Pomp, Circumstance, BPPV, and SSHL
If you're interested in reading about recent events in my life, click on the extended entry..
First off, congratulations to Son of Mr. Bali Hai, who graduated from high school last night. We are all very proud of him, and wish him great success in life after I kick him out onto the street tomorrow with all of his earthly possessions tied up in a hobo bindle.
Just kidding. Actually, he's attending university in the Fall. He just interviewed for a very cool student-work scholarship at the college of his choice that would allow him to work 30 hours/week in the school IT department during the summer, and 15 hours/week during the school year. If he stays in the position longer than a year, the scholarship kicks in, and will pay 1/2 of his tuition fees. Given his computer background and the fact that only 2 other candidates were interviewed, we think odds are good that he will be offered the gig.
We're throwing a party for him tomorrow at our house, and it looks like almost all of our relatives living here in Wisconsin will attend. Should be a houseful, so I better lock up the rum.
In health news, my persistent dizziness was positively diagnosed as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, or BPPV. Fortunately, this is highly treatable with a set of very simple exercises designed to move the debris floating around in my inner ear to a new position. In fact, my symptoms disappeared completely the very first time I used the Epley Maneuver exercises diagrammed on the web page linked above. Hopefully, they will not return.
Unfortunately, Mrs. BH's hearing problems are quite a bit more complex than mine and her diagnosis is not as clear. She is suffering from Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss or SSHL, which appears to be the result of nerve damage from an ear infection. She can hear loud noises in her bad ear, but only as buzzing sounds. People's voices sound like the adults from the old animated Peanuts television specials, "Wah wahwahwah wahwah wahwah wah." As I mentioned in an earlier post, she is waiting to be approved for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at a clinic in Minneapolis, but the doctors there are being dickheads about it, as using this therapy for her condition as it's still considered somewhat experimental. We're hoping to get a final decision on Monday.
Finally, my mother is visiting us for a couple of days. She's almost 81, and is still in very good health, with reasonably good mental acuity. Must be all the bingo that keeps her young and sharp.
Comments
Good luck to the number one son. Sounds like hes got a good start on things.
Looked at the treatment for your condition, sort of reminded me of craniosacral therapy ever heard of it? There is a guy named Dr. Upledger in Florida who has made a big business out of it. definitely works for some things. Not sure of how the cerebrospinal fluid relates to the inner ear but might help.
Have a good time with your clan and hope the Missus makes a full recovery
Posted by: Fritz | June 2, 2007 11:14 AM
Thanks for the link, but after reading the description of the "therapy", it sounds pretty iffy.
Maybe we could just try trepanning instead?
Posted by: MrBaliHai | June 2, 2007 11:34 AM
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo?! WTF? I'll use it as a pickup line. Hey babe, wanna go for a Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo?
All the best for your son and some good vibes for your wife. Ear stuff is no fun - had some weird infections etc. myself.
Ich wünsche gute Besserung!
Posted by: orangeguru | June 2, 2007 12:03 PM
Might sound "iffy" but it does work. That fluid flows with a rhythm and sometimes it gets interrupted.
People also doubt Chiropractors work and I know for fact they help. Had a neck problem that was sorted out by a good Chiro.
Posted by: Fritz | June 2, 2007 12:26 PM
Hooray for QuackWatch.
Posted by: rone | June 2, 2007 1:15 PM
og: Danke, dude! Good luck with that pickup line. It might work on some dumb milkmaid up in the Alps.
Fritz: my mom is a Chiropractor, so I have a pretty good idea of what they're capable of fixing (and what they aren't).
rone: exactly.
Posted by: MrBaliHai | June 2, 2007 1:52 PM
A big congratulations to BH Jr.! (What do they call girls of similar rank? I always wondered.)
The doc told me two or three days should see me fine, but I feel like a worn out dishrag right now. Anyhow, this isn't supposed to be about me.
I'll cross all my bodyparts for Mrs. BH and think good thoughts.
Posted by: Lonita | June 2, 2007 2:25 PM
Hope you feel better soon, Lonita. Keep a close watch on any changes in your hearing.
Interesting question about whether there's a Junior equivalent for girls. I've never heard of one. My wife's middle name is the same as her mother's, so that's one approach.
Posted by: MrBaliHai | June 2, 2007 2:36 PM
Congratulations on N's commencement! And that work-study deal with the school sounds none too shabby. I worked in the computer room while I was in college, babysitting some TeleVideo CP/M workstations, WordStar, and the footnote compiler.
Sorry about the ear maladies and the dickhead doctors. Our health system just doesn't work.
Posted by: Jonathan Cohen | June 2, 2007 4:02 PM
Thanks, Jonathan. CP/M...gawd, that brings back some (bad) memories.
Maybe we can get Michael Moore to take us to Cuba?
Posted by: MrBaliHai | June 2, 2007 4:19 PM
I agree, that ear stuff sounds super new-agey, but if it's made you feel better who cares? And all this time I just thought you were drunk.
Also, congrats to your son. Hopefully Mrs. BH will feel better soon too.
Posted by: Brittanie | June 3, 2007 3:01 AM
And all this time I just thought you were drunk.
I was, but that's a separate issue.
Posted by: MrBaliHai | June 3, 2007 6:30 AM
Congrats to SOBH!
And again, good luck on the medical issues. Perhaps you can contact Gomez Addams' favored practicioner, Dr. Mugombo.
Posted by: M.Ace | June 4, 2007 6:45 PM
I think we may have to give Doc Mugombo a call. Mrs. BH was turned down for the hyperbaric therapy, so conventional medicine seems to have failed us.
Posted by: MrBaliHai | June 5, 2007 7:10 PM