vestibular neuritis + vestibular migraines: three years later

healing vestibular neuritis + healing vestibular migraines

Hi there!

It's been a week of reflecting over the last three years over here.  Today marks three years since vestibular neuritis hit, which triggered a cycle of vestibular migraines, none of which I could make sense of or understand in the beginning.  Everything is only so much clearer in retrospect.  I shared an episode today on the Bliss Out Vibes podcast talking about the power that we hold when it comes to our healing.  I also tell a story about an experience with a doctor that felt soul-crushing at the time, but created the shift I needed to keep showing up and relentlessly pushing forward.  

I'm sharing my story so that someone sitting in their beginning with vestibular neuritis or vestibular migraines is given a piece of hope.  So they know that they are not alone even though vestibular conditions can feel so isolating.  I'm sharing because three years ago I needed to hear someone else's story to help me find the light in mine, and I have since connected with many incredible Vestibular Warriors who have been such a light in my life.  It's a gift that I want to give back.  

I'm going to share what the last three years looked like merely to paint a picture of what healing has been for me.  Of course our stories will be different and just because my story looks a certain way doesn't mean it's right or wrong, it's just how the path unfolded for me.  I'm still traveling along that path.  I can gratefully say that I've recovered my wellness and continuing to do everything I can to promote vibrant health.

what vestibular neuritis felt like

I went to many doctors before the term vestibular neuritis was said to me.  It was a physical therapist who stated that it probably was what I was dealing with, but I had come across the term on the internet prior to meeting with her.  The symptoms made sense and I so badly wanted to put a label on what I was experiencing.  My youngest was three months old when it hit.  I was full of so much love and so thankful for my beautiful baby while simultaneously feeling stuck in the darkness of my vestibular something searching for answers.   [For more information on vestibular neuritis, visit here]

My main symptoms included:
-feeling as if I was floating 24/7 (no relief)
-my eyes not wanting to focus
-brain fog and mental fatigue 
-extreme anxiety
-feeling off kilter and disconnected from my body

I improved greatly over the first year relentlessly pushing through life, but it was exhausting every second and pushed me to my mental limit at every turn.  I share what it felt like in the below video:

the vestibular migraine component

Around a year in, I felt like I had climbed a huge mountain.  The floating feeling had faded along with the mental fatigue.  I was feeling so much more like myself; although, changed from the experience (I talk about mindset (our superpower) in my e-book Vestibular Warrior).  My symptoms became more erratic though, with ups and downs that I couldn't make sense of.  I'd have days of feeling 80% better and then I'd get swarmed with symptoms.  I started talking more with other Vestibular Warriors and a fellow mom mentioned to me that my symptoms seemed a lot like what she was dealing with, which was vestibular migraines.

It all started to make sense... the periods of feeling better (not 100%, but so close) and then unexpected regressions as I had called them.  The vestibular migraine label fit and so I started working to address that. [For more information on vestibular migraines, visit here]

My main symptoms included:
-derealization, like I was looking at my life from behind a window
-my eyes not wanting to focus, more intensely during episodes
-out of the blue anxiety attack
-like I was walking on a trampoline during attacks
-nausea + dizziness during an attack
-rarely any migraine pain

Nourishing plant-based diet, supplements, essential oils, move + meditate workouts, chiropractic adjustments, running (eventually)... it all became so important to maintain my wellness and continue to heal during the second year.  Diet + essential oils are still, and always will be, a crucial part of my everyday wellness routine to thrive.  I started a migraine-preventive medicine 19 months in that broke the constant cycle of attacks that happened weekly.  That's a whole other story though that I share here.  

I hit 100% around the two-year mark and have enjoyed the last year with a gratitude that cannot be explained.  I haven't been completely symptom free, but they only make an occasional appearance these days.  I had three intense episodes in the last year that I was able to dig myself out of within the day. 

It's felt like the greatest gift and I'm reminded of that gift - the grounded, balanced state - every day.

what's next in my vestibular migraine world?

As I mentioned in a recent post, I'm working to wean off the migraine medicine.  I believe in holistic health and I want to give my body the opportunity to find its balance.  It's going to be a process and something I will share here.  

HOLISTIC NUTRITION

I'm back in school studying holistic nutrition all inspired by my journey with a vestibular something.  I want to be deeply in touch with the art of healing.

SHARING THE OILS LIFE

I'm sharing the essential oils life because it's been such a happy place even in the darkness of the vestibular stuff.  I love giving others the gift of owning their wellness through a holistic toolkit.

OWNING OUR WELLNESS

I want to be a part of the empowered movement for all of us living with a vestibular condition to take ownership of our wellness.  The movement already exists which is evident, but so many are still lost in the darkness.  There was a time that I was sinking in it.

​We all deserve to find light.

This three-year anniversary marks a year of finding my balance and making life shifts in the direction of my choosing. 

I want this next year to be a deeper focus on holistic health and what that means not only for me, but all of us Vestibular Warriors embracing life and embodying  glowing wellness- with a vestibular condition and beyond.  It's a beautiful thing.

I hope this post finds you well.  But please know, that if you are in your beginning with vestibular neuritis, vestibular migraines, or another vestibular condition, and feeling utterly lost, just know that your beginning is a beautiful place to start.

​Em :)

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OTHER RESOURCES:

Get Em's book: Uncovering Bliss​
​Vestibular Warrior Wellness Hub + Resources
YouTube Videos [Vestibular Warrior]
Oils Routine for Vestibular Warriors
​Em's Routine When Symptoms Heighten
​Migraine Vegan Diet
Bliss Out Vibes Podcast for Vestibular Warriors
​Contact Em