I Hate When They Say, "It's going to get worse before it gets better."

October has been a crazy ride! After weekly appointments of seeing a physical therapist, a chiropractor, an acupuncturist and a massage therapist, I can say without a doubt that my quality of life has taken a bit of a nosedive. The last couple of weeks have been a real challenge. My balance has been tested to it's limits and once again I am having to be ever aware of my surroundings so I don't knock things over. I have become more sensitive to light and certain noises so now I am back to desensitizing my brain to all this stimuli. I was able to do well on the standard 8 hours of sleep a night but now I am needing on average 10-12 hours (including naps). Yup things have gotten worse. Was it worth it? I will let you know the end of November. I am hoping that by shaking up my system I can reach a higher level of wellness than what I had the beginning of October. It's a long and arduous process that includes so much trial and error. So here I am - back to those baby steps!

The Learning Curve Continues

Two and a half weeks ago, after much coaxing, I decided to get some second opinions. I am now seeing a physical therapist, a chiropractor, an acupuncturist and a massage therapist. I have learned more about living with Meniere's from these four women in less than a month than I have from my doctors in the last couple of years.

At my last appointment, my physical therapist helped me put things in perspective with where I am in relation to living with Meniere's. She noted that from a clinical stand point I am doing excellent because I am not having vertigo, but as for my quality of life, I am no where near optimal. What I consider a good day isn't what she considers a good day.From her perspective I am basically just living at a minimally functional level. This means I can get through most days but if I don't pay attention to what my body is telling me I end up spending hours or days recovering from exhaustion.

Once again perspective is playing a huge part in managing this chronic condition. I figured that as long as I wasn't having vertigo and I could do my usual daily tasks, then all was good. I didn't take into account that on most days I still have to lay down a couple times a day for at least 1-2 hours to rest.  I think I have just set the bar low and maybe now is the time to re-evaluate and raise the bar a bit higher and so the journey continues.

Learning Curves

It has been one year today since I was diagnosed with Meniere's.So....what have I learned about living with a chronic dysfunctional vestibular system.

 1)  It is okay to ask for help.
 2)  Set clear boundaries with people.
 3)  Do not over schedule.
 4)  Do not invest time in toxic relationships.
 5)  Have low expectations of others.
 6)  Be realistic with expectations of myself.
 7)  Cherish the friends that enrich my life.
 8)  Don't take things personally.
 9)  Be honest with family and friends.
10) Live life.

The end result of all of these changes - a much happier me.