associated hearing problems. I’m now in the diagnostic mill once again, waiting for a head MRI and a date for something called a Vestibular Assessment. There’s something called Menière’s Disease in the family, and it looks like I might have it too, but there’s no real way to check/confirm without this testing, and no cure. It leads to long term severe deafness in the affected ear. So, happy days there… If anyone has experience of living with this, I’d be interested to hear and get some idea of what to expect.
Meanwhile, in other news, doggo got dragged off to the v.e.t. to be spruced up. Teeth cleaned, ears deep cleaned and nails really cut back. He’s super-resistant to any personal care that isn’t just grooming, so needs to be anaesthetised, particularly for the teeth. Not aggressive, mind you, just that he’s very strong and fast! The side-eye we received afterwards was withering, but he’s over himself now, and does seem to be happier about trotting about on those shorter nails, so I’m guessing he’s more comfortable.
I finally got back to the Delft quilt. I’m currently in the process of hand stitching the outer edge of the hexie panel to the striped border. One side down, three more to go.
VanEssa is slowly being filled with the necessities of travel. It’s kind of weird, because while she does have a lot of storage space, it’s in different formats and places, and I have to think quite hard about how and when everything gets used before I give it a final home. I made up the bunks with the original bedding and quilts, and while they look a bit dull (dark blue and a bit of white) against the black and white background, they’ll do till I can make something more colourful. It looks cosy, anyway.
I’ve also finalised the design we want for her name decals. For information, the name Vanessa is derived from the Greek word for butterfly. And the striking blue and black Ulysses butterfly is a native of north Queensland, and incidentally also colour-coordinates with her existing decals.
So, that’s about it. I’ll try and be a bit more regular about posting going forward.
More soon, I promise.
talltalesfromchiconia 
Doggo comfy… Decal looking good 😊 & quilt work thrown into the mix …. Life is good 😊
Meanwhile please keep us posted on the ‘Ears’ ❣️
Will do. But don’t hold your breath; I’m told it’s going to take months to get the Vestibular Assessment, even if the MRI is happening next week. At least That will eliminate one worry.
I’ll call later xxx
Okeydoke.
I hope the vertigo, etc turns out to be something humdrum like a virus that passes…
Deez said not listening when I told him about Mouse’s v.e.t. adventure. But he did get a good check-up last year.
I love the caravan decal design. How wonderful is the name meaning. Perfect!
I’m afraid I know it’s almost certainly MD, since my symptoms are identical to Pa’s and I’ve already lost 50% hearing in my left ear, but these things are sent to try us, eh? I know it may seem like overkill to use anaesthetic to do ‘personal’ maintenance on dogs, but can you imaging trying to explain to them that they need to hold still to have their teeth cleaned? And it truly is the only way for us to get those huge nails of his back to a manageable length. They’re so thick and strong that the wriggling and fighting is exhausting for man and beast. And the name? Yes! I picked the name because of the pun (well, you know me), but the meaning was totally serendipitous, and fate lent a hand by sending a Ulysses flying past us at the exact moment. Clearly it was meant.
Oh, no about the MD, and no overkill imo… our vet insisted if we wanted him to clean Deez teeth he’d have to be sedated… I get that, I don’t do dentists either, and I saw Mouse’s nails errr claws.
I look forward to seeing Vanessa in the flesh next year, or sooner if we manage to get to Qld.
Wishing you well, vertigo is horrid. I had Labyrinthitis once (while I was creating a huge labyrinth on my brother’s farm, as it happens – synchronicity!)
It took ages to clear. I couldn’t sit up without feeling sick and walking felt like walking on a floor of wobbling mattresses.
Love all the synchronicities and meanings in the name of your happy wagon.
I’ve also had Labyrinthitis – self diagnosed as both my Mum and my sister were/are affected. It’s horrible isn’t it? I’m free of it at the moment but it does come and go.
Oh gosh, you have my sympathy – mine has never come back.
I hope it doesn’t get any worse than it is now, which is bad enough. I’m not quite ready for the more radical treatments, I don’t think…
I’ve been very fortunate up to now in that the roaring in the ear, the pressure sensation and the lurching about like, well, Lurch, hasn’t been accompanied by lots of nausea. But I am now very, very deaf in that ear, and the damage is permanent. I just wish I’d stop walking into doorways, furniture, etc, and having my head swim whenever I stand up.
Sorry to hear about the MD, mine loss of balance isn’t Menieres, though I think the balance problems are pretty similar, loss of balance isn’t fun but it is manageable, you do get used to it and you learn your limitations. Acupuncture wristbands may help with nausea. Hope it settles down soon x
Mine isn’t helped by the diabetic neuropathy in my feet! Luckily nausea isn’t a major issue at present, but I know that Buccastem is very effective, after taking it for migraine.
Sorry to hear this Kate. As in my reply to Sandra, I periodically have episodes of what I assume to be labyrinthitis. Saying this, I did have a hearing test a while ago and she said I had mild to moderate hearing loss in one ear which is, apparently, something that needs to be referred to a specialist because age-related deafness affects both ears. I had to wait over a year before seeing one and he said all was fine, that I had generally good hearing, but would check me again in six months. I know my sister-in-law (a senior nurse) had concerns in case it was MD but I won’t panic yet.
I’m with you on the dog anaesthesia – Flo would wake up half the county with her screams if they so much try to look in her mouth, let alone deep clean or clip anything.
Pa had quite severe MD, and always carried a bottle of Stemetil with him in case. He’d lost all hearing in the affected ear by the end. My hearing loss is in the severe range already if you look at the audiogram; I CAN hear out of it, but speech sounds like Donald Duck, there’s no deep tones or clear consonants.
Luckily Mouse isn’t a screamer, but he does get incredibly stressed, and as he’s very agile, strong and fast, trying to catch him once he’s set his mind against something is a losing battle.
Oh gosh Kate, I can’t believe this. Just HUGS! Glad Mouse has forgiven you, bit of a drama queen.. Tell him to Dog up a bit…Mouse by name not by nature.
It feels rather like being drunk but without the pleasurable prelude, and with a lot more loud party noise in one ear! As for Mouse, the side-eye was spectacular, I felt quite cowed by his disdain!
hope your vestibular thingy turns out to be just an infection. I had a spot of that last year – was horrible!
Not infection, the GP has already ruled that one out. I’m grateful not be stuck on a course of antibiotics that won’t do any good!
I’m so sorry to hear about your ear. As you probably know I am very hard of hearing and I now know that I use a lot of lip reading clues to help – so the telephone is no use to me at all! Luckily I don’t have the vertigo which must be horrible.
I am with you on getting the vet to do the nail clipping and teeth cleaning. Roo and Evie would need the same as both are quite clear that such messing about is forbidden.
Love the decal and glad to hear Van Essa is coming along nicely.
I had not realised how deaf I had become until a recent audiogram. Luckily I do still have one good ear. I wish I could get Mouse to view his occasional visit to the vet as a sort of spa day…. no. I dn’t find it convincing either 🫤
This being alive business is so damn uncertain, as you well know. After all my decades I still can’t get used to the idea that living beings are so vulnerable (let alone that they hurt one another). I think I planned to incarnate on a planet of perfect peace and love, but got lost on the way. May all of your tests come out much better than you imagined and your only dizziness come from twirling with delight at the news. That’s my wish and I’m sticking to it.
I’ll take that wish and thank you! But having lived with a parent who had MD for so long, I do feel pretty certain about the outcome… Look, it’s not a death sentence. It’s inconvenient and occasionally unpleasant, and losing my hearing in that ear is a pain, but worse things happen at sea. I could do without the vertigo, but I’m sure I’ll learn to cope over time. At least it hasn’t stopped me sewing!
amen
Like you I can’t hear out of one ear. Sigh. And I have a clicking noise in the ear I can’t hear out of. Sorta sucks. They say that is my brain hearing the noise, not the ear. I hope you can get some meds to help you. Prayer and crossed fingers for you
I’m told there are exercises you can do to ‘re-set’ the inner ear fluid so it doesn’t slosh around and make you dizzy. Interested in hearing about those, I must say.
Well, poop on the likelihood of MD. I hope that it will at least progress very, very slowly. I also have vertigo (from a different ailment), and it can be quite the wild ride at times. That’s about the only time I use my cane because when the world is all tilt-a-whirl, 3 connections to ground (3 points make a plane) are very helpful!
Love VanEssa’s new logo, especially your using a native butterfly. I can imagine your new game of Tetris with trying to find the right place for all your travel items. The quilt is going to be lovely as well — can’t wait to see both projects completed.
Good for Mousiekins getting all spiffied up at the you-know-where. I completely understand anesthetizing for so many in-your-face (literally!) procedures. I’m guessing too that he has mostly black nails which are such a pain to really cut back because it’s almost impossible to see the quick. I always feel so bad if I accidentally cut too close — even if I miss the quick, the pressure of even very sharp nail clippers can be really uncomfortable. It’s tough enough with my squirmy foster puppies and kittens; I try to avoid trimming the adult dogs’ nails and let our shelter’s vet staff do it. 😉
It’s all a bit up in the air just now, but I expect a bit of solid information will help me settle and give me management strategies. Mousedog says that he has a couple of white nails that help me estimate how far back to cut, but for me the problem is that the nails are so thick and strong and Mouse is so reactive that I barely get a chance to judge and do a quick snip before the paw is yanked out of my hand. Not a good way to do a thorough job…
Yes, I’m deaf too. Almost completely deaf in one ear and very low hearing in the other. I’ve been wearing hearing aids for years. But then about 5 years ago I was given a BAHA (bone anchored hearing aid) which they fitted on my deaf side and it’s revolutionised my hearing. My hearing loss is as a result of a damaged eardrum from when I had scarlet fever as a baby, followed by multiple infections over the years. And yes I have tinnitus too.
I’m kind of used to it, but noisy environments really suck and I find it quite isolating in social settings with a group of people.
I got an upgrade of my BAHA recently and it now comes with gadgets – a bluetooth microphone that I can clip onto someone and it streams to the BAHA and a bluetooth link from my mobile phone. So I’m literally hearing voices in my head.
That sounds amazing! I don’t think it’d work for me, since the problem is sensorineural, but how amazing to be able to stream someone’s voice directly into your head!
I am joining the chorus of commentators saying “This sucks!” Cos it does. You have had enough medical issues over the last few years, so you don’t need any more. I know you will deal with it with grace and humour, but even so. thinking of you my friend. ~hugs~
It does suck a bit, but since the hearing issue has come on slowly over the years, I’m pretty much used to that aspect. The vertigo has become a good bit worse recently, so that’s the part I’m cheesed off about. Thanks for the hugs, always welcome! Oh, and we’ll be in Melbourne 18-22 June, so do put it in your diary on the offchance we’ll be able to meet up if you can spare time. xx
I’m sorry, and hoping for the best outcome! I can sympathize as I’m having a tiny bit of the same issue. After an ear infection last year, I’m getting the spinning sensation frequently, even lying down! It’s very disconcerting. If I wanted headspins when prone, I could just drink to excess like a misguided youth!
It’s not much fun, is it? I do find that motion sickness tablets help, but they make me a bit drowsy/tired so they’re a last resort.
Vertigo is not funny at all. I hope they can diagnose you for treatment soon. What joy VanEssa! I intend to van again one day.
You’re right, it’s not much fun. But I can at least still sew and make things. Things to show soon!
You seem to be coping well, mentally at least. What a load to deal with (medically speaking). I’m with Doggo; I’d like to be anesthetised for any dental cleaning or other work.
Medically, I’ve known this might be coming for a long time, since it runs in both sides of the family. It’s one of those things… Doggo has forgotten the trauma of the event but is much more comfortable on his shorter nails. I’m not much of a one for dental fear as it’s years since I needed any work done; an annual check and clean tops. I know he would never submit to the polishing bit without being knocked out, so it’s worth it.
So sorry to hear of your health issues, hope you’ll get better soon. I haven’t got much experience with meunière disease but one of my husbands aunt had it, she got medication for it and she didn’t suffer from it as long as she took her meds and she lived long with it, and that was many years ago, so I expect it will help you too. Good luck !!
As for the doggo, it sounds all too familiar to me. Mine need a haircut every 3 months, they hate it ! And a trip to the vet……
My father had it, badly and always carried drugs to help with nausea in case he got an attack. I’m beginning to understand how he felt…
I hope you have the mild variety. And the medication is getting better every year. Take care !
I’m guessing from the lack of blogging this week that you’re still having a hard time, so I hope it improves soon. Thinking of you and sending lots of recovery vibes!
Yup. Giddy, sick and roaring in the ears. All very charming, and I found out yesterday I won’t be seeing the specialist until mid-June. Long time to wait. Still, I do get small things done between bouts, so that’s something. Thank you so much for the good vibes!