life

No Coincidences

Lori

This past Thanksgiving morning (2011), I opened my eyes to find them spinning like a cartoon character who just got hit over the head. Not only did it feel like the room was whirling around, but the entire house … no … make that the entire world. I think I finally felt the earth spinning on its access.

My husband and I thought I might be having a stroke, so we called an ambulance. I won’t go into the details from here, but let’s just say the experience was not a good one. However, I was extremely fortunate not to be having a stroke or anything more debilitating.

After five days in a hospital with nightmare care, or should I say, lack of care from the nurses, it was determined that I had vertigo. They released me without any medications, telling me it would go away in a couple of weeks. It did not. My eyes stopped twirling, but I still felt like I just stepped off a merry-go-round. And, it was constant, no breaks. I even woke up in the night feeling like I might twirl off the bed.

It took a couple of office visits to my general practitioner. He finally came up with the right medications needed, for a total of two months off my feet with vertigo.

The good news is, that I got better. The bad news is, I’m suddenly suffering with bouts of vertigo this last week again. At times I may not be able to keep up with reading my favorite bloggers, or with this blog. I’d appreciate any positive thoughts and or health blessings sent my way.

In the mean time, every morning I say a meditation/prayer that comes in a pamphlet. Each date has a different topic. Such a coincidence to find today’s happened to be on “wellness.” Of course, there are no coincidences. Here is the one I turned to for today, April 11, 2012. Hope it inspires anyone else with health issues today too. 🙂

Wellness

I am well in mind, body and spirit.

As I focus on wellness – whether mental, physical or spiritual – I become healthier in every area of my life. Affirmations of Truth promote my mental well-being. I affirm: … I am guided by the light of God. I am one with Divine Mind. I am well.

To care for my physical body, I get adequate rest, eat healthy food and keep my body moving with vigor and enthusiasm. My actions are expressions of faith. … I am strong and I am well.

Prayer and meditation nurture my spiritual health. In the silence, I listen for instruction and guidance. I experience the total well-being that flows from God’s presence in me. I am well in mind, body and spirit. ~ Daily Word

He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” ~ Luke 8:48

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Published by Lori

Observer, thinker, learner, analyzer, and author. Love dogs. Enjoy cooking, laughing and spiritual centering.

28 thoughts on “No Coincidences”

  1. Lori, I am sorry to hear that you have been experiencing vertigo again. Can not imagine how that challenges one’s sense of center. I like that you’re connecting with that deep healing part of yourself. affirming your Oneness with Divine Mind and listening deeply to what you must do or let go of next. Stabilizing hugs…

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  2. Vertigo sounds so minor to anyone who has not experienced it (a little dizziness? That doesn’t sound too bad, one “friend” said). About 8 years ago, I had a major vertigo attack that lasted several weeks (kept me throwing up and afraid to move), but was fortunate enough that, with medication, it gradually improved. Over the years I have had very occasional smaller “attacks” – mostly minutes or maybe a few hours, but generally have not had anymore “life changing” major attacks. So maybe the good news is that it can mostly go away so your life is less affected (depending on the cause). I never had a clear diagnosis, other than “vertigo,” but I’ve often wondered if allergies play a part in it. Best wishes to you. Hope you are feeling lots better soon.

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    1. Janice and Nolan ~ Thank you so much for sharing your experience. Yes, just a little dizziness, right? Whew! Some people have no clue. I’m glad you’ve had no more major attacks. That is good news. I’ve been getting little dizzy spells on and off for the past couple of weeks. Nothing like before, but the Dr put me on meds right away since I’m planning to travel.
      Love the photo on your blog of the white dog in the wild flowers. Well, all your photos are wonderful, but that one hits home. Wish I had one like that of my fella (more black than white). After being pretty darn good with cameras back in the film day, I’m really struggling with getting them right on digital, or at least in the way that I intended them when looking through the view finder.
      Thank you for your well wishes.

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  3. Last summer (July) I had a severe sinus infection which in turn ended up with a severe ear infection resulting in the infection getting into my bloodstream. Ended up in the hospital with severe vertigo. After 3 rounds of Cipro, Predisonne and something for dizziness, I finally felt well enough to travel after six weeks (to Boston) but then it came roaring back and after two more rounds of another antibiotic and predisonne, I felt well enough to go to California and back again to MS for Christmas. I think in all I spent 6 months not knowing when or if I was free of infection or if the vertigo would come back. This all started with allergies which are so common in the TN Valley. If one does not suffer with allergies before moving here one begins to suffer almost immediately after. They, the soothsayers who state this is a great place to live, i.e. in the top ten to retire, must not know about the tendency to develop allergies after moving here.

    I am hoping I do not have another epioside this summer. A couple of things I did to help things along were to eat green olives (good for dizziness) and garlic, which is like pencillin which I am allergic to therefore, when I feel something coming on, out come the olives and garlic, vinegar and honey, etc.

    Hope you feel better soon. It is not a good feeling. They thought I was having a stroke because I had projectile vomiting as well…okay, you did not ask for a medical history and here I have gone on and on.

    Keeping you in my thoughts to be better soon.

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    1. Oh Linda, thank you so much for sharing your experience and this information. The pollen is SUPER HIGH where I live right now. I had a feeling it could be a reaction to that pollen, because I get horrible sinus headaches along with the vertigo. I’m on prednisone now, and I’ve taken myself out of town for a few days. I’m feeling a bit better for the moment. Thank you so much for taking the time to write and for your good wishes.

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  4. Been thinking about you… and wondered if you have your results from the blood test yet.

    Vertigo? I’m so sorry to read that. The first thing that came into my mind was: did they check your ears, too? Yes, vertigo can happen (btw a lot) to people who have problems with their ears.

    Of course! Of course will I lift you up in prayer and send some blessings your way, precious friend.

    I hope you’ll feel better soon and that this “vertigo mystery” will be solved soon – to the good!

    PS: I often stopped by; but I was not able to login and “like” or comment due to some technical problems … 😦 You see, sometimes we can read and comment more, sometimes less. Don’t worry! Just get well soon.

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    1. Hi Mirjam, good to see you again. Yes, I read about the patience problem you’ve been having with your browsers. Urgh! Thanks for asking about my blood test. Yes, they came back fine, with a bit of high cholesterol, which I know have to get in to see my GP. I may need to go for a stress test, since heart disease runs in my family. That won’t be until over the summer. Thank you again for your asking and for your prayers. Blessings to you.

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  6. No advice here – just sending my love and paryers. I can’t imagine what you’re going through and I’m terribly sorry to hear it. Please keep us posted. I commit to praying for you daily – it will be a priviledge.

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  7. My husband has/had Meniere’s and its worth looking into to see if you have the symptoms. Meniere’s is different from vertigo, and I hope you don’t have it. Meneire’s manifests itself in four basic symptoms – 1) Extreme, world-ending dizziness that does not change with position, 2) Fullness in the ears (like you’re coming down from altitude and can’t clear them), 3) Progressive hearing loss in one or both ears, 4) Ringing in the ears. My husband was basically ‘taken out’ by this disease/condition, until a doctor did a procedure on his affected ear – antibiotics were injected into the affected ear until the failing equilibrium was deadened. My husband has been virtually symptom free for a few years now. Good luck with this. Maybe it’s just stress induced vertigo.

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    1. Thank you so much for sharing this info. I have the first two symptoms, but not the second two. The healthcare in this area where I live is terrible. I can’t get anyone to consider looking deeper into my situation. They just tell me there is nothing they can do. I’ve tried getting in to see specialists but there are 3-month waiting periods. I might have to see if I can find someone in another state. For now, the treatment my GP gives me works for a while. It’s steroids with antibiotics. Also, an anti-viral med. Thanks again. I’m so glad your husband is free of this now.

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      1. My husband said if you have the first two symptoms, you most likely suffer from Meniere’s. It would be worth seeing a specialist, even if you have to travel. Your quality of life depends on it. And just be aware that not many doctors know what Meniere’s is, or how to treat it. I’ll be praying that you find someone good to help you. Hang in there

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  8. Didn’t know what vertigo was – had to look it up. Had a very good friend with this symptom – he fell of a chair on restaurant .. everybody thought he was drunk. He was in a wheelchair for a while – and it’s seems to be an infection on the balance nerve – the thing is he was never aloud to fly again – because of the pressure in the cabin. It became a real problem for him and in the end he was afraid for driving the car over high hills. I have suffered with tinnitus – for many years both years – nothing that really bothers me, but in the same symptom group. There is a lot of help to get out there. Really feel for you and your problems.

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    1. Thank you Viveka. I’m trying to stay positive. Sorry for you and the tinnitus. You are one strong woman who inspires me to be strong (I’m usually a baby about these things).

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          1. I don’t believe in reading everything on the net – because there is so much information about every thing – read what is easy to understand and make sense.

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  9. So sorry! This may not be helpful to you, but I have Meniere’s disease; it was misdiagnosed for months before I found a doctor at Shea Clinic in Memphis who recognized it immediately. It causes extreme vertigo, but for me the blessing (but also the reason for so many early misdiagnoses) was I lost most of my hearing in both ears before I ever experienced any dizziness at all. This only happens in about 5% of Meniere’s sufferers. I had 3 doctors looking at me strangely, and one ordered an MRI and prayed for me, concerned it was a brain tumor!

    The folks at Shea are miracle workers…I had 95% of my hearing back in 6 weeks with medication only, although steroids were involved and that part was a nightmare. Later, I did experience a few bouts of vertigo, but thankfully it is rare for me. I’m sure your doctors have considered Meniere’s as a possibility, but you may want to do some research. Stress is one of the number one triggers. Mine seemed to hit overnight after a period of intense stress, and the doctor said the microscopic droplets of fluid deep in the inner ear that caused the hearing loss had been building up for months – just too tiny to be detected. I can tell when it’s coming now because I will have tinnitus first, and can often catch it before the dizziness or hearing loss by watching salt intake, a mild diuretic, and taking some time off to chill from stressful situations.

    Hang in there! That type of dizziness can be SO debilitating, and people who have never experienced it don’t understand, which makes it harder.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your experience. This actually all started from a tooth I had worked on in Oct/Nov. I had tons of doctors coming in to see me at the hospital for 5 days, and not a one of them helped me. They sent me home saying it will go away on its own. It didn’t. My GP had to give me antibiotics and steroids. I will definitely keep Shea in mind. I will travel just about anywhere if this thing doesn’t straighten itself out.

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  10. I understand what you are going through, I was diagnosed with BPPV several years ago. It was awful. It mainly bothered me at work, where I felt like there was a magnet attached to my monitor and one to my forehead and I would be drawn towards it until I would almost fall over. I discovered that looking up is one of my triggers, so I had to get a smaller monitor that I could “look down” on. It helped.

    Do monitor your stress levels. Over the past few months, I’ve been under a tremendous amount of stress and have noticed that I’m having many more vertigo episodes. Also, it probably depends on what type of vertigo you have, but I went to some therapy sessions where they had me do certain exercises to desensitize me from my vertigo triggers. It kind of seemed hokey at the time, but I believe it helped.

    Good luck, hope you begin to feel better soon.

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    1. Hey There. O yes, I’ve had BPPV before too. Not fun either.I’ve done that therapy in the past. I’ve been doing it again, but it doesn’t seem to be helping. When I had this over Thanksgiving, they said it was an infection. I don’t know why it would be rearing up now again, but I do have some personal reasons to be stressed. So, maybe you touched on something there. Thank you so much for your input and well wishes.

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  11. Divine Mind – sounds like Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health. I am not necessarily a follower but her thoughts do bring me to a more refined or elevated connection with God and spirituality.

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    1. Nope, not Christian Science, but I am familiar with it. More like Charles & Myrtle Fillmore. Perhaps a touch of Norman Vincent Peale with positive thinking too. 🙂

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