It was a Saturday morning October 27, 2018 around 9am the day before my 63rd birthday. I just stepped back onto the hot-side line to continue setting up for the lunch shift. And then it finally happened, my 1st (and only so far) Meniere’s Disease drop attack (aka Otolithic Crises of Tumarkin).
I’ve suffered from Meniere’s Disease for the last decade. A disorder of the inner-ear that causes a person to suddenly experience vertigo attacks accompanied by extreme nausea . The vertigo can last anywhere from a few minutes to many hours. I can usually sense a vertigo attack coming on and prepare for the onslaught. But a drop attack gives no warning. For a fraction of a second I lost all control of my body, dropped to the ground and then regained control immediately upon impact.
Not surprisingly, drop attacks are frequently accompanied by trips to the emergency room. For example, I read of a man who experienced a drop attack while descending stairs. He planted his head through the wall at the bottom of the stairs, leaving him with a broken neck and paralyzed. Guess what I think about every time I go up or down stairs now.
Meniere’s Disease has Four Classic Symptoms
- vertigo
- tinnitus
- hearing loss
- pressure in the ear
Meniere’s Disease General Facts
- MD affects about 200 out of every 100,000 people.
- The cause of MD is unknown.
- It’s suspected that MD Symptoms are the result of too much fluid (endolymph) in the inner ear.
- Drop attacks are rare with most estimates between 4% – 7% of MD patients.
So What Does the Future have in Store for Me?
I have no idea if or when I might have another attack. It could be one and done, or they could return every year or two. The latter seems to be the most likely. One woman, who frequents the MD fourms and is often cited on medical websites, had 20 attacks in two years before having a labyrinthectomy. So all I can really do is wait and see what happens.
I quit the Bistro Roca the day of the drop attack, and haven’t drove since. It took about 3 weeks to get over being scared of standing up and walking. Stairs still bug me a little, but I don’t have any trouble getting myself to go up or down them. Moreover, I’m more torn about the possibility of having to give up cycling then driving. We’ll see. I never let vertigo get in the way of riding my bikes. Although, I did paid for it a couple of times.
Peace… Ed
