Give your burdens to the Lord , and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
Psalms 55:22 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.55.22.NLT
Once I realized this, the fear & anxiety I felt during a severe vertigo attack was easier to handle. I remember before that, the tiniest vertigo twitch would put me in panic mode a things got worst a lot faster.
The Lord has huge shoulders. Let Him help you. He will never push you away.
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.
1 Peter 5:6 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1pe.5.6.NLT
My Meniere’s struggle was hard in the beginning but once I did this I found peace. God had me suffer from the severe vertigo attacks so I can help others. On my uncomfortable days I know I will be ok because God has me in his hands.
While having Meniere’s is no laughing matter, this picture I found is funny & is a good explanation of what a patient goes through.
picture via https://smartypance.com/lessons/ear-disorders/meniere-disease/
For an new followers or others that want a visual of what doctors believe happens with inner ear & Meniere’s, here is video I found might be helpful. This was how Meniere’s was explained to me many years ago when I ended up at the University of Florida/ Shands hospital in Gainesville, Fl. My doctor was the Chairman of the ENT Dept of the school & an Ear Surgeon.
So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/deu.31.6.NLT
So I have not posted much latey because my sister in-law had a brain tumor removed from the right front of her head. The surgery went perfectly last Tuesday & she came home the next day. It was the size of a golf ball. Now she has been suffering from something since Mar. 2017. My brother was stationed in Guam with the Coast Guard & she first went to the Navy hosptial where they did an MRI. They saw something was there but never said it a tumor. She’s always suffered from migraines & even got Shingles in Guam at the age of 38. It was also on the right side of her face. So my brother retired last June & move back to Florida. Our whole family lives with in 20mins from each other. As my sister in-law felt worse doctors thought maybe it’s several things. She was starting to loose her faith & kept asking God why am I suffering like this. After many prayers she went to University of Miami where top Nerosurgeon, took one look at the scans & said brain tumor. He said it was in the best spot to have one & he bet his house it will be negative for cancer. She goes back for a follow up next week where they will have the test results. But once she had a diagnosis 2 wks before, she had peace with God. Several of us family & friends held a prayer meeting. So many were shocked to see she had a big grin on her face. Her faith in Jesus gave her the peace to have the surgery.
Now the reason I share this story & I have told my sister in-law many times when she was down, that the suffering & anger she experienced was what I went through with Meniere’s. When I was having severe vertigo attacks lasting 14hrs every other day I would instantly start crying right when I would feel bad. The fear of a full blown attack was always there. Sometimes I would get 15 sec. dizzy spell driving to work but I would freak out so bad that I made myself sick. But I found the peace one day when my sister in-law took me to her church 10 or so yrs ago. I started spinning because I in the backseat. My mom was with us & the 2 of them guided me to a seat. We heard the service & then went up after to have people pray over me. That was an overwhelming experience. We were all crying, my mom specially. She has helped me in so many ways phyiscally & spiritually. Sure my husband has done an amazing job but he is not a Believer, which there is nothing wrong with that. Each of us was given free will to believe what we want. Nobody has the right to judge or push. So because I found the peace, my freaking out moments are very very short. I can’t say 100% gone because afterall I’m human. But I know where to ask for strengh. Because of this understand of my suffering I now help others either by telling my story here or with support groups I manage on Facebook. I believe God had me suffer for a reason. Also, I have not had a full attack in years. I still watch my low salt/caffiene diet, take a water pill, have a tube in my ear drum & meds for airborne allergies.
My goal by telling you all this not to force to pick Jesus as you’re savor but to show you what helped me & give you hope that Meniere’s can be controlled. People ask me all the time how I get through life having a disease that nobody knows how you get or how to cure. It’s one you can’t even see, unlike a brain tumor. But now you know how I do it & I will say that no matter what has happened or what you have done in the past, Jesus will never turn you away, if you just let him in. While he will challenge us during a certain times, there is a bigger reason for it. My sister in-law believes that now.
If you ever have question about Meniere’s or just want to vent, just leave a comment. You will be so surprised that others are dealing with the many of the same symptoms. I know it was an eye opener. You are also welcomed to join my 2 Facebook support group. Members share tips or treatments, doctors, advice on vitamins, etc . that will help one cope. Many just get diagnosed & are mind-blown by it I just need a place to start.
Meniere’s Disease Groups:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Vertigosux/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/121056944646365/
Just click to join & answer the 3 question so I know your not a spammer.
So I’m not sure what is going on but I’ve been having tiny dizzy spells that might last a few seconds in the last few days. If anyone knows, it is hard to not to freak out and think “Oh no, I hope symptoms don’t get worse” even with knowing I started my menstrual cycle & hormones tend to throw my balance off. The dizzy spell just happened & as I am typing this I can feel my anxiety level going up. I did take a Benadryl pill which has a calming effect simular to valium but is not habit forming, at least I don’t think it does. My hands are shaking a little while I take deep breathes to calm myself. This is where I lean on my faith to hold me up. I keep saying in my head Jesus has my back & this well pass. I’m also listening to worship music. Meniere’s is trying to attack but I am attacking it back. 9 times out of 10 this plan of attaction gets me throught the moment.
Found the picture on Pinterest
One of the main symptoms of Meniere’s Disease is hearing loss. A patient can loose it over time or go deaf due to treatments that can help stop vertigo attacks. But there are some people that are very young & find out they have Meniere’s & already lost quite a bit of hearing loss. Luckily, I have only lost 30% of my hearing in the affected left ear, which is why at 23 yrs old the ear surgeon thought it was best to try the Meniett Device. Almost all surgeries & injections I was told destory any hearing that you still have plus with surgery the balance nerve is so close to the facial nerve. With the Meniett, I only had to have a tube inserted in the ear drum to make it work. It sends low pressure pulses into thr inner ear. But every patient is different & one might have to opt for more invasive treatments. You should factor in your age, amount of hearing loss & any other risks before moving forward with other treatments. The way I looked at it is if the Meniett, which keeps hearing in tact, doesn’t work then move on to something else.
But when you have lost your hearing there is still hope of getting it back. As advancements in medicine grow people are finding ways to help deaf patients.
Never loose hope with Meniere’s or any type of illness. Amazing things are still happening & if anything you can help someone who is new to a disease.
*All the information discussed is solely based on my personal experience with Meniere’s. Please talk with your doctor about your options.
https://www.10tv.com/article/cochlear-implant-gives-columbus-man-gift-music
One of the worse things I feel can happen to a person is suddenly loosing their balance, specially for no reason. As a kid, like most, I would be with my friends & spin as fast as we could then see how far we could walk in a straight line. We would laugh so hard watching each other walk left or right & then constantly tripping on the ground. Sometime we would be on the playground & ride the one thing that your friend would spin as hard as they could. Then when you’re old enough, you would have a few alcoholic drinks that would make you walk unbalanced or spin. Lucky, I was never was crazy enough to drink that much. To me, it’s like throwing money away in the river. I would never let myself loose control. But it was funny watching my friends get goofy.
But when you have Meniere’s or any other type of inner ear disease, the worst symptom is vertigo. Sometimes it’s triggered by moving you head or most of the time for me, I would be sitting in a a chair & boom! It’s happened when I driving on day, but luckily it was very short. Most of my attacks were severe & triggered by eating too much sodium, caffeine or beef. But of course one doesn’t realize they have triggers for awhile. It’s not like I would eat a whole salt shaker or 12 pack of Coke a day. When the disease was at it’s worst, I would have 14hr attacks every other day. People would joke & say your just drunk & I would say “I wish it was that simple.” This was back around 2002-2003.
Now I have’t had a full blown vertigo attack in several years. I follow my low sodium, low caffeine & beef maybe twice a week diet. I feel it’s because of the Meniett Device & keeping a tube in my ear drums to help with pressure. There are uncomfortable days either because of severe weather, pollen, or being sick. Sometimes even hormones can affect balance.
Found the article below. Hope it gives you a better understand of vertigo.
Commit everything you do to the Lord . Trust him, and he will help you.
Psalms 37:5 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.37.5.NLT
For me & my Meniere’s I believe that the Lord has given me a better understanding of things around me. Even on unconfortable days & can always lean on Him for strengh known this to shall pass. Because of all of this my compassion to others has grown. Just this weekend I went with a group of people to visit an assisted living place in town. They were so happy just to talk to people. My nephews & sister in-law came & the elderly just love it when kids come by. To think, many of them have no family or friends visiting them. One area was called thr Memory area & that was for people with Alzheimer’s. It was sad when they can’t even respond to you. But you give them a smile & wave because you never know what they are really thinking.
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.
James 3:13 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jas.3.13.NLT
Support is key to coping with Meniere’s or any disease. As a patient you hope the people around you & the doctors you see have some compassion & is there when you need help. But tbrough this journey, I have also better understanding will helping people. It’s kinda like paying it forward or even treating people as you would like to be treated. On your good days when you are out about, look around because there might be an older person needing help with their groceries or something. Or one of the easiest things I’ve done is just holding a door open. Sure you will run into the little man that is a gentleman & feels he has to hold the door open. I’ve told a few that their job is done, it time for us younger people help you. Afterall, they spent much of their lives taking care of childern. When they look back & smile it feels so good.
Meniere’s has now exact cure, so many go on hope. Let’s pass that hope on & show the world are are still many people that care for one another.
Living With Meniere's Disease Blog 