​Lately I’ve been doing a lot of learning about the parasympathetic nervous system (our rest + digest state) opposed to the sympathetic state (fight or flight), which I felt stuck in at one point on my vestibular something journey.

Back then (and now) I used an anti-inflammatory diet, certified pure therapeutic grade oils and meditation to stimulate the parasympathetic state.  

It takes a lot of energy to heal, so I was giving my mind and body a lot of love.  We need to be in the parasympathetic state to promote blissful healing.

Let’s take this a step further:

The vagus nerve triggers the parasympathetic state in the body (note: often the vagus nerve is inflamed when dealing with a vestibular something).  The parasympathetic state then helps reduce inflammation in the brain and turns on immune processes.  

We can stimulate this state through lifestyle medicine.  In my latest video I talk through this deeper…

​OTHER RESOURCES:​
Em's book: Uncovering Bliss: A Journey with a Vestibular Condition and Beyond
​Plant-Based Guide to Thrive 
Nutrition Consult with Em
​Vestibular Warrior Wellness Hub + Resources
YouTube Videos [Vestibular Warrior]
Bliss Out Vibes Podcast for Vestibular Warriors
​Contact Em

I'm here to talk about something that I think is really important when it comes to vestibular migraine healing and recovery: regressions and setbacks.  It's something I have experienced many, many times along my journey since 2016.

The first year I was just trudging through darkness relentlessly (I was most likely suffering from vestibular neuritis, which triggered vestibular migraines). 

There was no path.  I was just going and I wasn't even sure where I was going.  Healing, I hoped.  Praying I'd get back to me, wherever she was.  I certainly didn't recognize the girl in the mirror.  Derealization came with me as I floated my way through life... always floating, which still makes me cringe.  I haven't revisited these moments in a while and I always feel a pang in my heart when I do.  Basically, my symptoms were constantly flooding my mind and body and I didn't have a moment of relief. [note: I share my whole journey in Uncovering Bliss if that interests you]

If you're journeying with a vestibular something, then you probably understand the darkness completely.

By the end of year one, I was starting to find the light that would guide me as I healed.  I was deeply embracing a holistic approach, but healing was slow.  I had moments - brief moments - when I could gasp for air.  I'd say I hit 80% by that first year, but that wasn't without several setbacks and regressions.  In that second year the regressions were in full force.  I'd be dancing along at my 90% better, feeling so damn good and alive and then BAM!  The symptoms would return without any notice or explanation.  It hurt my heart. 

In many ways the regressions were harder than when my symptoms were full-force all-the-time because in the darkness I sort of got used to it (not easy by any stretch, but familiar).  When I had seen the light and felt a bit of relief, it felt so blissful that losing that bliss was a slap in the face.  More like getting run over by a truck.  Emotionally and physically it hurt.  It freaking stung and then I had to fight my way back out of it.

I was in the throes of a vestibular migraine cycle- something I wouldn't really understand until I could process everything once I was further along.

My first day without any symptoms was over 18 months in.  But even after that blissful day, there were more setbacks.  I know I'm very lucky that I can say I've hardly experienced any vestibular symptoms in the last two years.  

Last week I felt a twinge of it and it only ignited my memory on how real regressions are.  I am so thankful that it never turned into a full attack and it passed within the day.  I woke up the next day rattled by the glimpse of it and anxious, but driven to take on the day and push forward.  I went grocery shopping and felt the ground beneath my feet and smiled that I was standing.  It had passed in a flash- just a glitch in the Matrix (as my friend told me).  That shows how much healing I've really done.  It didn't take days or weeks to come through.  Hours rather than days...

My plan has always been to heal myself... Thank you, Universe.  ​

My point in sharing all this is that healing is not linear.  One of my worst attacks was around eighteen months in.  I also started to touch recovery soon thereafter.  That's just the way it goes.  

These days I know that regressions mean I need to look at how I'm feeding my health.  

How am I eating?
Am I getting into nature?
What is fueling my soul each day?

These things really matter.  They are the foundation of my health and wellness.  

 My experience last week inspired me to dive into a third round of the 3:6:9 Medical Medium Cleanse.  Here I am on day 8 (of 9) and glad I've pushed through it.  Mentally it's been a game this round, but I feel like I'm coming out stronger than ever. [my full Medical Medium journey can be found here]

I hope I've kicked the pain migraines to curb and of course want to eliminate any vestibular something, but time will tell.  If I experience another glitch, I know what I need to do.  I believe in healing.

Also, I'm almost off my migraine medication, down to the last dosage and just need to say goodbye.  The weaning could also account for the migraine experience. It's been eight months of slowly weaning.  I'll be sharing more about that soon.

So, here's to setbacks and regressions...  Maybe they are just showing us when we need to take a turn on the bumpy path.  Stumble, but get back up.  It might sting, but the bliss is on the other side.

Em here.  I'm holding the best damn burrito in Seattle in the above picture.  This plant-powered goodness has been fueling me these days (plus chips + guac, of course).

​I can't begin without commenting on the amount of chaos and pain happening in the world right now.  So many in Seattle are showing support, working towards racial equity, and I'm so thankful to be in this city.  My mission each day is to bring more love into the world.  There needs to be BIG change.  My heart aches for so many.  I also recognize that most of the people I connect with in this space are Vestibular Warriors.  Healing does start with the kindness we show ourselves and how we nourish our minds and bodies.  We can in turn bring kindness into the world.  Let the spark ignite within you, so together we can create change.

As I write this post I feel like I've gone back in time.  In 2013 I created my first blog Love A Latte where I shared my life as a plant-based eater, runner and my journey into motherhood.  I just talked about my life and a lot of that was all the running I was doing.  I'd wake up before work and run.  I'd put together training plans and share all about them connecting with others who were passionate about health + wellness.  Man, it was so much fun!  The blogging world was such a different place back then.  I just recently stopped paying for my old site- felt like the right time to let it go considering I hadn't written on it in three years.  Also, the vestibular something changed my world.  I feel like a new me in so many ways (which I'm sure you understand if you too are a Vestibular Warrior). 

My heart feels happy just to let the words flow and share with you my next adventure.  Running is a best friend of mine.  It brought me back to life in 2018 when I was starting to recover my wellness after the vestibular storm.  I slowlyyy got back out on the trails.  I placed no expectations on myself and just craved being out in nature again.  I'd run for a few minutes and then walk some.  I'd walk some more and then run when I felt up to.  I felt the ground beneath my feet and over weeks of taking to the trail a few days a week, I was just running again.  It was an awakening.  It built up my confidence after it had been shattered by vestibular neuritis + vestibular migraines.  

I had one of my worst attacks in the summer of 2018.  Running was my comeback.  I remember listening to books like Girl, Wash Your Face and Bite Me: How Lyme Disease Stole My Childhood, Made Me Crazy, and Almost Killed Me and music like Macklemore and Daft Punk...and uncovering a heck of a lot of bliss as I felt my body working for me.

Fast forward two years, I've recovered my wellness (and still working to heal and thrive each day) and I'm really excited to set my next goal.  I also thought it would be fun to get back in the blogging groove.  In July I'm diving into getting a Plant-based Nutrition Certificate with eCornell just to take things up a notch.  I love learning about plant-based nutrition and I thought it would be a beautiful addition in my nutrition consulting.  Along with that 6-week program I want to start hitting the trails again.  Basically getting my body in shape to begin training (see below) in August for a race come November.

Here's my training plan.  I'm sharing it to make myself accountable, but also because I love to read about others training adventures, so thought there might be someone else out there who enjoys reading about mine.  I know this space is typically dedicated to just to vestibular condition healing, but a big part of the healing is moving beyond the vestibular storm.  This is me doing just that.  I should also mention that I've been a runner the last decade+.  I started running my last year of college and it's been a love of mine since.  I've run a few half marathons, one full and a few shorter races.  But ultra running, that's the dream... Rich Roll is someone I certainly look up to.

I have no idea what this training will look like!  I feel like a new running-me post-vestibular stufffff.  
I know how to take better care of my health now.
I know how to nourish and fuel my body from the inside out (hey plants!).
I know how to use my holistic toolkit of pure essential oils and supplements for extra support.
And I feel so thankful for all the incredible people I've connected with along the way...

So here I go!  I'll be back soon to update you.
​-Em

 Hi there,

It's about time I post during this chaotic time that we're in...  As I type this from my Seattle home, I'm filled with a deep gratitude for the days and weeks I've spent with my family at home and in nature, yet I'm simultaneously heartbroken about the status of the world and ache for the many people hurting.  But there's a light in that ache, and it's the love and kindness that is being shown by people right now in this time of Coronavirus.  The earth - our home - is getting a chance to heal.  The sky has never looked more beautiful.  And there's a calm in between the chaos.  I have so much to say about how I feel about everything that's happening, but my overall message is simple:  I am and always will be for empowered wellness.  This relates hugely to this space I've created for Vestibular Warriors.  

I believe in healing.

I know that we can make lifestyle shifts that are monumental when it comes to our wellness (and the wellness of this planet). 
​
I believe that we are meant to thrive in this human-experience.

Anthony William says it perfectly in his latest book:

This is the perfect time for Vestibular Warriors to go deeper with their healing.  There is no better time than now to go inward and focus on your wellness.  It's a beautiful thing to uncover the root cause and take the steps to heal from the inside out.  Health starts on an individual level.  When I'm kind to myself and focus on fueling my health- mind, body & spirit, I can then shine light to those around me.  Wellness is a light that we can keep sharing and shining for one another.  

It's a gift that we should share with one another.  

A few days ago I started diving in with Medical Medium Cleanse to Heal by Anthony William.  I'm not new to Medical Medium, but the last few months I have been incorporating more of the protocols in my wellness routine: drinking celery juice every morning and taking recommended supplements.  I can completely tell that it has taken my healing to another level.  It's not something that happens overnight, but in the moments, days and weeks of committing to fueling my body in an incredibly intentional and thoughtful way.  

My goal is to touch complete freedom from the vestibular stuff.  While I do feel like I've recovered my wellness after the vestibular storm (read Uncovering Bliss: A Journey With a Vestibular Condition and Beyond for my whole story and the mind & body experience) and I rarely experience vestibular symptoms, I'm still weaning off my migraine medication and I do get the occasional twinge of symptoms.  I'm getting so close to being off my migraine medication (all posts on that here) and I know that freedom from it is in sight. 

I'm ready to take this next step and for me it's part of uncovering bliss every single day.  

The below is an excerpt from Cleanse to Heal in the section especially important for Vestibular Warriors:

The biggest change that I'm making with following this book is that I'm incorporating the supplement list for vertigo/migraines.  I have already been taking a majority of these supplements for the last few months, but I'm now learning that I need to change the dosage on most of them.  Basically I need to up the amount I'm taking a bit, which makes sense to me.  I'm taking it slow and embracing the cleansing process.  

One of the supplements I started taking more of is L-lysine and I have noticed that I've had moments where I've felt like I want to jump out of my skin.  Sort of odd to describe but I connected with another Vestibular Warrior who felt the same way.  I've also been tired in a happy way.  Like my body is getting the goodness it needs and figuring out what to do with it.  I love drinking celery juice each morning and I feel lucky that I can make it happen every day.  I was drinking about 16oz each morning the last 10ish weeks, but Cleanse To Heal recommends working up to 32oz, and I'm up for the challenge!

Along with embracing this protocol, I know that right now it's especially important for me to focus on the good and what I want to bring into this world.  So, here I am at the (sort of) beginning of this next step and I'm excited to share it with you.  I want to help others feel empowered on their healing journey.  That's why I share all I do on Vestibular Warrior YouTube and why I'll continue to.

If we haven't connected on Instagram, I would love to!  I make a point to share a lot of my journey there and we can root for one another along the way.

-Em

Hi there.

How to even start this post... Well, I'm here to tell you about diving into the Medical Medium protocols, what that even means, why I'm doing it, and what my goals are.  I I figure I should just start from the beginning.,,

Three and a half years ago my world went sideways.  Enter: vestibular neuritis + vestibular migraines.  [visit my FAQ page for all the details on my journey]

I was lost.  I was terrified.  I had no idea what was happening to my mind and body.  The symptoms were all-consuming, overwhelming, and soul-crushing- feeling like my world was titled, my eyes not focusing right, raging anxiety, mental fatigue, dizziness, floating feeling, and it goes on).  My search for answers started immediately and I share that experience of recovering my wellness in my book Uncovering Bliss: A Journey with a Vestibular Condition and Beyond.

And now, I'm ready to tackle the root cause and find complete freedom from the vestibular stuff.  This has always been the goal really, but recovering my health has been a process.  It happened one step at a time, crawling along most of the time, and involved taking 10 steps forward and 5 steps back over and over again.  Around two years in, I started using the word "recovered" and for me that means that most days I feel pretty fantastic.  I get occasional migraine pain and I'm in the process of weaning off my migraine-preventive medication (read all about that here).  My goal is to be med-free and thriving with vibrant health.  

I believe that we are meant to thrive in this human-experience and that is my passion and overall message to the incredible Vestibular Warriors that I connect with.

For starters, if you haven't heard of Medical Medium be sure to visit the website and listen to the podcast.  Also, I found this article from Goop fascinating and it really helped me piece together what probably happened to me. 

Medical Medium is all about deep healing.  Getting at the root cause.  I freaking love the message.  Our bodies are not out to get us; we can and are meant to heal.

Medical Medium is not new to me.  Holistic healing has been my passion all along.  When I was first hit with vestibular neuritis in October 2016 one of the first books I bought was Medical Medium: Thyroid Healing because it talks about vestibular conditions, the underlying cause and how to heal.  It was a lot to take in.  It made sense to me, but my symptoms were so intense that trying to comprehend everything that was potentially happening within me was hard.  I incorporated a few of the protocols- cutting gluten, sugar and processed foods from my diet (I already didn't eat dairy or eggs which are also recommended to eliminate).  I followed the diet for a period of six months along with my version of the migraine diet and it honestly did help.  I felt better, but I still had a ways to go.  This framework of eating is still the basis for my diet, but I'm not perfect by any stretch.  I've been following a plant-based diet the last decade and it is a beautiful part of my life.

I still did not understand how deeply rooted my vestibular something was and why it hit in the beginning.  I was in survival mode, getting through life as a mom of two young kids (newborn and 2 year old when it hit), working, keeping up with life and just trudging through the darkness of my vestibular condition.  So I followed the diet guidelines and was incorporating many other holistic pieces (pure essential oils, craniosacral work, working with a holistic doctor, meditation, etc.) but for whatever reason my Medical Medium focus sort of got put on the back burner.    

Here I am, years later and so grateful to be where I am, no longer drowning in symptoms and I'm ready to really focus on the root cause.  Let's talk Epstein-Barr virus.

I dusted off the Medical Medium Thyroid healing book from the cupboard and gave it a refresher read.  Logically, it makes perfect sense to me.  I was kicking myself wondering why it took me so long to bring this knowledge into my focus.  Medical Medium's stance is that pathogen/viruses are at the root of all symptoms.  That lines up completely with me.  Something caused vestibular neuritis- it didn't just poof out of thin air.  The virus/pathogen inflamed my vestibular nerve and then started to wreak havoc on the nervous system.  [Again, if this is brand new to you, read this article]

As I read through the stages of Epstein-Barr virus, I just kept nodding my head.  I had mono at 17 and just over a decade later BAM- the vestibular stuff hits. (By the way, you don't need to have had mono for any of this to have taken place)  I read through the symptoms, what it would feel like, and I just kept saying "yes, yes, yesss...".  

That's why I'm jumping into the protocols and I'm so excited.  I've been celery juicing that last few weeks and it's my new favorite way to start the day.  I've been sticking with my plant-based smoothies but incorporating Medical Medium recommended things like Hawaiian spirulina, barley grass, dates, lots of bananas).  I've been eating lots of nourishing plant-based goodness and it feels wonderful.

My next step is the supplements, which I plan to do another post on once I have more to report.  I'm very much catering this plan to me.  We are all different and the underlying cause of our vestibular something often vary; although, may be very similar.

I'm four months into weaning off my migraine-preventive medication and down by 1/2 of my original dosage.  It feels gooood. [read past posts on this topic here]

I don't have much to report other than this last month I felt like my body was speaking to me to go down by a little bit more of my dosage, and so I did.  I'm taking it slow and steady but this last month made a slightly bigger jump.  Since I've been embracing really clean eating and bringing in some new supplements, I just felt ready.  That being said, I plan to continue to take it slow as I do not want to shock my body in any way.  I'm in this for the long game!

In writing my book and sharing my YouTube videos, a lot of what I talk about is in retrospect.  I think there is something really special about that because my perspective has evolved over the course of the last few years of this vestibular journey.  It's given me an opportunity to shine light to those in the darkness of the vestibular stuff.

But now, I want to share in the moment. 

I want to give an honest account of what it looks like beyond recovering my wellness into what it looks like to heal from the inside out.

I hope you're listening, Universe.  I plan to heal myself.  I believe we should all be empowered to do the same.  I'm putting it out there so that you know my drive from the start.

I'd love to connect with you on your journey!
-Em

​I did not have a diagnosis for 21 months.  I self-diagnosed long before a doctor slapped a label on my symptoms.  That being said, I started healing long before the vestibular neuritis + vestibular migraine sticker.  I believed from the beginning that I could have an impact on my health.  Honestly the diagnosis didn’t give me anything other than an easier way to sum up what I was experiencing.  It definitely didn’t give me all the answers.  I don’t want another Vestibular Warrior to think that they need a definitive label to start healing.  Embracing nourishing real plant-based food, making lifestyle shifts (for me, using oils and other holistic support), going to therapy (if desired), exploring alternative approaches… does not require a vestibular migraine (or other vestibular something) diagnosis.  It just requires the longing to feel better. 
 
In my case, I had been vegan for many years prior to getting hit with vestibular neuritis.  I lead what I would consider to be a pretty healthy life.  I later learned that even within my perception there was much room for learning and growth.  For a period of six months (that first year) I cut out sugar, gluten, processed foods, all keeping within my plant-based framework.  I used many supplements, pure essential oils and CBD.  I went and got craniosacral and chiropractic work each week, meditated, did yoga, pleaded with the universe… but it wasn’t a complete cure.  It got me 90% of the way there, which is pretty freaking amazing when I started out being overwhelmed with symptoms 24/7 for over a year.  When I finally did get my diagnosis, the only change was that a neurologist prescribed me medication.
 
In my opinion, health is not simply a destination. 
 
I started using the word “recovered” because most days I feel wonderful and as if the vestibular whirlwind never happened.  But creating my health is a daily project.  I’d never say, “I recovered from vestibular migraines and now I can eat like crap, forget my holistic wellness routines and just move on”.  That’s absolutely not the truth.  Health comes through all the choices I make every single day.  And it’s fun and empowering, and the journey to uncover the root cause continues (my why for diving into Medical Medium).
 
We have the power to create (and recreate as needed) our health.  Our experiences are not identical and that’s because the underlying cause of our vestibular somethings is not identical (although may be very similar).  If you don’t like how you feel today, then know that you can make a change.  It won’t always be easy, but look at it as an opportunity. 
 
An occasion to be much more than just a vestibular something label. 
 
A chance create your wellness and be you.

Hi there!

Oh man do I have a lot to say this month.  Mostly because I'm just so darn excited to share it with you and I feel like I'm onto something.  My soul is radiating the vibes of healingggg.  If you're new here, be sure to visit my FAQ page and the Vestibular Warrior Wellness Hub to get a glimpse of my journey with a vestibular condition (vestibular neuritis + vestibular migraines) and beyond, but then come back here!  I'm so happy to connect with you.

This month has been good; although, I feel like I have a bit more to report on the migraine-preventive (amitriptyline) weaning process.  I'm down by a third of my original medication dosage and I'm so happy with how my body is responding.  I did have a few days of feeling off and it was a sign to me to be really kind to myself, lots of plant-based eats, celery juicing (started this month!), cleansing supplements (I use doTERRA + started HUM Nutrition this month), pure plant oils, move + mediate workouts and CBD (non-psychoactive) for support.  I'm feeling really good.  It's awesome to see that listening to my body and responding accordingly with my toolkit is powerful.  Nothing like putting my toolkit to work!

[visit here to read all posts on my experience with weaning off migraine-preventive medication]

This month I've been diving into Medical Medium protocols.  I had read one of his book's during the first year with my vestibular something, and most of the foods promoted are a part of my vestibular migraine diet plan.  I saw he had a podcast episode on healing migraines and it struck me as something I wanted to revisit (listen to the episode here).  In short, the mindset is that a virus is at the heart of vestibular migraines.  Honestly this hits home for me, especially because my story involves vestibular neuritis which triggered vestibular migraines.  

My mission has always been to heal from the inside out.  I believe that my body (and yours by the way!) is meant to find its blissful balance, but environment, stress, toxins and lifestyle can throw things out of whack.  Especially as I'm weaning off my medication, I want to get to the root cause more than ever.  I'm so thankful to feel how I do today.  There was a time when my symptoms were 24/7 for months and months on end, so in comparison to that I'm on cloud nine.  That being said, even though I've recovered my wellness, I want to be free from the vestibular stuff.  And once I find that freedom, I want to help other Vestibular Warriors do the same.  Actually, my mission is to help other Vestibular Warriors every step of the way (my why for writing my book Uncovering Bliss: A Journey with a Vestibular Condition and Beyond).

Some Medical Medium basics on an anti-viral diet include cutting gluten, dairy, eggs, white sugar and processed foods.  I've embraced a vegan diet since 2009, and it changed my life, so animal products are not a part of my diet.  But I have a sweet tooth and if you follow me on Instagram you've probably noticed.  So my biggest shift is staying away from white sugar and processed foods (even vegan ones).  This doesn't mean forever but I recognize that in times of deep healing it's important, and so often necessary.

Bring on the celery juice!  If you Google "Medical Medium celery juice" you're bound to come up with a heck of a lot of information.  This article is a good starting point.  I'm jumping on board with this and I'm excited to see where it takes me.  I've been starting my day with either celery juice or cucumber juice, and then having a sweet smoothie to soothe my cravings.  The recipe posted below is from Oh She Glows second cookbook and it includes a banana, dates, cacao, hemp seeds...and it's freaking delicious.  

While a nourishing diet is my driving force, I absolutely turn to other things for beautiful support.  Particularly this month I've refined my plan.  I took a slightly bigger jump in decreasing my medicine dosage and that made me pinpoint exactly where I needed a bit of self-care.  Here are other things that have been making a splash:

Pure plant essential oils- no surprise here, but the Balance blend has been my BFF.  You can guarantee that if you're near me you'll be smelling these oils (which make up Balance): Spruce Leaf, Ho Wood Leaf, Frankincense Resin, Blue Tansy Flower, Blue Chamomile Flower, and Osmanthus Flower essential oils in a base of Fractionated Coconut Oil. [oils routine for Vestibular Warriors here]

Kait Hurley move + meditation workouts- movement for me is a must.  If I feel a sway or glitch (as I call it) or a spike in anxiety, I know it's time to get moving.  I always feel better afterwards, without fail.  These workouts are about sweating and then meditating, and it feels glorious.  When I started these workouts 15 months in with my vestibular something, I would wobble through every move.  I started with the restorative workouts and then worked my way up.  They are definitely an obsession of mine, so much so that I talk about them in the chapter on anxiety in my book.

CBD fruit chews (250mg)- Living in Seattle I feel like I have a lot of accessibility to CBD, but this wasn't the case when I was back east.  I was ordering CBD online and now I can go to the stores.  I've tried a variety of CBD forms (creams, vape, tinctures) and this month I got a package of fruit chews for my birthday and I love them.  I tend to eat one before bed and I can feel the calm set in and it's a beautiful thing.  I had a day with migraine pain and I came home and ate one of the chews and my pain went down, and almost disappeared.  I was really impressed.  That being said, you have to know the quality of what you're putting in your body.  There's a bunch of junk out there...and that's for another discussion.

Meditation- Dr. Joe Dispenza and Elizabeth Stanley, PhD are my inspiration right now.  I listened to Elizabeth on Jessica Murnane's podcast (listen here) and it's a really powerful episode on trauma, which so many of us that have journeyed with a vestibular something can relate too.  And most of us have experienced some sort of trauma throughout our lives.  The more I meditate, the more I crave it.  

I hope that gives you a look into what healing vestibular migraines looks like for me.  Be sure to check out the latest on Vestibular Warrior YouTube as well.

Talk to you next month!
-Em