Bloggin' Umholtz

"...I love my rifle more than you"

I’m sitting here angry, frustrated, depressed, and did I mention, angry and frustrated? I managed to make it to work only one day so far this week, yesterday, and then that was only for about 7 of the 7.5 hours I’m suppose to be there. Seems I’ve contracted a strange and evil malady known as Meniere’s Disease. In case you are unfamiliar with the term, it’s a problem with my inner ear. This translates into severe vertigo and round the clock nausea. Not to mention the constant ringing in my ear and hearing loss

Think back to that all night party you were at in college and how you felt the next morning. Yep, a mild form of Meniere’s Disease. Trouble is, I didn’t get to have the fun at the party. This has been going on for about two months now, with various treatments and medications, all purported to cure the effects. None of them seem to be working very well with me. Currently, on a good day I can actually eat some scrambled eggs and toast. On a bad day I hang on to the couch so I won’t fall off.

This makes doing my job very difficult and I take my job very seriously. It’s a tough thing to stand up in front of groups of people and attempt to either teach them something or answer questions when everyone in the room is going by you at 75 miles an hour. It’s a difficult thing to concentrate on an Excel spreadsheet when it keeps moving on you…and don’t even ask me about driving. I hate being chauffeured.

I am not a good patient. I’m a, see the problem, fix the problem, move on to the next problem, kinda guy. So when I’m messing with a problem that takes several months to solve and affects every aspect of my life I get angry, frustrated and depressed.

I try not to take it out on the Doctor. He’s been doing great. If it wasn’t for the progress we’ve made so far, I wouldn’t be able to sit here and type this. I think the next step is a repeat of the MRI to see if there’s something else going on. This will be the 2nd MRI in 4 months. The last was for my neck for a pinched nerve.. The report pretty much proved what most people who know me concluded long ago. One, my head’s not screwed on straight. Two, I’m a pain in the neck…or somewhere south of there.

I wonder what this MRI will show. It’s of my head, the area around my ears especially. I’m reminded of the old Army physical joke:

“Well, first two doctors get a hold of you. One looks in one ear and one looks in the other, and if they can see each other, you is in the Army.”

Excuse me; I need to go start practicing my marching skills.

"Cindy, Ccindy, Cindy Lou. I love my rifle more than you..."