New doc and a diagnosis

What a difference a new doc makes.     A younger guy who isn't just phoning it in.  

He looked at my tests from the first doc and a new hearing test his office did and his immediate diagnosis is Menieres disease.

He spent 30 minutes with me explaining everything.  Said my hearing loss pattern is typical of Menieres.  There is no cure but it is treatable with diuretics and salt restriction and we can stop any further degradation of my hearing by treating it.   Kicked up the dose on the diuretic I'm already taking.   He said the goal is to stop the vertigo from happening rather than treating it with meclizine.  each episode of vertigo is a few more cells dying permanently.   Either it will stabilize or will continue until all the vestibular cells are all gone, and then the symptoms will cease.  right now, I am at 70%.  

I asked him about an auto-immune component to this and he denied it.  Said it was "glaucoma of the ear" where the pressure inside the hearing and balance organs is too high-for whatever reason.   The science isn't clear about what causes it. 

As you said before, at least it's not cancer.       If I can stabilize where I am now, then I can stop worrying so much about the future. 

alan

Vertigo

Had a disabling bout of Vertigo a week ago.   Came on suddenly and within an hour, I could not walk.  Vomited.  Bad motion sickness.    Sitting in the locker room at work, unable to go home and hoping it would get better, a doc walked in and found me.   He gave me a ride home.   Had another onset a few days back, also at work.  Not debilitating but bad enough.   Went straight to the drug store and got some Meclizine.  Got to carry that with me now at all times.    A few weeks back, I started having this feeling of plugged ears, like bad allergies, but my nose and sinuses were fine.   Took a decongestant with some relief.  also have to carry that with me. 
I fear that my condition is getting worse in a hurry.    I am now thinking about what happens if I cannot work as a nurse.   Scared.   I have been looking into the ADA and Vocational Rehab.    Jeri was completely deaf less than two years after her first symptoms.   I'm seven months in.  
I don't know if I should be open with this problem or hide it from my employer.   This problem has the potential to severely change my life.  I don't know what I will do if I am forced to retire now.  I cannot. 
No resources for late HOH persons in this town.  
Going to see my doc in two days.  Made the appt the day after that disabling vertigo.