I remember the first few years of my life with Meniere’s disease as a time of worry and hopelessness. Depression was taking over as I thought about how difficult things would be with this disorder. How was I going to be able to do anything in life with the risk of a Meniere’s attack hanging over my head? I couldn’t stop doing living my life because I have a wife and son that needed me but I worried that I was going to be more of a burden than any help to them. It was a bad time with all the attacks at work and at home, not to mention the ambulance rides. But over time I have realized that while you can’t control when and where you are going to have an attack, you can control your way of looking at things.
I think that the main thing that changed the way I look at things regarding Meniere’s was starting this blog. I have read quite a bit about Meniere’s over the past 2 years and learned a lot about how people try to cope with this disorder. While Meniere’s doesn’t get much if any publicity there are a lot of folks out there who suffer with it just like us. Something else that I learned early on was that some things work for some folks might not work for others. Low salt diets, gent injections, surgeries and medications are just some of things that help.
But most of all the comments that I receive help me more than anything to continue to cope with Meniere’s disease and I certainly appreciate all the feedback that I receive. So keep those comments coming.
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Thanks
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
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8 comments:
David~
I agree.
Reading others comments, what they've tried, what worked or didn't that we might also try has been extremely helpful.
I also look back at what a long road it's been to get to where I am now with Menieres.
I remember the first full blown attack ( no warning)and the fear I felt because I didn't know what was happening.
Thought I was having a stroke!
Little did I know then the hell that had begun.
I wish we all had more support out there..but at least we have each other, and I thank you for your blog. It has really helped me.
I met with Dr. Duckert today, and I've scheduled the Endolymphatic Sac Decompression surgery. I'm scared of surgery..but even more of the continuing attacks. Get lost vertigo!
I haven't heard from anyone else yet that's had this surgery..so I will be sure to post a comment and let everyone know how it goes & if it worked.
Be healthy!
Lauri
David, even when I don't make a lot of comments, I keep up with your blog and others daily and the comments, experiences and advice everyone has, gives me strength to fight this disease. My doctor doesn't understand why I spend so much time searching the internet for information, because I am always questioning everything he does. But I have found so much more information than he has been able to provide. ENT doctors just don't get it sometimes. I made little improvement before I started searching for more information. For the first nine months of this disease I could not do anything. Now I am functioning and my quality of life for now is much better. Even survived the cold weather in Middle Georgia. Hope for an early spring and mild summer.
Hello,
My name is Sophie i just found your blog recently. I have been living with MD for 3 1/2 years. Just realized that i could look under blog. I am really pleased to have found yours.
I met someone over the phone, she have been getting 3 years of recovery after 20 years of MD by using the MSR 2000 + (magnetic resonance stimulation) its a mat that recreate the earth magnet field. Have you heard of it? I try to research it online, sounds good but very pricey.If anyone else have tried it i would love to know about it.
Thank you.
Sophie Angers, Toronto, Canada
Hi David~
Just found out today that they are scheduling my surgery at U.W. for next week..January 28th.
I 'm glad it will be so soon.
Honestly, there are times when I just dream about being vertigo free...as I imagine all of us with Meniere's do.
Now I have new hope it might happen.
Presently I am unable to go more than 2 days
without a vertigo attack.
Trying to decide what treatment or surgery to use for your Meniere's is very stressful..I am glad to have decided & taken the plunge..I kind of feel some stress relief having done so.
I'll let you all know how surgery & recovery are in case someone else is considering having this done.
Take care~
Lauri
I have suffered from meneires for 15 years now. I was diagnosed 5 years ago and have had severe vertigo attacks daily for over 7 years. I was told many things and even psych evaluated before I found out about meniere's and found a specialist. I am a nurse, and had never heard of it myself.
I am so happy to see this blog. I think you are doing a wonderful thing. I too am a parent and my kids have grown up (now teens) with their mom sick, and my husband basically ran the house for a while.
I am still having attacks after but as my treatments go I get less sick and more balanced. Year 3 begins and my 3rd session of gent treaments starts in about 6 hours. May be another High dose one for me this year (many injections over little time).
Stick with the positive side of things. try to do as much as you can.
I am happy to say, I am up late because I went to a dance club...and ... danced. Not all the time and I even fell off balance a bit, My friends let me hold on to one of them and dance close, and it was Fantastic! I haven't been able to that in ages.
That is what we can hope for... enjoy the little triumphs for they pile up enormously through our lives.
Thank you for very much for your blog, it makes me feel less alone in this disease.
@ Lauri,
I know what you mean I thought that I was having a heart attack the first few times I was having a meniere’s attack, it was that bad!
Good luck on your surgery I hope that everything works out. Let us know how it went
David
@sherry,
It does seem at times that the doctors really don’t understand how bad this disorder really is. I guess if you don’t have meniere’s you just can’t understand it.
I’m glad that things are better for you. You are right about the weather here in Georgia we definitely need a early spring and mild summer! I’m tired of the cold weather
Thanks
David
@Sophie,
I don’t know that I have heard of magnetic resonance stimulation, it sounds really interesting. I’ll have to look into it.
Thanks for commenting and stay in touch.
David
Hi Darkwingedfae,
It really sounds like you have the right attitude and it is great to hear that you are able to dance!
keep up that good attitude and let us know how the gent injections go
David
Thank you David. Today I am already starting to feel the effects pretty well. I can't read a book but I can still walk as well as use the computer. I know it's going to get worse, I have been there. I am excited at the same time to plunge down and get back up.
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