I finally did this medical test
I’ve been putting it off for months, and I finally got it done today.
Here I am getting both cold and hot water pushed into my ears, triggering a dizzy spell.
It’s called an ENG (electronystagmography) Balance Test, and the way my neurologist first described it, it sounded crazy. She said the technician will essentially pour water into my ears until I feel like I’m drowning, creating dizziness and nausea.
(That’s TORTURE, I thought! So, why would I put myself through something that sounded like I was going to be water boarded through my ears?)
Besides the water test, there was a sound vibration test, which wasn’t bad at all.
Then, there was this tiny booth, where I was put into a chair and had to secure myself with a seat belt.
Getting ready to trigger more motion sickness… the tech spun the wall first, then spun my chair and eventually spun both the walls and my chair.
…all the while…they were apparently monitoring my eye movements…
What do those ups and down on the chart mean?
When I google this test, it says:
Electrodes are placed around the eyes, forehead, and sometimes on the sides of the head
The patient may be asked to follow a moving object, look up and down, or move their head
Cold or warm water or air may be sprayed into the ears
Eye movements are recorded on graph paper
The above doesn’t sound too bad, but that’s not what the neurologist said. The way she described it, I did NOT want to do it. I postponed this test for months. Every time it came up, I called and made an excuse to move it. Most of the excuses were legitimate, like the wildfires in January, but it was also my own fears of triggering dizziness and nausea, something I’ve been suffering from since late 2021.
This is what happens to us when we postpone, procrastinate and put off things. Our bodies do not feel safe enough to do it, so we procrastinate. We’re not lazy. It’s just a matter of feeling safe.
What helped me to finally do it? The last time I called to reschedule, the scheduler said that 98% of the people who did the test ended up being OK. Dizziness and nausea were more minimal, and if I needed to rest before I left, they will give me a bucket and time to rest.
The other thing that helped? My husband came with me. He held my hand through the water flushing, and when it triggered heightened dizziness, he did something that made me emotional.
He unzipped the jacket I was wearing.
I know it doesn’t sound like much, but in the moment, it felt so loving because he really knew me and anticipated my needs. I usually get really hot when I get dizzy and nauseous, so just by unzipping the jacket, even a little bit, it felt like he was supporting me exactly how I needed.
Have you ever experienced this kind of love and support? Someone who knew what you needed and delivered it exactly the moment you needed it? This definitely created safety and even a release, when I got emotional. That helped calm me down enough to finish the tests.
When it comes to finances, you also have to create that sense of safety and security in your body first before you can make those money moves.
Let me know if you want support in creating this sense of safety and security in your body. Subscribe below and reach out!
With Love & Gratitude,
