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.”

For two weeks, I couldn’t walk. Couldn’t work. Couldn’t do much of anything. My brain simmered in a fog. Then things started to get better. The vertigo and tinnitus gradually disappeared. Still, something was off. My right ear felt congested and my hearing was noticeably diminished.

I saw an otolaryngologist, who gave me a thorough exam and a dose of reality—the combination of vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and the fullness in the afflicted ear all pointed to a clear diagnosis—Ménière’s disease.

Life, as I'd known it, was over

For the next 15 years, I continued to lose my hearing in my right ear to the point of near deafness. My left ear was fine. I could hear well enough.

But in the summer of 2022, things took a dramatic turn. The vertigo came back with a vengeance and I began to experience noticeable hearing loss in the other ear.

Now the things I used to take for granted became more difficult. Like engaging in conversation. Watching television. Talking on the phone. All music sounded distorted. Worse, when the vertigo was active, I couldn’t drive, which affected my independence.

It was hard. Sometimes miserable. But slowly I learned to adapt. My experiences forced me to stop and appreciate life on a simpler level.

So, every day I remind myself of what’s important…

Humor is mandatory

If I can’t laugh at myself at a time like this, I look for things that can help.

Small things matter

Simple pleasures always come along, sometimes just outside my window.

I'm in good company

Musician, Huey Lewis; painter, Vincent Van Gogh*; and writer, Emily Dickenson live(d) with Meniere’s.

*Champ de blé avec cyprès, by Vincent Van Gogh, 1889.

There will be moments

People will stare. Or laugh. I may feel like an idiot. It’s all part of the deal.

There's hope out there

Science and human ingenuity give me hope that a breakthrough is not far away.

The challenges continue...

Meniere’s is a chronic disease, which means it’s not going anywhere. At least in the foreseeable future. There will always be more challenges, more hills to climb. And hopefully more epiphanies and triumphs. If I’ve learned anything, it’s this: the spinning devil can be tamed—granted, with a lot of patience and a little ingenuity. I’ve managed to take small small victories and build on them to make meaningful progress. This website is my way of sharing that knowledge and supporting others who are in the good fight just like me.

I’ve learned to be my own best advocate. The good news is, so can you.

Contact

admin@dizzylady.com