Mine’s not a pint

Coping with Meniere’s symptoms

Thanks to the email from Anon with comments on Meniere’s and the coping tip of vigorous head shaking, which is similar to advice Vestibular Rehabilitation gave Sue after years of sitting motionless following severe spin attacks – moving around helps ‘reset’ the system.

Works too. Meniere’s is a sneaky, cheating, ambushing disease which after hitting hard, making life unbearable, hides only to pounce when least expected.

When Sue’s MD was worst we went camping to get away from everything. Rather than relaxing, she became too unwell to leave the tent much. I researched conditions and found that air pressure had fluctuated during our stay and suggested that as a trigger to her Consultant who pooh-poohed that as clutching at straws.

The following year he mentioned research had proved air pressure was a trigger. We also realised our big, multi-dome, tent’s (curving) walls shimmied in the breeze robbing Sue of visual reference points. Bought a large tunnel tent, which helped a lot.

Driving home Sue passed out a few times and became very sick. At one picnic area as she crawled around looking for a clean patch to ‘violate’, once-happy picnickers put their sarnies back in the basket – or bin! My anxiety rocketed each time I cleaned her, but all I could do was drive home as carefully as possible. She improved slowly and in time we became used to MD attacks which have eased off now.

As Anon commented, so many regard sufferers as drunks which is why Sue won’t let me drive by someone slumped in the street, they could have MD rather than a skin full.