Well, that didn't last long

So, it was just a few days ago that I was so excited that the prednisone was working and my hearing was a lot better. Well, like the title of this post says, it didn't last long. I think I had 2-3 days of better hearing and then it went back to crappy hearing. Oh well, no big surprise. That's the way it usually goes whenever I do a round of prednisone. But the really crappy part about it is that I've been having more dizzy episodes now. So, not only am I back to being deaf I'm more wobbly. No major vertigo attacks (knock on wood) lately but the whole "feeling like I'm constantly walking on a tightrope" is no fun. I hope things get better soon.

Anyways, on my "to do" list today is to schedule a check up appointment with my ear doctor and to find out where we're at with the support group. I know I could use a little support from fellow Meniere's sufferer's right now, and I'm sure some of you could too. "Hang in there!" That's what I keep telling myself! :)

Much Love,
Shanon

Support

I've said it before (and I'm sure I'll say it again), one of the biggest challenges for someone with Meniere's is feeling isolated. That's why it's SO important to find support from family, friends and especially from others who know what you're going through. Having someone to talk to who is experiencing the same tinnitus, hearing loss and vertigo nightmare helps. Sharing stories, suggesting helpful treatments and being there when you need a shoulder to cry on. Just knowing you're not alone.

There are many support sites online that are very helpful.

If you're on facebook I recommend joining these groups:

Meniere's Disease
Marlys Soderberg Meniere's & Tinnitus Support Group


If you're on twitter I recommend you follow these tweets:

@MenieresandYou
@dizzylore62
And the famous Kristin Chenoweth @KChenoweth
And of course ME :) @fookaDESIGNS

I'm sure there are more great Meniere's support pages out there. If you know of any be sure to leave a comment and let us know!

Also, I'm still working on the "in person" support group in Topeka. I'll keep you posted as I find out more!

Welcome New Followers

Hello and welcome to the new followers of the My Life with Meniere's blog! I want to thank you all for joining us, and to remind you that this blog is for YOU, it's for everyone. Everyone who has Meniere's, everyone who knows someone with Menier's, everyone who just wants more information about Meniere's. I blog because it helps me through the tough times and it reminds me that I do have good days too. I blog to inform people about this condition and give support to people living with it. I want this to be a place you feel comfortable sharing your experiences and talking about how it makes you feel. Living with Meniere's is difficult for many reasons but one of the most challenging obstacles I've faced is feeling alone and isolated. This blog helps me overcome that obstacle. So thank you again for being here and following along. Feel free to leave your comments and invite your friends and loved ones to follow along. The more the merrier!

Much Love,
Shanon

MIA

I know, I know, I've been missing in action for a week now! Sorry, but I have a good excuse. Yup, you guessed it...I have Meniere's disease. To be more specific the tinnitus has been bringing me down. In my last post I explained what tinnitus is, so here I'm just going to complain about it. *disclaimer the next paragraph has words that may not be suitable for all audiences. Read at your own discretion*

WTH, go away! What did I ever do to you?! Grrrrrr! The constant ROARING in my ears is driving me crazy. I can't hear, or think straight, or even get a good night of sleep! Leave me the F* alone!

Whew! I feel better now. :) Honestly, I do. But not only because of my little rant above, but because I've had a few temper tantrums and sob fests the last couple of days. I just couldn't take it anymore. I cried my eyes out. And now I feel so much better. No, it didn't do anything for my ears, but it did make me feel relieved to just let it all out. I spent several days feeling like I was being tortured, and frustrated that I couldn't do the things I wanted to do, like watch TV, listen to music, go to a movie or have a decent conversation with my husband. I was definitely feeling sorry for myself. So I just let it all out...I cried and cried and cried. But after I spent some time in bed with a box of tissues I realized that there is plenty of things I could be doing even with the constant tinnitus. After all, I'm grateful that I'm not having any vertigo attacks (knock on wood) so I should make the most of my time, right?! So I picked myself up, discarded all the used tissues, made my bed and I went to work in my studio, the one place that I can just lose myself from all the noise and just create.

I've been having fun making felt pins, working on digital illustrations, promoting my bird paintings and photographing my work. Here are some of my felt pins.

Felt Pins available here

I guess my point is that it's okay to get down about your condition, just be sure that when your done to dust yourself off and get back up again. Don't let your Meniere's or any other chronic condition bring you down for too long. And if you need a place to go during your own temper tantrum you can always come here.

Much Love,
Shanon

Google+

Well, I did it. I started a Google+ account. So far I'm really liking it, well except that there are only a small handful of people on it right now. But if it takes off I'm thinking it will be a really nice social networking platform. I'm really liking the "circles". I even created a "Meniere's Support" circle. I think it will be a great support tool for me and my Meniere's buddies. If you're on Google+ let me know and I'll add you to my circle! You can find me just by searching "Shanon Fouquet". My plan is to share tips, recipes, the ups and downs, and simply show support with others suffering from this condition. I'm really excited! Hope you'll join me!

In other news, my tinnitus is out of control today! Can't hear anything! Disappointing to say the least, but hopefully it goes down soon. And hopefully this week will turn around for me. Last week was really tough. I had only 2 "good" days out of 7. Three of them were dizzy days and the rest were recovery days. I've been getting pretty down about it but trying to stay positive. I hope you're having a dizzy free day!

Much Love,
Shanon

Dizzy Days

Yesterday I gave the "definition" of what Meniere's Disease is. Today you get to experience it.

If you actually want to know what it feels like to have a vertigo episode sit in an office chair or stand in an open space and start spinning. Keep spinning. Spin until you can't spin anymore, and then stop. The world around you is still spinning but you have not. More than likely you will fall to the ground and start feeling nauseous. While this is happening imagine that your ears are plugged so that your hearing is impaired and there is extremely loud ringing noises in your ears. Luckily for you, it will all be over soon and you will feel back to normal again after a few minutes. But imagine you didn't know when that awful feeling was going to stop. Could be minutes or it could be days.

Honestly, I really don't recommend you do the exercise above...it's not fun, and I don't wish this feeling on anyone, even if you do it to yourself. If you try it, I am not responsible for the outcome. Please don't cry to me if you've fallen and can't get up! Instead, I recommend you watch this short video. It is a great interpretation of what a day in the life of a Meniere's patient can feel like.

By the way, yesterday I had audiologist appointment and my hearing is still SLOWLY coming back up in my right ear! Not so much in my left though...still nearly deaf on that side. Some exciting news though! I've talked to him about starting a Meniere's support group and he is on board to help me make this happen. I'm so excited! Details to come soon!