Everything has been a bit of a blur in the past few days. It started on Monday as I felt nauseous after dinner. I ended up going to bed at the same time as the children as I could barely stand up. I felt drunk even though I had not had any alcohol. All night, Hubby passed me Wriggly whenever she needed milk, then he changed her nappy and put her back to bed after each feed. My body was there but my head was not…
Luckily, on Tuesday, hubby had a day off for paternity leave and he took charge of the whole morning routine with Crevette, Beanie and Jumpy, taking our little man to school and then going to playgroup with the girls. When they got home around lunchtime, I had managed to get dressed and go downstairs with Wriggly. I felt relieved that the dizziness had been temporary.
On Wednesday morning, I started feeling unsteady again, but dismissed it as I assumed I had not eaten enough or was simply worried at the prospect of spending the day in South Kensington to sort out Wriggly’s French birth certificate and papers. It was after all my first time out in Central London with my newborn baby, and I was not too keen, as she was just over two weeks old. Nonetheless, it had to be done as we are off to France in August, and with no passport or identity card for Wriggly, we will not go through customs.
Going on that trek across London at rush hour was not a good idea. The train and tube journeys were surreal. Walking in the underground corridors, I felt disorientated and unstable. The floor was moving beneath me. With my left hand I was supporting Wriggly who was sleeping peacefully in the sling, and holding on to handrails or the walls with my right hand. Going down the stairs and escalators was terrifying as vertigo was kicking in.
We made it to the embassy for our appointment, but I was still dizzy and quite confused. After giving all the papers needed for Wriggly’s French birth certificate, we had a couple of hours to wait until I could apply for her passport and ID. We went to Carluccio’s where I had coffee and bread whilst feeding Wriggly and reading my book. I still did not feel right, and after I ordered an orange juice and more bread, I told the waiter I thought I was going to faint. He immediately called his manager, Fabio, who made sure someone was with Wriggly and I at all times from then on.
Another lovely member of staff, Vera, sat by my side and kept checking I was fine. At no point was I made to feel like I was a burden. Vera and Fabio just looked after me, seeking medical advice, reminding me to drink water, even coming with me to change Wriggly’s nappy. I lay down next to Wriggly on the leather seat and closed my eyes. It was the only position in which the world stopped spinning around me. They tried getting an ambulance to come and get me, but the emergency services were too busy for my mild symptoms, which was understandable. I still could not go anywhere or stand up on my own and kept repeating that I was going to miss my appointment at the embassy. There was no way I could go back there, even though it was only two minutes away from the restaurant. Hubby came all the way from home with our girls to pick us up and by 3 p.m., I was tucked up in bed.
I have been lethargic ever since and every time I have tried standing up, I have had to hold on to furniture and walls. On Thursday morning, just going down the stairs to open the front door for Crevette to walk to school with my friend Aimee was like a superhuman effort. Hubby came home from work around 12 p.m. because I was so drowsy I was worried I would not wake up for Wriggly, or find the strength to take her out of her bed to feed her. Hubby has been the best nurse anyone could wish for, juggling work, our four children, keeping me fed and hydrated.
He called my doctor for advice, and she offered to do a home visit, as she thought it was out of character for me to be bedridden. I love my doctor! She was with us within the hour and quickly diagnosed that I was suffering from labyrinthitis, an inner ear infection which affects your balance. I had never heard of it and it sounded really whacky to me, from the symptoms that disappear as soon as you lie down (hence this post, written in bed), to the name the condition has been given, to the fact the symptoms should disappear spontaneously within a few weeks (yes, weeks!)! When I asked her what could have caused it, she explained that it was most likely to be viral, or could be linked to allergies. Could that hay fever that has been plaguing me for the past few weeks be responsible?
Here is a good tip from my lovely doctor. You can find information about medical conditions as well as a symptom checker on the following website: www.patient.co.uk. It provides health professionals with articles written by doctors as well as less technical leaflets on conditions for the general public.
That sounds like a scary time, rest and get better soon x
Thanks Alex… I have to say I am now dreading another trip to the embassy.
Ohh dear….What a rubbish week!
The staff at the restaurant sound amazing! Well done them for looking after you so well!
I hope you are feeling better soon….It sounds an awful thing to have x
They were amazing and I have started drafting a letter to their boss. I just wish everything would stop spinning…
Oh gosh you poor thing! Sounds like hubby has been wonderful and the staff in the cafe sound amazing, so caring! Must have been awful and so scary when you were out with wriggly! My aunt had vertigo recently, which I never knew before was an actual thing, and it has taken months for her to get properly back to normal. I’ve not heard of labyrinthitis but I hope it doesn’t take too long until your back on your feet! Get well soon lovely xx #wotw
In moments like that, having kind people around you helps so much. Hubby has been amazing, the staff at Carluccio’s were caring, my doctor is the best, the kids have been cuddly and my friend Aimee has been taking my little man to school. I feel very lucky to have all these wonderful people around. Now go away, dizziness!
je connais plusieurs personnes qui ont eu ça, on est super mal apparemment. Si ça persiste, en France, il y a un kiné spécial qui te fait une manipulation au niveau de la tête, peut-être qu’il y a pareil in UK???? repose-toi bien ma p’tite Nanie, je pense qu’une petite baisse de tension et aussi possible et est venue se surajouter, repose-toi un petit peu: accouchement, 4 bébés, la chaleur, l’allaitement, tu a besoin de reprendre des forces!!!!!!! gros bisous
J’en reviens pas que tu aies entendu parler de la labyrinthite! Quel truc bizarre… Pas super agreeable d’avoir l’impression d’avoir bu sans avoir bu… Je croise les doigts pour ne plus rien avoir cet été, mais si ça persiste, kiné direct en France! En attendant, je ne fais que dormir puisque je ne suis bien qu’en position allongée… x
You poor thing, let me know if you want me to come with you when you next need to go to the French Embassy, as I am more than happy to. Take care xxxx
Jo, that is so sweet of you, thanks! x
Oh no, this sounds awful, Mel, and hugely frustrating. I do hope that it goes away soon x Thanks for sharing with #WotW
Me too! On the positive side, I have been resting a lot.
Oh no – sounds like a nightmare! Fingers crossed that next week will be better! #WotW
Take care
Lucas
Just feeling really odd… Hoping it will go away quickly!
Hope it goes away as quickly as it arrived. I mean, how rude – doesn’t it know you have things to do! But sounds like the carluccio people were fantastic. Take care x
Thanks Stephanie… The staff at Carluccio’s could not have been nicer! I just wish my head would stop spinning now…
Gosh Mel, you poor thing. It must have been terrifying to be in the city with your little baby and feeling like that. I’m glad you were so well looked after, the staff at Carluccios sound amazing. Hope you are over this really quickly xxx
It really was… but I could not have been in better hands. I have just written a few letters and emails about these two amazing members of staff. Let’s hope it does not take too long for that inner ear to heal!
Eek – that’s a bit scary with a little newborn in tow honey! What a strange virus – I’ve never heard of it before but it makes me think of David Bowie somehow 🙂 I hope your symptoms are not going to plague you for weeks! Too much! Lots of rest for you methinks X
I had never heard of it either and I have now officially had enough of my bed! David Bowie???
From the film Labyrinth? 🙂
Haha, sorry, I am not really with it! Cheesy!
Oh gosh this sounds horrible you poor thing 🙁
Hope it clears up for you soon xx
Me too!
How awful. I hope it clears up quickly. Three cheers for the Carluccios staff and your husband.
Having great people around you when those things happen makes such a difference.
Oh no, sorry to hear – poor you. Not easy at all especially with a newborn. Hope you feel better very, very soon.
Me too, I have had enough now… but trying to do anything takes so much energy as you really have to focus not to lose your balance. Not something I would wish on anyone.
Oh non l’horreur ! Si seulement j’étais plus près, je pourrais t’aider. J’espère que tu vas vite aller mieux. Maman a eu ça aussi donc je connais un peu de loin. Finalement c’était écrit que je ne devais pas venir vendredi… Courage à toi et ton p’tit mari, ménage-toi comme tu peux, je t’envoie plein d’ondes positives. xxx
Merci, tu es adorable. Pas marrant, ce truc! xx
Wow, sounds like you had some really scary moments and some fantastic support. Hope you’re feeling a bit better but how will you cope for a couple of weeks? Take care x
Best support I could imagine but still oh so dizzy… Hoping it will go soon. x
Oh Mel, I’m just catching up with blog posts now. So sorry to hear how poorly you’ve been, it does sound awfully scary. Thankfully the staff in Carluccios and your hubby have looked after you well. I really hope it passes soon. Best wishes Julie xx
We’ve just managed to go to our local park, but it took so much effort to walk there. Crazy how losing your balance makes everything so difficult…
Thats so scary! Kudos to the Carlucio’s staff! They are so nice. Tho can I just say that the staff near me are also so child friendly! Get well soon! #wotw
Once you have a few places where you know the staff are really child-friendly, then you just tend to go back there again and again, don’t you? Whenever I am in South Kensington, I have lunch or coffee in that restaurant.
Firstly I have a MASSIVE apology to make – I hadn’t even realised that Wriggly had arrived!!! HUGE CONGRATULATIONS gorgeous and I am so sorry I have been so vacant from your blog. I am so sorry to hear you have been poorly. I really hope it all gets resolved very, very soon. Big love to you and thank you for linking to PoCoLo 🙂 x
No worries my lovely. She is gorgeous! I cannot believe she will be 3 weeks old tomorrow already…
Oh hon just what you don’t need with a newborn and three kids to contend with! Really hope you’re on the mend soon – I’ve heard that ear infections can make you dizzy 🙁 Big hugs my dear xxx
Luckily I have great friends who have been looking after us (taking kids for the day, cooking for us, coming round etc.). I wish it was an ear infection. At least, antibiotics would clear it, but with the inner ear, you just have to be patient and wait for it to clear spontaneously. It feels like I have been drunk for a whole week, not great!
Sounds nasty! I’m so pleased you’re being looked after though lovely.
Thank you my lovely. x
I hope you feel better very soon!!! Big hug xx
Thanks my lovely!
Ooh sweetie! Hope you haven’t had any more of those dizzy spells? You managed that great honey! That’s really not a pleasant situation to be in at all!
#wordoftheweek #PoCoLo
Not pleasant indeed. Luckily I had great people around. I am still so dizzy… hoping it will go away soon!
…and you still manage to keep going! You truly are the most incredible lady. I really do hope you feel better soon. I can’t believe you went for a trek in London!!!! My mum had it when I was younger and I really remember how awful it was 🙁
It really is debilitating… I hope it goes away by the end of the week. I really do not want to miss the allergy show (and meeting you ‘for real’) on Saturday. x
Oh no! Forgot about that! I am willing it away!! Think we are meeting at 11 on sat in the cafe…may be 12 so checking tweets! Hope you will be there x
I will try my best to be there! x
Wow! That does sound very frightening and I’m so glad that the restaurant staff were so kind and helpful. I do hope that the symptoms are easing now and that you’ll soon be back to normal. I’m glad your husband has been such a wonderful nurse too! Take care!
It is still there but the symptoms are nothing compared to last week, thank goodness!
Oh Mel, I missed this at the time, it sounds just awful, especially when you’re trying to deal with a newborn. Thank goodness you’ve got such a good husband, doctor and support network. I really hope you’re feeling better now x
I felt dreadful at the time, but on the plus side, I ended up resting and sleeping a lot. All back to normal now!