The final test is a balance test and as a form of caution, they suggest that I prepare by expecting to vomit. I was so nervous, because sometimes if I simply touch my ear and my head starts spinning*.

I flashbacked to the worst vertigo and I remember that intense feeling of wanting to vomit. Yeah, that wasn’t fun. I expected this medical procedure to be painful, so I had this mental block on until it was about to happen.

The Day of:

Back at Sunnybrook and ready for this rumble.

I was brought down the hallway by a nurse that I suspect who has been doing this for quite some time. She walked down the hallways like they were all too familiar, and she spoke of the many transitions in technology: old and new.

The test is essentially warm-to-hot water being shot into both ears where it triggers a change in temperature that then triggered the nerve that controls balance. (This shift of temperature on one side should generally make people dizzy). Then the patient follows the lights with the eyes and then list off items or names out loud.

When they checked my ear, they noticed a thin ear drum from my previous surgery (a stapedectomy). In this case, they chose to shoot cold air in my ear instead of warm water – less accurate, but a test nonetheless.

When the warm water was injected into each ear, I then had to follow a light with my eyes, then close my eyes and list off cities from around the world. (Balance registers better when the brain is engaged). The initial feeling was “I am going to vomit!!”…. but then it subsided and I was fine. I felt a mild dizziness as best.

I told the lady afterward: “This is a walk in the park!! Have you ever experienced vertigo??”

Conclusion #1: I’m totally imbalanced. My left side was barely responding.

Conclusion #2: They’re likely to operate on the left, as not to infer with the balance on my right.

*In recent months, the density of bone has been thickening in a section of my inner ear. Because of this, I suspect this has affected my balance.