Boy, You Guys are Good...

...really good. I don’t even have to ask for prayers any more. I just whisper in my angel’s ear and she spreads the word. Very nice.

I’m afraid, however, that my story is not quite as exciting as my angel led you to believe, at least not in my book (although I appreciate the build-up, darlin’). I can think of many more exciting things I’d rather have happen. Having an episode of vertigo at the John McCain rally was really not in my plans, although it is what I did on Sunday.

We had planned, as I mentioned last week, a busy weekend. We went to college boy’s campus on Friday and Saturday for Family Weekend, and then we planned to attend the McCain rally at a nearby college campus on Sunday. We had a grand time with college boy early in the weekend, and headed out on a gorgeous October Sunday morning for the McCain rally.
We had to wait outside the arena where the rally took place for about an hour, in a very long line, to get into the arena, and once inside we realized we would have to stand – no room left in the bleachers. So we found a spot in the middle of the gym and waited. And waited. It was about noon and McCain didn’t show until about 1:15. So we stood and waited for quite a while. By the time he showed, it was hot and the kids were, shall I say, crabby? That would be putting it nicely. But, I was determined not to let them get to me, and for the most part, they didn’t (at least not consciously -- in hind sight, maybe stress contributed to the problem). When McCain arrived, we waved our American flags and chanted “John McCain” with the crowd. As I anticipated, it was very inspiring. It was nice to be around like-minded people (except for the crowd of Obama’s protestors outside).

McCain was almost finished speaking when things got very exciting for me. Peach asked for a piece of candy, and so I bent over and reached into my purse, which was sitting on the floor between my feet. When I stood up, I swayed a little on my feet and grabbed my son to steady myself. I thought it was just a momentary loss of balance, but the room started spinning and I could not stand up straight (or at least I didn’t think I was straight). I told Doug that I had to leave and he grabbed my arm and led me out (all the time thinking that people probably thought I was his elderly mother!). I was swaying the entire way to the door (imagine very drunk old lady) and the room was spinning like I was on a carousel.

We got outside and to a picnic table where I sat down and waited for the spinning to subside, but it didn’t. I don’t even know how long we sat there, but I finally said to Doug, “this isn’t going away; I think you’re going to have to call someone.” I couldn’t move my head at all for the spinning, I could barely talk, and I knew if I stood up I would fall over. I really wanted to lie down and pass out. There were people pouring out of the arena and vendors selling buttons and hats all around, and the chaos was ten times worse with the dizziness. Doug dialed 911 and within minutes there was medic at my side. I won’t bore you with the gory details (if you gone this far with me, God bless you), but I ended up in the ambulance with my daughter weeping on Doug’s shoulder outside looking in the window. The boys were in a panic and trying to keep it together, I could tell by their faces. I highly recommend if you are going to be incapacitated by vertigo at a public place, don’t do it in front if your kids; you’ll scare the begeebers out of them.

Fortunately the ambulance ride was short, because a hot, bumpy ambulance ride with a dizzy head is not enjoyable at all. When I got to the hospital and was evaluated, the doctor suspected that I had vertigo, precipitated by me bending over with my head upside down and then swinging quickly back upright. Sounds crazy, but I guess crazier things can happen. I had two CT scans and it doesn’t appear as though there is anything else causing it. When I first became dizzy, I was afraid it had something to do with my blood clots or the blood thinner I’m on, and I was afraid I had a clot or was hemorrhaging. Fortunately neither was the case and the vertigo is completely unrelated to my blood clots.

Now I’m on medication that helps with the dizziness, and as long as I don’t move quickly, the room doesn’t spin. I saw an ENT guy yesterday for follow-up and he said that the vertigo usually lasts a couple weeks, but will eventually go away. I’m on steroids to help with what he suspects is inner ear inflammation (Labyrinthitis).

So, my friends, that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it. It’s not terribly exciting, and I’m afraid "my friend" John McCain now conjures up a whole new emotion for me, but I’ll get over that. Like everything in life, this too shall pass. I went to see a new family doctor yesterday, just to establish myself as a patient, and we had lots to talk about between the blood clots and the vertigo. She said, “when it rains, it pours doesn’t it?” And I agreed. I am, however, grateful for good medical care, and I hope that my current medical issues resolve themselves before next January, if, God forbid, Barack Obama and his national health care plan is elected.

I appreciate your prayers, and I promise to continue to pray for you, too.





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