Of health

Posted on | July 9, 2007 |

I’ve been working hard the past week. I’ll share photos tomorrow, since I’m not planning to take photos this evening! I prefer the daylight background with my lighting. I have been working on some drawings and I have been creating some cell phone purses for my friend’s shop that will open later this month in Bisbee, AZ. When she has the information available on the web, I’ll be sure to link there!

Now to a more personal discussion: Several of you have been kind enough to ask about my treatments and what I’m battling. I have a relatively rare disease, called Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease (AIED). AIED is marked by sudden hearing loss and vertigo. Many people who have this disease become completely deaf and require cochlear implants to hear. Others, like me, have hearing loss unilaterally and have other symptoms, such as vertigo, tinnitus, and hyperacusis. I am lucky that I am able to use a Baha, since I am deaf in one ear and not in the other. However, every time my symptoms come back, we worry that there is some damage to the “good” ear. I take immunosuppressants daily and I am also receiving additional immunosuppressive treatments intravenously monthly - the “monthly treatment” I talk about in this blog. I won’t bore you with the details, but if you’re interested in more information on my disease, the Baha, or the treatments for the disease that I have tried and am now on, please contact me directly. I will be happy to answer specific questions you have.

I write about this because I have had some severe hyperacusis the past few weeks. This morning, I called my doctor about the pain I am having with “normal” sounds. It has made normal conversation difficult. The television, which is usually my white noise companion during my day, is frequently off. If, however, it’s on, it is either.muted with closed captions or very low with closed captions. Sound is hard on me right now. Especially the sound of dishes clinking, silverware, beeps and other high pitched sounds. Tomorrow I see my doctor at 7 am. Yes, it is an ungodly hour; however, the sensitivity is worse first thing in the morning and late in the evening.

I doubt there is anything that he can do to help the symptoms, but I do want to make sure that there is not much, if any, change in my hearing. If there is, I will likely be put back on prednisone, the horror drug.

On the good side, I met a new friend today. Rosaland and I are taking Sue Bleiweiss’ Joggles Class together. We met up today at a lunch spot downtown, near Rosaland’s office to do “show and tell” and to get to know each other. It was quickly apparent to us both that this was going to be a good friendship! We’ll get together again after Dave and I return from a trip we’re taking next week.

Other good news (no, really, it is!): I put myself on a diet. I’m only eating complex carbs and protein. No rice, potato, sugar, or other quick carbs. I have not, however, given up coffee! I have just changed it up a bit so that I’m drinking almond milk rather than soy milk, saving over 15 carbs per serving! I’ve been doing this for almost a week and I feel better already. I also don’t crave things as much as I used to. It’s been a good transition for me. I’ve done this before with much luck. I just need to stick to it. And I need to start exercising. That’s the next step.

So that’s the story from artsyfran studios. Art to come tomorrow!

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