Labyrinthitis...or...Down and Out in Zion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrinthitis
I don't think this is a hot link but cut and paste it into your browser.

Sue has been down and out since Sunday morning...literally down and out. The worst day was Monday...she couldn't even move her head from side to side without either wanting to vomit or pass out. It took her almost 15 minutes to walk with my assistance to the bathroom which is only 15 ft. away. She didn't eat or drink anything. It took all day to get her doctor to write some scrips for her. We finally got some to her by 7pm, but the day was gone and she still felt terrible.

Tuesday brought a little light at the end of the tunnel but we thought it still may be a train. Meds started working....slowly. Sue now was able to get to the bathroom with my assistance in less than 5 minutes. She also ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I was able to go to the doctor with her and learned what labyrinthitis is. Later in the day we went to the physical therapist, who just happens to be our scoutmaster in our ward. He did some tests on Sue to determine the extent of her condition. She did pretty well considering everything. We have an appointment to see him again next Monday.

Labyrinthitis is no laughing matter...while not life-threatening, it surely is life altering. Sue has been almost totally incapacitated since Sunday to some degree or the other. I know that it has been a humbling experience for both her and myself. Sue is such a strong lady and to see the effects of this illness on someone so strong is extremely humbling to say the least. The illness almost turns you in to a little child. She literally cannot do most of the normal things that we take for granted in our lives. I am blessed to have a job where I work only 5 minutes away and can go home and tend to her whenever I need to.

It's now Wednesday and she is a little bit better than Tuesday but not a whole lot. Thankfully she is not nauseous anymore. She still cannot walk by herself, but can sit up (slowly) or lay down (even slower) in one area. She is able to eat all of her meals right now.

The doctor and PT told her that this could take up to 6 weeks to be cured, but that she should see steady improvement. There is one maneuver from the PT that could help reposition some crystals in her ear that could make this go away almost immediately. The only thing is we don't know if the crystals have moved, and she needs to be stabilized before they do the maneuver so she doesn't get violently sick. All future PT will actually manipulate her head to try to make her dizzy so her balance system can get "re-calibrated".

We really don't know when she will be well enough to do most of the everyday task that we take for granted by herself, but we are praying that it won't be too long.

I am so proud of Sue and for the strength that she has. I sure do love this "little lady"...she is a real tough little gal. We'll keep everyone posted. Please keep Sue in your prayers as she really is pretty miserable.