Would I ever be normal?...18º

It was late spring when I made my first visit to the Dizzy Clinic, and was diagnosed with "bilateral vestibular loss," some 25 years ago...It was also called "Idiopathic Dandys Syndrome," because the cause was unknown, and "Oscillopsia" because of the movement of everything around me, when I moved, including the mountains and telephone poles...Physical therepy wasn't an option because no one really knew how to treat me...Dr. S told me to continue walking, but instead of looking straight ahead, make myself look left to right, forcing my brain to make adjustments...Also walk heel to toe on a 2 x 4 while trying to maintain my balance...Do not continue with biking because it was too dangerous...Also get adequate rest and a balanced diet, begin seeing a massage therapist on a regular basis to help relax my muscles...In three weeks return to Portland for more testing.

After over a year of sudden dizzy spells that came and went on a regular basis, they became infrequent and were replaced with a "brain fog" and "spaceyness" that left me feeling drained and out of touch with the world and left me wondering, would I ever feel normal again?..I did find a support group called VEDA (vestibular disorders association) and started reading and studying everything they published...Misery loves company, described me perfectly...Below are a couple of paragraphs that give you a little insight into my life...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

The sudden onset of symptoms, the unpredictability, and variability that often occur with a vestibular disorder are terrifying, unsettling and turn your world upside down ... literally and figuratively. Another common experience I’ve often heard people describe is what I refer to as the invisibility of your illness. Vestibular disorders are, well, invisible ... and thus more likely to be misunderstood. Most of the time people with vestibular disorders don’t look sick or unwell. Unlike a broken limb, a runny nose, a cough, or a positive blood test or scan, the damage/injury can’t be seen, furthering this lack of understanding. However, invisible does not mean imaginary. This invisibility can lead to another common concern: a fear of being misperceived as lazy or drunk. 

Finally, one should not underestimate the amount of mental effort, energy, and concentration it takes to maintain balance when the labyrinthine sense is absent. Imagine how hard it would be for any of us to walk on a balance beam for an entire day. Patients who have lost labyrinthine function must constantly pay attention to their balance and make an effort to keep it. They do not have the automatic, subconscious reflexes that people with normal labyrinthine function have and about which they never have to think.