Hi Leslie,

I, as well as 2 men on this ste, that I know of, have had the procedure done. My surgery was Oct.9th. I have been feeling so much better!!! No vertigo, just a little dizziness, and it is nothing compared to what it felt like before. My recovery time was around 2 weeks before I really felt like doing anything. The first few days was uncomfortable for me, but my doc gave me pain meds which really worked. Also, some meds to keep the nausea away, which were amazing!! You will be in bed for the first 4-5 days. Just give your body time to heal. ALSO....check to see what your deductable is with your insurance. It's an outpatient procedure, which makes it a little more bearable.
If you have any questions...just send me a message and I'll get back with you.
Don't worry too much about it. It's not as bad as you think it will be!!

Hugs,
Katie

Katie,
Thank you so much for your reply! That was the information I was looking for! I am going to share this with my husband so he also has an idea of what to expect.
Glad to hear you are doing so well after the surgery!
Cheers
Leslie

Hi Leslie!

I am guy #1 that Katie was talking about who had this surgery recently about 3 months ago. I was having such a great time with the staff before we went into surgery I didnt want to go. I was sore behind the right ear, the surgen made a cut along the leanth of my ear in the crease so the scar dosen't show. (I am not sure if Katies was the same). The bone hurts but pain meds and about 4 days rest take care of that. My surgery unfortunaly did not reduce my vertigo, I have been having a worse time sense the surgery. I would say the surgery had nothing to do with me getting worse. It just dose not make any sense, all they do is drill and remove some bone. I feel my Menieres was not helped by the surgery but it is my Meniere's that is getting worse, I also have lost about 20% more hearing in the effective ear. I do have many other complications (read my profile) so my case is somewhat out of the norm anyways. If I had to do it all over again, I would still get the surgery done. It is low risk and about 7 in 10 people do achieve some benifit in the best case senerio.

God bless!

Rich
Katie, glad you continue to do well!

Ask your Doctor questions. Write them down as you think of them; then you will be prepared for your next Dr. visit.
It is your right and duty to be well informed about . It is your body!

Good luck!!

RIch thanks for your honest response. It's easy to say 80 percent success rate unless you are part of the 20%. I'm unfortunately not going to see the doc until my surgery - insurance I guess doesn't cover it. I find it a little odd but know this is the doc the my primary doc trusts. I do have a question for Katie - are you off your meds now? I stupidly ate a slice of pizza last night and now paying the price with vertigo. Are you able to go off the salt restriction and other medication. Thank you so much everyone it means a ton to me!!!
Hugs!
Leslie

Katie

Can you go more in depth on your dizziness and how often you deal with that?

Leslie,

I got a question about your insurance. I find it odd they will not approve the proceedure, I got BC/BShield and they did not even require preapproval! I wonder if they coded it correctly ect. I would make sure the doctor who dose it has done many of these in the past. The guy who did Katies is a first class specialist on this and the guy who did my surgary and Manvertigo dose about 2 a week for the last 20 years. Don't short cut anything make sure you get the best before you go under the knife, even this proceedure has a down side if the surgen is not experenced.

God bless!

Rich

I totally agree with Rich on this. When I first moved down here to south Florida, I started to see an ENT at The Cleveland Clinic, which is worldly known. This guy was a total jerk!!! I seen him twice and the second time, he had me in tears because he was so mean acting. I was ready to give up, and my partner suggested UM Health. I found a great ENT there!! He is the one that did my surgery. He had done so many in the past and is very experienced in it.

NOW... I haven't gotten vertigo since before the surgery, however, I have gotten dizzy spells. They are not as sever, but of course, when I feel it come on, I think.. oh, no, here we go. I actually got one last evening. I had to be helped to the couch and sit for a bit. They don't last as long and aren't as traumatic as before.
I am still always in fear of dizzy/vertigo spells...because that is how my track record had been. Good for a couple months, then, wham!!!

Just make sure you do your research, etc. on everything!!
keep us all updated!!

Katie

I forgot to mention... I was off my meds for a couple weeks, then started to have the dizzy spells again, so my doc told me to go back on them. Within a couple of days, I noticed a difference with everything. The pressure is most definitely better in that ear. my ear will actually pop when the pressure is too much, which it hadn't done in over 3 years.
I still have trouble going down isles in grocery stores. It's the visual stimulation that really bothers me. Or if there are a lot of people talking, it will affect me. I went with my partner to wash the car today at the automatic car wash and when it started to move, I thought I was going to pass out. She mentioned that it even made her stomach flip flop.
hopefully, one day there will be a cure for the disease. Until then, we all need to educate people on it. it's kind of a rare one that little is known about.

My insurance situation is kind of strange. They will cover the procedure but not a preop visit so I can't really ask the doc questions before hand. I talked with him on the phone after my primary care doctor sent a message to him that I wasn't doing well. He then suggested the surgery as the next step. He does not actually take my insurance which is military insurance. There is no doctor within a 50 mile radius who does does take my insurance so he pretty much does is on a voluntary basis and writes it off on his taxes. Thus not many in house appointments. I do see my regular doctor frequently and they communicate.
I have very thankful for your replies. My husband had thought he could return to work right after i had the surgery but he is now going to try to take some leave and then my mom is going to fly in and help out with my 4 kids for the following week. We are new to Rhode Island and just don't have any close friends or family nearby to help out. I am hopeful this will work. I had an attack last night while we were out to dinner to celebrate my oldest son's football season. Having the very sweet waitress box everything up while my husband takes me to the truck to lay down is not our idea of a "perfect" night out :)
Hugs to you all!!!!
Leslie

Leslie,
If you would be so kind, may I ask what treatments you have tried for your Meniere's and how long ago were you diagnosed? Are you working or disabled? Do you have profound deafness in one or both ears?

You do not have to answer, I would like to see and possably suggest if other non surgical options might be worth a try. The surgery is the last conservative treatment and there is great debate in the otolangology field if it is better than the placebo or not. It is only out of last ditch desperation that it should be considered.

I am here if you need me, God Bless!

Rich

RIch,
Sorry It took so long to reply I ended up in the hospital due to something unrelated!
I lost my job in June due to economy and my husband's job had us transfer to Rhode Island a month later. I was planning on getting a job but truly I know I can't. There are too many days I can't drive and looking dazed and falling doesn't look so good to a new boss! I have 25% hear loss in both ears so I am lucky compared to most! I have been having issues for over a year and was tentatively diagnosed June 2012. Since then I have been on a salt restricted diet, take dyaxide twice a day, klonodine at night, and valium as needed. Unfortunately every month my Menieres has been getting worse. I actually had a good week last week only to fall and hit my head 2 nights ago. I really am interested in getting the surgery. My husband will be deploying again in August and I one need him here to help me recover and 2 I have 4 kids and will really struggle raising them by myself (we move again in July to Florida) with my level of functioning.
I so appreciate everyones assistance It means to me. Most people I know have never heard of the disease and think I am mentally unstable with taking valium and klonopin.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Hugs!
Leslie

Leslie
I really am sorry for the state and condition you are in. I am concerned about the availablty of care for Meniere's that you could recieve in Rode Island. There are probably better doctors for your disorder in Florida. Katie on this site had surgury with some success done by a Florida doctor, with the population being older there are just more profeshionals out there for this condition. Recovery time is about 4 days in bed but can take up to three months to notice the difference. In your case with hearing loss in both ears there is a posability you have Meniere's in both ears, in that case doing just one side may or maynot give you the results you seek. Many of us here on this site are far to familar with the path you are on with the progression of this desease. No one can say how long it will go on or what the final outcome will be, many of us who can no longer work are on SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance). The amount you can get depends on how much you have paid into the system, there is a minimum amout you have to pay in and the amount awarded will range from $500 to $2500 a month. I would suggest at this point to have your plan A which it sounds like you have but also have a plan B and perhaps a plan C. With all those kids you might have to seek out family, church or other community services to help you bridge this crisis. Of all the folks I talk to on this site my heart aches the most for folks like you, a young lady in the peek of her life with beauitful kids to raise but having to deal with this misrable illness. I will pray for you and your husband and hope the some good comes out of the situation.

Have a blessed day!

Rich
I have no medical experence

Leslie

The doctor here in Miami is named Dr Eshraghi who does the surgery at University of Miami. Hes French and goes with the notion that the endolymphatic sac is under a immune attack and so the surgery eliminates those immune cells around the sac. His full name is Adrien Eshraghi and works for U Health which is the Univ of Miami Medical arm. Email me if you need his contact information.

You guys are awesome to give me his name! I will be living in Jacksonville, FL and will only be allowed to be seen at the military hospital there. It's kind of the benefit of RI is that it's a small hospital so they let us go out in town to see civilian docs for specialty issues. There no doubt is an ENT at NAS Jax and I will be under their care unless they deem necessary to be seen outside. I definitely will keep the name though because you never know what the ENT there will say!

Hope you guys have a great THanksgiving. I am thankful I found you all. I feel less alone.