Still Spinning

Admittedly, my brain cells are decreasing at an alarming rate, but I am still able to jabber away. Thus this blog! I began writing at this site to describe vertigo, tinnitus and migraines to those of you who have not had the displeasure of experiencing them. I took detailed notes of my days up at Mayo and have since slightly veered off course. Tonight, I will head back there.

I’ve tried to figure out what sets my path into circular motion. I still far too frequently walk as a little drunkard and have my eyeballs dancing around to the beat. People have become accustomed to my wayward ways and hardly blink an eye as I bounce off walls or other obstacles. My doctors urge me to figure out the cause of my twirling paths and I long to know why I continually dance to a different drummer. Some of the triggering or precipitating causes follow.

Wind – If wind or even a slight breeze catches hold of my protruding ears, beware!

I wear my hood throughout the winter season, but the heat of summer makes this harder to avoid. My parka looks a little crazy when the mercury reaches into the 90’s.

Waves – As I was wading in the Gulf of Mexico last week, my head started spinning like a top. This was repeated after a trip to a wade pool at a Mississippi water park.

Maybe I personally have unconscious fears about a tsunami crossing my path, but my head spins faster than kids splashing in the waves.

Migraines – Initially, my migraines triggered the release of vertigo into my system. This has not diminished. There is a strong link between the two. If I get a bad migraine, I know that vertigo will soon follow. If my dizziness finds me first, beware of an upcoming headache that scores zero on the fun meter.

Loud Music – Everything from our church organ to the background piped in music at Five Guys all send vertigo my way. This is pretty darn close to the migraines that I mentioned earlier. Any days of being a band groupie are now gone.

Weather Man – When a big front passes through town, the meteorologist notices my resemblance to the silver pinball being diverted throughout the game.  At least that also can be seen as a positive. I could rent out my head to the highest bidder.

Tired – If sleep escapes me, it is replaced by vertigo symptoms. Usually that is not a problem because I easily head upstairs for more beauty rest. With the amount of snooze time required for any sliver of non-ugly, this can have me spinning away for weeks on end.

Emotions – if my lack of abilities frustrates me, vertigo comes a knocking. Then I get bewildered by the vertigo, so the vertigo spins faster, which makes me sadder, which increases the rotations, etc, etc.

The Bends – Anything that is accidentally dropped to the floor stays there. Our family room and kitchen show a unique path, but if I bend over, I better not ever stand up. I would look even crazier bent 90 degrees or more, so up and around I go. It makes it highly amusing to try to imitate picking up any scattered papers in my less than tidy home. I turn into a bowling ball slowly careening down the lane.

Needless to say, I still have my vertigo. My medications really haven’t addressed these symptoms because they are more aimed at my migraines, so I’m still bouncing off the furniture or sitting in the grass. I definitely stop to smell the roses unless I’ve squashed them all by my awkward steps.

God Uses My Chronic Pain to Prove that Life is Good

       -  As long as I am down on the ground, I’m great at finding lost coins or earrings that have been MIA for quite some time. Wow! Life is good!