Relief at last for a balance-and-falls patient

“I was very dizzy. I had a very bad headache, and I was photophobic, so it was really hard to keep my eyes open without using sunglasses.”

Janet had a balance and inner-ear problem that was affecting every aspect of her life. At the suggestion of her middle school principal, at the school where she taught, she went to see Dr. LaRouere, a neuro-otologist.

“Hearing and balance disorders affect millions of Americans,” says Dr. LaRouere. “With balance-and-falls disorders, a patient's daily life is very much impacted. They have trouble going to work, or trouble doing just the everyday things of life."

"Currently we have several diagnostic areas in which we can pinpoint the patient's balance problem. And then we have treatments that are geared toward those specific balance disorders,” explains Dr. LaRouere.

Dr. LaRouere and his team tried everything to find the answer to Janet’s problem.

"Our St. John Health System Balance and Falls Clinic is unique in that we have a multidisciplinary approach, or a team approach, to balance disorders. We have the world-renowned Michigan Ear Institute, of which I'm a member, which treats inner-ear disorders. In addition to that, we have neurologists, neurosurgeons, and vestibular therapists who work closely with each other in treating these patients' balance disorders.”

They also have one of three unique systems in the entire country called the Epley Omniax® System, which is used to treat positional dizziness.

“This machine can actually work within minutes or seconds in relieving the patient of their balance disorder,” Dr. LaRouere says.

Unfortunately, after many tests and treatments, Janet’s problem proved to be so severe she ended up having surgery. She remembers, “My doctor and his staff, I've gotten to know all of the nurses and the other people there, they've been phenomenal. The people at the hospital, everybody, has just been fantastic. During that year, I was pretty much dependent on everyone.”

Today, Janet is grateful to have her life back.

“Once I was done with this surgery, I was able to able to go back to having a social life. I could go and buy a gallon of milk without calling someone and asking them to take me. I could teach school without wearing sunglasses. I could go out to the golf course and play, without being sick after one hole of golf. I could go to a movie theater and watch a movie without having to take some medicine. It's fantastic. When I woke up, and that dizziness was gone, there was just pure elation. “