. . . . . . . .Pressure Problems

Ahh, there is nothing quite like Spring Break in Utah! Luckily, we ventured to a warm spot in Utah, where it actually feels like Spring. We are in St. George, staying with our dear friends, the Taylors. Their hospitality is even warmer than the weather.

The kids have caught on that this is a fun place to be. Trenden summed it up this morning when he said, "This is even more fun than I thought it would be!" And that was before we went 4-wheeling or they took a dip in the pool (still a bit too cold for the pool).

The boys LOVED the ATV adventure. Daven had a grin from ear to ear, as did Casen and Trenden. I had on my special moisture chamber sunglasses, plus a set of heavy duty goggles, so I didn't get any wind/air/dirt in my eye. I must have looked like quite a sight, but it was worth it to watch the kids laugh!

I did experience unexpected pressure problems on the drive here. The descent into St. George takes you from one of the highest driving points in Utah to one of the lowest, all in the matter of about 60 miles. In figuring out what was happening in my head, Tolan explains it like this:

Dr. Orlandi sealed the eustation tube (in my ear) in order to seal the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) leak that plagued me for more than 4 weeks after my first craniotomy. The sealed tube trapped fluid in my ear. At that time, my right ear did not need to pressurize, so elevation changes were not an issue. Now that my CSF leak has stopped leaking, the fluid in my ear has dried up and now there is just air, like the other side, so now my ear needs to pressurize. However, it can't because the eustation tube is still sealed, thus not allowing the needed pressurization to take place.

At first my ear just started to feel weird as we began our descent out of the mountains. As we drove further down the mountain, the pressure started to build in my head and ear. Once we hit St. George, my whole head did not feel right. My ear was obviously struggling to pressurize, but unsuccessfully. I ended up with a pretty intense headache and a "not right" feeling in my ear. So, for the first time in ages, I took a "heavy hitter" pill last night before snuggling into the comfiest guest bed I have ever slept in.

Today I am doing better, but I have had dizzy spells all day, likely attributed to my inner ear being off because of the pressure problems. The good news is I am not in pain today, so it has been a great, fun and relaxing day with our friends.

I will post pictures of our adventures when we return home. We are doing an Easter Egg Hunt tonight with the neighborhood and one tomorrow with our hosts' family. :) Should be wonderful!