The Day it All Happened

10th August 2011: I'd taken the day off work as I didn't feel well and I had been having dizzy spells for a few days. I'd complained to my husband that when he talked to me he sounded like he was under the water. The kids went off to school, my husband left for work, and I took some time to relax. I took a few phone calls on my mobile but it was getting hard to hear people talking. Just after lunch I sat down to watch TV but couldn't hear speech clearly so I had to turn it off. The dizzy spells were getting worse and I was feeling really unwell so I went to bed. When the kids arrived home at 3pm I couldn't hear them talking and the dizziness was so severe I couldn't move from my bed. That's when we went to the hospital. I was first diagnosed with labyrinthitis but after several weeks I saw a specialist who informed me that my hearing loss was permanent, possibly due to hereditary factors (my uncle and cousin were born with complete hearing loss). At this point, I leave the doctor's surgery and go shopping.