A Periodic Update

Nothing big to report.   Tinnitus is still a constant.   No incapacitating vertigo.  A few episodes of mild dizziness at work.  The symptoms cleared within about 90 mins and after I went and drank a bottle of water.  I wondered if that might even be related to low blood pressure.  I have been running dry consistently.  dry skin, thirsty, yellow urine.    I drink a liter after taking my morning meds and flush out but by evening, my urine output drops.    The tinnitus never goes away.
Next doctor appt in a month.

Another Episode-where did that come from

I've been good with the diet so I was surprised this morning to wake up with that old vertigo feeling.   Nausea, sweats and then some diarrhea.   I took a phenergan and meclizine and sat for an hour waiting for the symptoms to stop.    I got a flu vaccination yesterday so I wonder if that had anything to do with it.  I've been feeling a little flu-ish today.   Or could it be fatigue that brought it on.  Doing a string of 12 hr days, coming home beat and falling asleep in the chair.   I don't know.   It sure felt like the old vertigo returning.  Like a hangover; nausea & spinning.

Dr Hegarty: slight improvement

Saw the doc today. Audiogram had slight 5db improvement on left. That's good. Told him I had experienced two episodes of symptoms directly related to a meal I ate out. He wasn't pleased about the continued variability. No changes for now. Asked him about caffeine & alcohol. Alcohol has no effect. Caffeine negligible and should be minimized.

and now, Allergies

Back to work for three days and struggling to hear.    Cleaned the aids, cleaned my ears, changed programs but still having trouble.   Took me three days to figure out that I was having popping in my ears like altitude changes.  Then realized that it's allergy season. 
Took some Claritin and had improvement.     Geeez, can I get a break.

Good Burger/Bad Burger

Labor Day.  Went out to lunch with Annie and had a delish burger and fries at Stagecoach Inn.  Sitting out on the patio with the creek.  Nice.
This morning, I paid for it.  Got out of bed and the room was spinning.   As I've said before, it's like a hangover.  Room spinning, nausea and just a foul feeling.  Watered down with about 36 oz of water, took a meclizine and went to work where I downed another liter of water.  Four hours later, the flood gates opened and I pee'd sodium out all day. 
It was a good burger. 
Constant tinnitus remains. 

Hearing aid tune up

The HA specialist at Costco had been programming my device based on past audiograms from my doc.  He wanted to start from scratch with his own testing.   He did the same tests that my dr's office did plus a couple others that were specific for the device programming.  Then, using that data, the computer programmed my device automatically.   It worked well during my test run in the warehouse but performed horribly at work with the noisy environment I work in.  I think the noise suppression software was turning the volume down so much that I couldn't hear anything in the OR.  I worked three days and finally had to get in for a quick appt.
We set it all back to the previous settings but turned up the volume in both ears.  Now that I had a chance to sit in a watch what the programming was, I can say that my favorite is Noise/Traffic and the Focus 360.  I'm going to wear these for a while and really carefully consider any changes.
Back to the Doc in ten days. 
The Tinnitus is constant now.  I wonder if something is changing.  I remember the doc saying the tinnitus is a symptom of irritation.
Also need to clarify the effects of alcohol and caffeine.  read somewhere that they are bad for the ears. 

That Prime Rib was good yesterday... not so much today

Had a thick piece of prime rib at Dorn's last night.  Nice rosemary bark on it.  An au jus on the side that tasted pretty salty.  Scalloped potatoes and horseradish.     It was tasty.
this morning, felt like a bit of a hangover.   slight nausea and the telltale head spinning.   Not enough to send me to bed but it was there.   Took an extra diuretic and washed it out with lots of H2O.
The symptoms only lasted a few hours.     Freakin Sodium.   You are the enemy.