I've had a little bit of earache today but not as bad as recent days. It is noticeable and I think it may have impacted my vertigo in a negative fashion. I've had to hold off attending a couple of jobs because of this minor setback but I can't do this indefinitely. As long as I can get onsite and keep seated I should be OK. It's just the travelling and exposure to the elements that might cause a problem.

I am still using the micropore tape to shut my eye at night and to be honest, I can't say that the eye muscles have made any dramatic return to strength. The only problem is that I when I pull it off too quickly I risk removing a few layers of skin! Hahahaaa.

Today is the day that the MerseysideTaiChi.com website is being previewed to the instructors so a lot of last minute changes have meant that the candle has burnt pretty low tonight. However, we have already received some positive feedback so it has been worth the blood and sweat. A few days left till the site goes LIVE to the general public so at least we have a good cushion for chops and changes.

Had a few hassles today but I'm sure they will be sorted out. I'm back at the hospital on Friday morning anyway so I will be able to discuss matters with the Big Cheese himself.

Otherwise, I tried to resume some normality today especially as I am going to be taking over the reins once more at the refurb project next week. I hope I'm going to be a bit steadier than today because I have felt quite 'trippy' outside after the taxi ride. Not to worry. Laugh it off and hope that I don't trip over in the middle of the road.

Since the start of the illness, my best friend has been my fleece hat. I've been told to keep the ear covered and protected from the elements and I can say that it has been an invaluable item of clothing. Highly recommended by Rob... two thumbs up!

I went to the hospital today for a check-up at ENT and they seem to be pretty happy with my progress. The doc checked my ears for vesicles (blisters) but everything was OK and then gave me a run down of the results from the hearing test carried out a fortnight ago. The chart showed a significant difference in response from the left and right ears... but it wasn't as I had expected.

My hearing has been affected by the illness to the point where I have a constant high pitched ringing (tinnitus) and sounds are definitely more 'muffled'. This was anticipated from the outset and it is a recognised symptom of Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

However, the chart showed that the hearing on the left side was worse than the right so I explained to the doctor that I have had problems with the left side since my first hearing tests in infant school... problem solved. Hopefully the damage to the right shouldn't be permanent but we'll have to see. Both sides were also showing signs of noise induced hearing loss (as indicated by a characteristic notch around 4hz) and I believe this to be a result of loud music in the car and in nightclubs!

I mentioned the earaches too but this is something that will go away. In the meantime a couple of Aspirin would help me if needed.

The vertigo was a different matter though. As I have been previously told, the recovery period varies greatly from person to person so it's hard to give an exact timescale. I mentioned that I was quite frustrated with the drunken feeling... not being able to walk around properly and not being able to drive so he explained that drugs could be prescribed to surpress the imbalance. I've been told this before too by the neurologist. However, if they were taken frequently they would slow down the natural healing process.

I've got some Cyclizine tablets left over anyway but I think I'll leave them in the draw because I don't believe in masking a problem for convenience. It's like taking a load of painkillers so that you can carry on playing football with a broken foot.

Just before I left he asked me for the URL to this site. Apparently, they have been looking at the site in the hospital so he wanted to take a look for himself... HI DOC! Nice one.

Back for another check-up in a month.

After the hospital I got a taxi into work for the first time in nearly two months. It was good to see everyone but I got a bit of a shock when I saw the state of the work carried out on the building site. The short plank will be brought out again on Monday.

I went to get my hair cut today and decided to walk the short journey home... wow, what a journey it was! I can only describe it as being like 'Mr Soft' from the Softmints advert. All spongy and bouncy and trippy and wobbly and crazy and.... you get the picture. When I finally got home I had to go lie down for a bit because I felt a little 'out-there.'

After about 10mins on terra firma I was OK except for a bit of earache. At the moment, it seems as though I am much more susceptible to earpains than the average person due to the damage caused by the RHS. I hope this isn't a long term thing because the pains are exacerbated by the wind and cold... not a problem in Sunny-England! hmmmmm

An uneventful day with an uneventful beginning, uneventful middle and uneventful end... hmmmmm... lazy Sundays.

Today was the first proper day back at work. Had a meeting with the contractors and then had a meeting with the practice manager. Things seemed to go quite well as far as the actual pen-to-paper was concerned but the vertigo was a problem that I had to mask. I felt quite dizzy downtown, on the building site and in the office but I couldn't exactly lie down to gather my senses. Just had to deal with it and carry on. By the end of the day I was happy to get home because the 9am-6pm was a little heavy for a first day back. Good job fella nonetheless.

Once again I have had the dreaded earache so I think I should shove some cotton wool down my lugs tomorrow. Thinking of popping some of those Cyclizine tablets to counter the balance problem but I'm not sure how it will feel when the effects wear off. Hehehee. Could be like suddenly going from sober to 10 pints! Wouldn't that be funny during a presentation? Naaah, before people start freaking out... I'm exaggerating! The effects aren't like that at all. It's more like 20 pints hehehee... joking!

Besides the ear pains I haven't had any other problems to speak of. Face is doing good and only one person noticed the residual BP.

Besides the balance I have had a little more trouble with the earache and it hurts all the way down to the jawline. I guess this is due to going out alot more than the past few weeks.

I'm also a bit more positive about the progress with my face as it hasn't been mentioned by any of my workmates unless I specifically point it out. There's still a little weakness around the right of my lip and cheek but it's not that noticeable.