I am such a 'duh'! I thought you already had the air-in-ear test Gretchen. I wouldnt have freaked you out like that. I'm sorry.
Here is some better info with less drama.
1st, they have you sit on the edge of the table and wear a heavy pair of goggle that will read the movement of your eyes. Then they will flash or strobe some lights in front of you and ask you to follow them with your eyes. It isnt too bad, just hang onto the table and ask them for something to put your feet on. That helps alot. The light will be off when they do this.
Then, you will lay back on the table, still with the heavy goggles on, lights still off.
She/he will blow cool air into your ear. You wont like it. But, its a different kind of dizzy. More controlled than when you are at home. I had them bring in another tech to hold my hand and put one hand on my leg with pressure. Having something 'real' to hold onto kept me from feeling like I was going to fall off of the table. She keeps the air going until she gets the reading that she needs. Takes about 2 minutes.
They let you come back to your 'normal' state of dizzy before they do the other ear. Then they go back to warm air in the 1st ear and repeat the process. My panic came when they were done with the cold and the dizzy kept spiraling higher and higher even though she looked at the machine and said 'honey, you shouldnt be dizzy anymore, the pressure has droppped'. Wrong answer. That when I decided in my crazy brain that she must have gotten air into my bloodstream and I was surely having an aneurism... GAH! Thus the panic and anxiety.
Of course, once my crazy brain calmed down, I realized that there is no way for air to get into your bloodstream etc etc. I popped 2 meclizine and went home for a nice long nap.
So, your experience is going to me much better than mine! Promise!
Just plan to take a a comfy nap and not move around alot until your meclizine kicks in after the procedure. I had mine in my pocket and as soon as she said we were done, I swallowed them!
Fingers crossed for ya Gretchen!
Here is some better info with less drama.
1st, they have you sit on the edge of the table and wear a heavy pair of goggle that will read the movement of your eyes. Then they will flash or strobe some lights in front of you and ask you to follow them with your eyes. It isnt too bad, just hang onto the table and ask them for something to put your feet on. That helps alot. The light will be off when they do this.
Then, you will lay back on the table, still with the heavy goggles on, lights still off.
She/he will blow cool air into your ear. You wont like it. But, its a different kind of dizzy. More controlled than when you are at home. I had them bring in another tech to hold my hand and put one hand on my leg with pressure. Having something 'real' to hold onto kept me from feeling like I was going to fall off of the table. She keeps the air going until she gets the reading that she needs. Takes about 2 minutes.
They let you come back to your 'normal' state of dizzy before they do the other ear. Then they go back to warm air in the 1st ear and repeat the process. My panic came when they were done with the cold and the dizzy kept spiraling higher and higher even though she looked at the machine and said 'honey, you shouldnt be dizzy anymore, the pressure has droppped'. Wrong answer. That when I decided in my crazy brain that she must have gotten air into my bloodstream and I was surely having an aneurism... GAH! Thus the panic and anxiety.
Of course, once my crazy brain calmed down, I realized that there is no way for air to get into your bloodstream etc etc. I popped 2 meclizine and went home for a nice long nap.
So, your experience is going to me much better than mine! Promise!
Just plan to take a a comfy nap and not move around alot until your meclizine kicks in after the procedure. I had mine in my pocket and as soon as she said we were done, I swallowed them!
Fingers crossed for ya Gretchen!