The Ménière’s Chronicles

One woman's head-spinning journey

Welcome to my world

Hi, I’m Ranae. I have Ménière’s disease and I’m here to share my story.

For those of you who’ve never heard of Ménière’s, let me try to describe what it’s like to live with the condition.

Take a moment and imagine the day ahead of you. Your plans. What you hope to accomplish. Now imagine this: Suddenly, the inside of your head does a somersault. Everything in front of you spins. Before you can call for help you’re on the floor and starting to get nauseous. You manage to crawl to a chair or a sofa where you collapse. Maybe for hours. Your head still spins. The slightest move makes you want to hurl. You don’t know when it will end. You do know that your plans for the day are shot.

Now the good news. You recover! It was probably just a fluke–no big deal. But then it happens again the next day. And the next. You see a doctor. Maybe a specialist or two. You’re told you may have Ménière’s disease. What the ****? Then the doctors admit they don’t know how to help you. Not really. Now what do you do? You learn to adapt, that’s what, and in the process you discover that it’s really hard. So you curse. And cry. Maybe despair. You eventually get past it. And then you tell yourself, I’m going to find some answers.

My story

It began in 2006, when I woke up one morning with loud, annoying sounds in my head. It was as if I were listening to a grunge band gone off the rails and wouldn’t stop. Worse yet, throughout the day, sudden bouts of vertigo dropped me to the floor, leaving me helpless and giving new meaning to the old adage, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”

So, what is Meniere's disease?

Ménière’s disease is a relatively rare, chronic, and incurable inner ear disorder. The condition produces recurring symptoms that are caused by large amounts of a fluid within the inner ear—a condition known as endolymphatic hydrops. In 1861, the French physician, Prosper Ménière, while researching audio/vestibular afflictions, wrote a pioneering paper that would change how people thought of the condition. Ménière theorized that the characteristic attacks of vertigo, ringing in the ear (tinnitus), and hearing loss he had observed in some of his patients originated within the ear, not the brain, as physicians of that era originally thought.

“Dizzy Lady provides connection, education, and inspiration to those living with Ménière’s disease. We offer an uplifting place where people can share experiences, learn, and find support.”