Our Week - The One with Vertigo Physical Therapy, Girls Night, Dance, and Sickness

Last week was busy, and then we had a pretty low-key weekend.  Let’s get to the recap.

Monday, August 14

Monday morning, Brian got the kids to school, and I got some work done before I had to head out for a couple of appointments.  First up, was an appointment with my therapist, and then I had my evaluation with the occupational therapist for this vertigo. 

The occupational therapist wanted to do her own evaluation before we started treatment, so the whole hour was spent laying me down, flipping my head upside down, rolling over on my sides, etc. so she could try to pinpoint where the dizziness was coming from.  Even though they had ruled out BPPV, she wanted to check me for it one more time, and while she said that she saw the tiniest bit of nastagmus (eye movement that people have when they have vertigo) she didn’t think it was enough to diagnose with BPPV. 

A lot of my dizziness was inconsistent with her expectations, so she was pretty stumped.  After describing my symptoms to her and telling her everything I’d done leading up to the onset of the vertigo, she did say that she thinks my neck is the cause, and she said that I would better benefit from a physical therapist who can manually manipulate the tissues in my neck.  She told me that she thinks I’d highly benefit from dry needling, too.  She did say that the occupational therapy that she offers would probably help a lot, too, but she thinks physical therapy would be even more beneficial, and unfortunately, insurance will not cover treatment from two different therapists for the same issue.

The person they used to refer people to for cervicogenic vertigo moved away, but she promised me she’d reach out to another clinic and find someone who does treat it and then send a request to my ENT doctor to send the order to them so we could get started ASAP.  She was very compassionate and very apologetic that she couldn’t do exactly what I needed, and she also promised that she would treat it as an urgent case since I’d been suffering for so long.

I really appreciated her compassion and her attentiveness to the matter, but gosh, it was so frustrating to have to be sent somewhere else yet again.  More waiting.  The worst part about the appointment was that all of the hanging upside down and rolling around had majorly scrambled my brain again, and I was soooo dizzy after the appointment again.  The dizziness caused mild nausea and major brain fog for the rest of the day + my anxiety started spiking like crazy again resulting in more tightening of my neck muscles.  I even had several more instances of actual vertigo spinning throughout the rest of the day and that was really disheartening, too. 

Unfortunately, I had driven myself to my appointments, so I had to drive myself home – yeesh – but thankfully, that particular doctor’s office is only about 7-8 minutes from my house, and I was able to take nearly empty backroads to get home. 

The rest of the day was pretty much shot since I was feeling so awful, and I was really, really struggling mentally with all of it since the vertigo was back so strong again.  Needless to say, it wasn’t a good day.

I had to call my mom to pick up the kids since I couldn’t drive again, so she and I grabbed them at 3 when they got out, and then we all headed home.  Thankfully, the kids didn’t have any activities that evening, so we were able to stay home.  I cooked Cajun chicken pasta with steamed broccoli and Cheesecake Factory bread per Jacob’s request (although cooking was a struggle).  Thankfully, Brian works from home on Mondays, so he was able to drain the noodles and get stuff out of the oven for me.  I wasn’t about to mess around with boiling water and hot ovens with that vertigo.

After dinner, the kids played while I did a stair stepper workout.  I wasn’t really feeling up to working out after the yucky day I’d had, but working out always tends to help when I’m feeling bad mentally, so I pushed through and got it done anyway.  I told Brian I needed to get my vertigo rage out somehow, and I couldn’t walk or run because the dizziness was way too strong again to attempt that.

During my workout, I was just really discouraged about the whole vertigo situation, and I was talking to God in my head as I often do, and I was thinking, “Please just let me know that everything is going to be okay!”  As my workout was ending, we had yet another evening storm roll in for the sixth or seventh day in a row, and right as I was finishing up showering and getting ready for bed, I had the sudden urge to go outside.  When I went outside, there was the biggest, brightest, most beautiful rainbow stretching across the whole sky, and if that wasn’t a Godwink, then I don’t know what is. 

 

I called the kids out because it’s so rare to see those, and Olivia and I ended up staying outside for a while until it started to fade away.  After that, we all started watching Welcome to Earth on Disney +.  It’s a nature series with Will Smith.  I’m not a huge fan of nature shows, but the kids usually enjoy them, and I think they liked it.

After they went to bed, B and I started the new episode of The Bachelorette, and then we went to bed, too.

Tuesday, August 15

Tuesday, I had a million things to do, and the original plan was to drive the kids to school to start the day, but sadly, my dizziness was still awful from my OT appointment on Monday, and Brian had to drive them yet again.

I had a meeting at the school right after school started, so he dropped me off along with the kids, and then I waited in the school auditorium until the meeting started.  I’m serving on the Home and School Advisory Board again this year (it’s the same thing as the PTA, as some schools call it), and we had a very informative and productive meeting outlining the whole school year. 

When my meeting was over, I walked over to the church because Olivia was singing during the school Mass.  She and her BFF, Aubrey, got to sing together, and they did the best job.  School Masses are always my favorite because the kids are just so dang sweet, and I love hearing those little voices singing their hearts out about Jesus.  It always makes me tear up.

After Mass, my Momma and Daddy came to pick me up, and they took me home since I still couldn’t drive.  I spent the next couple of hours working on blog stuff, and then my Momma came to pick me up yet again so we could go get the kids from school.

Olivia had her first dance class of the new year on Tuesday afternoon, so we got her ready for that, and thankfully, Brian was able to get off of work a little bit early so he could get her over there. 

I had a girls’ night Tuesday night, too, so my friend, Jen, picked me up, and then we met four of our other friends at one of our favorite local upscale-ish Mexican restaurants.  They have the best margaritas in town, and it was so yummy.  My girl time always fills my cup, too.

By the time I got home Tuesday evening, most of the really bad dizziness had worn off and I was feeling back to my normal level of dizziness (pre occupational therapy yuckiness), so I decided to try to walk/jog again.  We’d had yet another storm blow through right before we left for girls’ night (minus the rainbow), so the temp had cooled off tremendously, and I wanted to take advantage of it.

Brian and the kids got home shortly after I did with takeout in tow for them.  Olivia added a sixth dance class this year, and she gets out really late on Tuesdays, so they didn’t get home with food until almost 8.

While they ate and showered, I went for my walk/jog, and it went really well.  Again, for some reason, it was easier for me to jog rather than walk (I still don’t understand this??), and it felt good to be back out there.

By the time I got home, it was much later than usual, and it was already time to get the kids in the bed.  Once they were in bed, I showered and got ready for bed, and then after my meditation, B and I watched some more of The Bachelorette before calling it a night.

Wednesday, August 16

Wednesday morning, Brian dropped the kids at school, and I worked all morning.  I had a hair appointment at 11, and I was able to drive myself.  I felt pretty normal, too! 

After the hair appointment, it was back home to grab a quick lunch and squeeze in some more work, and then I headed to the school to pick up the kids. 

Wednesday, I had no neck or head pain and no anxiety, so the drive was smooth, and the car line wait wasn’t bad either.  I even managed to read for a bit.

After school, Olivia had to be at dance, so we drove straight there, and we got some first day pictures that I hadn’t been able to get Tuesday.  This year, she decided to add yet another class, so for year six of dance, she’s taking SIX dance classes – ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, musical theatre, and hip hop… hip hop being the newest.  Whew.

After she was dropped off, Jacob and I headed home so he could grab a snack and get homework done, and then Brian got home just in time to grab Jacob and go back to the dance school to pick up Olivia while I headed back to the kids’ school for middle school parent night. 

Half of the moms of the kids in Jacob’s class are friends of mine, and/or are also teachers at the school, so I felt like I was back in school again with all of my friends.  Haha.  I sat in each of Jacob’s classes, and his teachers went over the class syllabus, expectations, etc. so we all know what to expect for the upcoming year.  Yet again, he has some amazing teachers, and I’m really hoping this is going to be his best year yet.

Parent night wasn’t done until 7:30, and the fam was waiting on me to bring home Chick-Fil-A for dinner, so I swung through the drive-through, and made the drive home.  I drove on the highway for the first time in five weeks, and I did great!

By the time I got home with food we were all starving, and I still wanted to get in a quick walk/jog, so I scarfed down my grilled nuggs and kale, and then I headed out to walk.  It felt incredible outside – 80 degrees, no humidity, and the sun had already gone behind the trees, so I ended up jogging for a good portion of the walk.  Towards the end, though, I started having terrible pain in both of my ears that trickled down into my jaw and I have NO CLUE why, but I had to slow down and walk the rest of the way which was a disappointment.

By the time I got home, it was almost totally dark, and both of my ears were killing me.  The ear pain ended up settling down by the time I went to bed, but goodness gracious, I have no clue what that was all about.

When I got in from my run, B and the kids were just wrapping up another episode of Welcome to Earth, and then we got them in the bed.

After they were tucked in, I got showered and in my PJs, I did my meditation for the day, and then B and I finished the episode of The Bachelorette that we’d been working on all week.

Thursday, August 17

Thursday, I dropped the kids off at school on my own for the first time, and then I headed back home to work all day.  I had no meetings or appointments, so I spent the entire day catching up on blog stuff, backing up photos online, and getting some things done around the house.

After school, Olivia had an appointment with her ENT doctor for her thyroid, and that went well.  The nodule has stayed stable these last six months, so we’ll be seeing him again in six more months for another checkup.

After that was done, I got the kids home and I ate a quick dinner (sandwich, chips, and some strawberries and blueberries) while I got dinner ready for them (Kraft mac n cheese and fruit) until B got home from work.

I had parent night at the kids’ school for Olivia Thursday night, so I headed there once B got home, and I sat in her class for 30 minutes to learn all about the upcoming fourth grade year.  I sat at her desk while I was there, and I saw the cutest little reminder that she'd written herself and put in her desk tray.  She's definitely her mother's daughter when it comes to that kind of stuff!

By the time I got home, it was after 7, so I changed clothes and got in a two-mile walk while the kids finished up showering and getting ready for bed.  This time I didn’t jog at all since I’d had those weird ear issues on Wednesday.

We sped through America’s Got Talent for the week because it was a recap show that nobody had any interest in watching, and then we got the kids in the bed.  B and I watched some more of Manifest and then we headed to bed, too.

Friday, August 18

Friday morning, I got the kids to school, did some work at home, and then I headed to my first physical therapy appointment for this vertigo.  The girl who’s doing it went to school with me Kindergarten through third grade, and we were even in the same class for a couple of the years.  She is super sweet and intelligent and thorough, and I’m feeling pretty confident that she’s going to be able to help me get through this.

By the time I arrived, she had already studied all of the notes from the various doctors and tests that I’ve had, so she was well versed in my case.  She ended up talking to me for a good 15 minutes while I detailed everything yet again, and she took more notes to make sure she had all of the info. 

She, too, agrees that it sounds like the vertigo/dizziness is stemming from my neck rather than the inner ear, but she said that we’re going to treat it from both areas to ensure that we’re approaching it from every angle.

First, she did a manual checkup.  She said that my spine (in the neck area) is moving well, so she doesn’t think it’s a spinal issue, and therefore, she thinks it’s likely a muscular issue (which is exactly what I’ve been thinking all along, too).  Next, she manually manipulated the tissue around the base of my skull which felt so good because I have tons of trigger points there from holding all of my stress and anxiety there for so many years.  After that, she walked me through some neck stretches, and then she walked me through some vestibular exercises that involve a bunch of eye movement.

She sent me home with daily neck stretches and vestibular exercises, and she said that she wants to meet once a week until things resolve.  She said if for some reason, the PT doesn’t work, then we can eventually try dry needling to help release the muscle tightness, and if that doesn’t work, then she wants me to have an MRI and a CT scan done.  But she said that’s worst case scenario, so fingers crossed, it doesn’t come to that.  She, too, was also concerned that it could be a vascular issue since I have so many headaches and pressure in my head, but she said we’ll explore that eventually as well if we need to.

After my appointment, I swung by the eye doctor to grab my contacts for the year, and then I headed back home to finish working on blog stuff and getting things done at home. 

I picked up the kids from school at 3, and then we headed to the music school for a makeup voice lesson that we’d had to miss on Thursday when Olivia had her ENT appointment.  After that, we headed home, and the kids played video games while I did a Bible study.

Once B was done with work for the day, he ran out to grab barbecue for dinner from our favorite local place, and then after dinner, we watched some more of Welcome to Earth before the kids went to bed.

B and I wrapped up season two of The Summer I Turned Pretty after that, and then we called it a night.  That show is so great, y’all.  I love it so much and I’m so excited that it was renewed for a third season.  I read the book series last summer, so I already know how it ends, but I’m really enjoying the journey and the creative liberties they’ve taken with the show.  Honestly, I think I’m enjoying the show more than the books… and that NEVER happens.  Books are always better than shows and movies to me.

Saturday, August 19

Saturday morning, Olivia and I both woke up congested, and Maui was coughing her head off, too.  I checked my pollen app, and sure enough, the ragweed pollen had started, and the levels were really high.  Sigh.  Mid-August through September always does me in because of the ragweed, so I had been expecting it.

I made homemade waffles for breakfast and then we did all of our usual Saturday things – laundry, a mixed cardio workout, etc.

Mid-morning, Olivia started saying that she was cold and she’s never cold.  Like ever.  So that raised a red flag for me, and I took her temperature.  It was just over 99, so I was worried she had a fever creeping up.  Sure enough, by lunchtime, she was sitting at 101 so I knew she was battling something other than allergies.

I gave her some acetaminophen and she rested for the remainder of the day.  It was a thousand degrees outside, so I knew we weren’t going to be doing anything outside, so instead, the kids played with Lego and then they played video games for a bit. 

Our evening plans were not happening since she was sick, so instead, I went to church by myself and then I picked up pizza on the way home for dinner.  By dinnertime, Olivia’s fever had broken and, thankfully, it never came back.  She was looking and feeling well!

Since we were stuck at home, we decided to make the most of it and have a family movie night, and Saturday night we opted for Father of the Bride.  I’m slowly introducing my favorite old 90’s romcoms to the kids – we’ve already watched Serendipity and The Wedding Planner – so Father of the Bride was on deck for Saturday. 

Olivia, surprisingly, wasn’t all that interested in it, but Jacob liked it.  Next up, will be Father of the Bride 2… it’s even better than the first one in my opinion!  But I didn’t want them to see the second one without seeing the first one first, obviously.

After the movie, we got the kids in the bed, and then B and I watched an episode of Only Murders in the Building before heading to bed ourselves.

 

Sunday, August 20

Sunday morning, Olivia was still feeling well, and the fever was still gone, although she had some lingering nasal congestion.  We started the day with cinnamon rolls, and then I did my usual Sunday sermon online, weekly planning, and stretching yoga workout.  Sundays are for self care and family time.  :o)

 

We’d expected to not be able to go to Sunday lunch or Sunday dinner at our parents’ houses since Olivia had been sick on Saturday, but both sets of parents told us to go ahead and come on, so we did just that.

First up, was Sunday lunch with my mother-in-law and step-father-in-law, and they had a whole Mexican spread – enchiladas, rice, refried beans, and a few other sides.  Our family sat in a separate room to eat so as to not spread germs, and then Brian and I joined the adults to chat afterwards while Jacob and Olivia played ping pong in the garage. 

When we got home, I did all of my Sunday prep for the week ahead, then I worked on some blog stuff, and then I did a Bible study while the kids played video games. 

By the time we got to my parents’ house, all of Olivia’s nasal congestion had started draining down her throat, so she had party girl voice.  Otherwise, she was still feeling great, she was bouncing off the walls, and her fever was long gone. 

Again, we put the kids at a table to themselves in the living room (which we do frequently over there anyway since we always have so many people there for dinner), but we were being extra cautious this weekend since we wanted to keep Olivia away from my Mama Cass just to be safe.

My Momma made a new tortellini recipe with the best carrots I’ve ever eaten + salad and garlic bread and it was all so delicious.  She’d also made a homemade pound cake for dessert, and it was divine.  I am such a sucker for her sour cream pound cake.  It is the best.

For some reason on Sunday, my anxiety spiked mid-morning and it was with me all day.  I had no idea why as I wasn’t outwardly worried about anything, but it was not fun.  All day, I had shortness of breath, muscle tension, a headache, and increased dizziness, and it just plain sucked.  I finally got some relief towards the end of the evening, but I was worn out by the time bedtime rolled around.  Anxiety is absolutely exhausting not only on the mind, but on the body as well.  And when I get in these bad cycles of anxiety, it’s really hard to get out of them.  I’m praying it eases up soon.

Happy Tuesday, y’all!