During the Deepavali holiday, CP and WY were poring over the past year exam papers to prepare for WY's year-end exams when M started to feel giddy as she got up from the floor. She had been watching tv.
All that we could do was to help make sure she didn't fall etc. M moved to her bedroom and rested. The giddiness eased off only much later in the evening.
The following day, CP took leave to run some errands in the morning. In the afternoon, she accompanied M to People's Park to visit a different Chinese physician whom M's friend had 'strongly recommended'. This physician holds some 'doctorate' TCM qualifications and is supposedly very experienced.
The physician said that M's blood circulation needs to be improved, and it is because the blood flow is weak and cannot reach her head that she experiences the giddiness and nausea. So his suggested treatment was to build up the body strength. He gave M 3 packs of herbal stuff to boil and drink to '补血'. M did so with the 1st pack.
The next morning, however, M woke up and complaint that her right ear was 'blocked'. I imagine this was something like what we would usually feel if water has gone into our ear during a swim etc.
She was rather uncomfortable, but proceeded with her morning exercise and marketing trip nevertheless. But alas, when she returned at 7+ am, she told us that she had begun to feel unwell and fortunately, a friend was with her. Her friend, on seeing her 'condition', had walked her to our block before returning home when they were done with their exercises.
It turned out that that friend of M's does not believe in TCM and Chinese physicians. So she urged M to consult a western medicine doctor instead and offered to accompany her there.
M thought about it a while and decided to pay the ENT specialist at Parklane Mall another visit. So after M had a quick shower as we got WF ready for school, we all set off together. First, we picked up M's friend and then sent WF to school. After that, we proceeded to Selegie and dropped off the 2 elderly ladies at Parklane Mall. M insisted that she did not need either R or me to go along.
About an hour later, M called me in office and updated that the doctor had observed that the '胫' (hokkien: "goon") in her right ear seemed enlarged. M did not 'dare' to tell the doctor that she had taken the herbal concoction earlier. The doctor gave M some medicines. M felt the ear 'un-blocked' after that and there was no more giddiness. She felt much better after that.
Yesterday, M went on her follow-up appointment with the ENT Clinic at SGH. This time, she was seen by a relatively inexperienced Registrar (just graduated kind of young doctor). Senior Consultant directed M, a subsidized patient, to the young doctor at the end of our 1st consultation at the ENT Clinic - can understand why, lor. 什么医者父母心，骗人的！我说，他们是看有钱、没钱之心！！)
The Registrar conducted some hearing tests with some kind of tuning fork and found that M couldn't pick up the sound when the fork was placed behind her right ear! The hearing on the front and on all sides of the left year was fine.
So the Registrar ordered an MRI scan for M. This is scheduled to be on 12 Nov. A fortnight later, the Registrar would review the results with M.
R and I have arranged - R will accompany M to the scan whilst I will go with M to review the results. We hope everything's all right.
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Now I know from whom I have this ear "weakness" from.
In the last few years, I had at least 3 "attacks" whereby the ear was inflammed or infected with some virus, and then my balance mechanism was also impaired.
I also saw the "room spinning" sensation (I remember once in SGP, I also had this, and had to be carried to the ambulance and then to the hospital).
It happened to me 3 times while here.
Only thing to do is: keep healthy, sleep well, do not RUSH RUSH RUSH.
The more I rush, the worse the condition became. I also know stress is part of the contributing factor to this imbalance.
Perhaps you can ask M to slow down. I know it is easier said than done, but still it has to be said.
Thank you.
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