Could it be Vertigo Ch. 9
Disclaimer: See chapter one
Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, but here's the chapter you all have been waiting on. Once again, I have no medical knowledge whatsoever, so please forgive any obvious errors.
SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN
Previously: "So doc, what's the verdict?" Dean questioned once again as his fingers nervously tapped on his thighs.
"Well after extensive testing, I can tell you exactly that Sam is suffering from Meniere's Disease." Dr. Wilson answered as he noted the quizzical look that crossed their faces upon hearing the diagnosis.
"Meniere's Disease, what in the hell is that? Look, I think you've got it wrong doc. You'd better run your tests again." John stated unbelievingly. "With the way Sammy has been acting lately, you need to run some drug tests on the kid and that'll show ya exactly what's wrong with him."
"Listen Mr…."
"John, just call me John."
"Listen John, the first thing we did when your son was admitted was to run some toxicology blood tests on him since he had an unknown illness. It is standard procedure in cases like his to rule out the possibility of drugs being the cause of whatever is affecting the patient. The only thing we found in your son's system was acetaminophen which suggests he had taken some Tylenol to help with pain."
Dean's anger flared as he listened to the doctor. Even after being given proof that something was medically wrong with Sam, John still believed his brother was using drugs. Clenching his fists to keep from swinging at his dad, he took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself. The last thing he wanted was to be kicked out of the hospital so he couldn't see Sammy.
"But, you must have made some kind of mistake. Sammy's actions are consistent with someone who is using drugs. I mean, he's been argumentative and moody lately. His eyes are glassy and he's been unsteady on his feet." John retorted with a huff."
"And all of those signs you've just mentioned are consistent with Meniere's disease which is a disease of the inner ear. As we were testing Sam, he experienced another attack which allowed us to verify our diagnosis with one hundred percent certainty." The doctor explained patiently.
"So just what does happen during an attack?" Joshua asked seeing the way that Dean was struggling to control his anger. He knew Dean would want to know all the facts about this disease Sam had, hell…he wanted to know himself.
"Just before an attack, Sam gets a feeling of pressure in his ears which causes fluctuation in his hearing, followed by tinnitus or ringing in the ears. This is followed by severe vertigo in which the person feels as though their world is spinning on it's axis, and then nausea and vomiting usually follow. As is usually the case, Sam is suffering from severe exhaustion after this latest episode and he will probably sleep for the next few hours." Matthew responded in answer to the tall man's question.
As John stood there taking in the information the doctor was saying, his heart nearly dropped to his feet and he felt so weak in the knees that he thought he might fall. "How could I have been so wrong? I was so sure it was drugs, but then I should have known Sammy was too smart to do something like that."
Suddenly remembering that he had made Sam strip so that he could check his arms and legs, John felt the guilt increase tenfold and wished he could take back everything he had did and said over the last week or so. Scrubbing a hand across his mouth, he glanced at Dean to see the anger radiating off him in waves and knew he would soon be catching mortal hell from his oldest.
"So what are you going to do for this Meniere's disease, I mean you can give Sammy something to cure it right?" Dean questioned anxiously as he diverted his attention away from his dad to the doctor.
"I wish I could, but at this point there is no cure for Meniere's disease, though there are claims that researchers are nearing a cure. We can give Sam medications to manage the attacks and to help control the debilitating symptoms that come with then, but they won't stop them all together." Matthew stated with an air of sadness.
"Doc, how often will the attacks occur?" John asked, the guilt nearly consuming him for not having brought Sammy to the doctor sooner.
"I wish I could tell you John, but with Meniere's disease, there's really no set pattern. The attacks can come in clusters meaning that several attacks can occur within a short period of time or they can be spaced apart. Some attacks have even been known to occur years apart. From all the information I have gathered, I would say Sam has been experiencing cluster attacks, and as such, they can be very debilitating to deal with." Dr. Wilson answered.
"Doc, you said that there were medications that Sam could take. Can you please tell us about those?" Joshua queried.
"For the vertigo, I will be prescribing either Meclizine or Lorazepam to help with the dizziness, both of which will most likely make Sam drowsy and require him to sleep for periods at a time. For the nausea and vomiting, we'll give Sam some Phenergan or Compazine which come in oral or suppository form. Suppositories usually work best since they can't be vomited back up in the middle of an attack." Matthew replied.
"Sammy will just love that." Dean quipped knowing how Sam would react to anyone trying to shove a suppository up his backside. "What about managing the attacks, is there anything we can do to make them less severe when they happen?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact there is. When Sam is having an acute attack, have him lay down on a firm surface and stay as motionless as possible, but make sure he does not close his eyes. Instead, have him focus on a stationary object. And whatever you do, make sure he doesn't drink any fluids as he'll vomit them right back up. Once the spinning sensation stops, you can allow him to sit up, but make sure he does it slowly." Dr. Wilson declared as he looked at the three men standing before him.
Oh and there is one more thing I need to warn you about. With Meniere's disease, there is always a chance that Sam could suffer from a sudden fall that is known as an otolithic crisis of Tumarkin. These falls typically occur without warning and are brought about by a sudden deformation of the otolith organs in the ear. Basically, that means that Sam will feel as if he is falling when in actuality he may be standing straight. In trying to reposition himself, he will experience a sudden fall which could cause extensive injury if he is standing on anything hard like concrete or if he is near enough to something to strike his head on it.
"Son of a bitch." John groaned as he placed his hand to his head knowing now that Sam falling against him in the woods and knocking off his shot was most likely due to the disease. "God Sammy, I'm so sorry for the way I acted." He whispered feeling lower than a snakes belly.
Dr Wilson gave John a curious look wondering just what the man had did that he was now apologizing for. "As one last note of caution, I recommend that Sam be taken in for a hearing test every year. One of the effects of Meniere's disease is a gradual hearing loss over time.
"Damn it, can things possibly get any worse for the kid?" Dean seethed as he glared at his father once again.
"Dean, I know the news is overwhelming, but at least there is hope for a cure on the horizon if researchers are right. I know it could mean that they are still years away from finding a cure, but at least there is hope." Matthew advised.
"Yeah I guess. When can I go see my baby brother?" Dean asked stressing the word "I" as he looked pointedly at his father.
"Sam is sleeping, but you can go see him right now if you'd like as long as you don't wake him. He'll need several hours of sleep to get over this last attack."
"Thanks doc, for everything you've done for Sammy." Dean said as he reached out to shake the man's hand and started striding down the hall. He could tell that Joshua and his father were following him by the sounds of their footsteps. Rounding the corner and seeing the hallway relatively empty, he came to a sudden stop and waited. It only took seconds for his dad to round the corner also and he grasped the man by the lapels of his jacket and slammed him back against the wall forcefully.
Surprised at the sudden assault by his oldest, John gasped, "Dean, what the hell?"
"Don't you what the hell me dad?" Dean gritted through clenched teeth keeping his voice low and filled with anger. "You have no damn right whatsoever to see Sammy after the way you've treated him so why don't you just go back to the motel where you belong and leave us the hell alone."
"Dean, I know I was wrong and you'll never know how sorry I am, but I'm still his father."
"Then why the hell didn't you act like one huh, tell me that? You were so damned sure of yourself that you wouldn't even listen to Sammy when he told you he wasn't taking drugs, that something was medically wrong with him. Instead, you make him strip down to his boxers and embarrass the hell out of him so you can check his arms and legs for needle tracks. Do you even care what that did to his psyche? He cried all night long Dad, even though he tried to hide it from me, and it's all your fault." Dean lambasted as he let his feelings out. He wanted John to know just how much harm he had done to Sam.
"Damn it Dean, don't you think I'm sorry for all of that now. I know how wrong I was and God knows I wish I could take it all back but I can't."
"That's right dad, you can't. Sammy will have to live the rest of his life knowing he has a dad that didn't give a shit about him, that would rather believe he was some junky instead of actually being sick. Do you even freaking realize that if I hadn't dragged Sammy away in the middle of the night that you would still think he was using?"
"Yes Dean, I realize that and I'm sorry." John iterated as he looked his son in the eyes.
"Sorry's not good enough Dad, not this time. You were way out of line and you know it. Hell, you bitched the kid out for falling and knocking off your aim on the hunt for the wendigo. Do you know how dangerous it was to take Sam on that hunt in his condition? He could have been killed."
"Damn it Dean, I didn't know what was wrong then."
"That's right, you didn't because you chose not to. All you've cared about lately is putting him down and showing him how inept he is as a hunter. Well let me tell you something Dad, he has been experiencing these attacks for months but never said anything. He was probably too afraid of catching hell from you about sucking it up." Dean told his father in no uncertain terms.
"Dean, please, just let me explain."
"I'm sorry Dad, but I don't think anything you say could ever make me forgive you for the way you've acted. Hell, I don't feel like I can even trust you with Sammy anymore."
TBC
