what 'recovery' from a vestibular condition looks like for me

Hi there!
​
I’m back with a post that I’ve wanted to write since the day I was hit with a vestibular disorder, only I didn’t know when it would happen for a long while.  I had no idea that a vestibular disorder would be a part of my life or the fight that I would take on to find my way through it.  Let’s be honest, I didn’t even know what a vestibular disorder was when I was hit with it.  Because, when I got sick that day in October 2016, just three months after the birth of my second boy, I thought it was like any other cold.  Even when I was hit with frightening non-stop vertigo days later, I still had no idea what was happening.  It wasn’t until months later that I started to accept that this “disorder” would be a  part of my life and it was certainly not going away overnight.

​In case you’re just jumping in, feel free to visit my past posts including how I thrive in this beautiful life with a vestibular disorder, the things that helped me, and my path to getting here.

[Note: I use the term “vestibular disorder” loosely because there is a variety of diagnoses within that term.  For me, it specifically means Vestibular Neuritis, Vestibular Migraines and Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness.  I’ve linked each of the terms to provide information that I hope will help you.  It took a while for me to get a diagnosis and educating myself was crucial to my healing.  Advocating for and educating myself has been a huge part of my experience.]

Here I am, over two years later, and I will boldly use the word “recovered”.  However, in doing so, I need to explain what that means for me.  Because life never will be the same as it was before the disorder hit.  That’s because going through something that tested me on every level – physically and mentally – every moment of every day, well, simply put, there’s no coming out the same person.  And that’s ok.  In fact, these days I’m grateful for the journey I went through (and continue to) because of the ways it has shifted my perspective, showed me my unrelenting strength to keep moving forward, and given me an opportunity to really evaluate what I want out of this life.

I’m sharing about the road I took to healing for several reasons:

I want to provide hope to others.  Whether you’re going through a vestibular disorder, some other chronic condition, or just want to feel better.

I want to empower people to take control of their situations (even when feeling out of control may be a constant).

Lastly, I want to provide a hub of support- a resource filled with holistic health tips and guidance to keep pushing forward and enjoy the moments in this life.  There are many negative, ugly, sad and lonely things about a vestibular disorder and I’ve learned to acknowledge this aspect without letting it dictate my life.  The focus for this space that I’m creating will be all about feeling empowered.

Coping with and healing from a vestibular disorder has been a two-year process and it continues daily.  Recovery for me means that my vestibular disorder no longer brings me down.  It doesn’t mean that I do not have any symptoms, but when I do, I don’t give them any power.  It means that I’m at the point where I believe that going through this experience is shaping me for all that I am meant to do.

I continue to take a holistic approach to my health and I believe that has been almost exclusively why I’ve gotten where I am today.  And the amazing part about that is that I knew I could make lifestyle changes to benefit my health; it was within me to make changes to help my body heal.  I believe in the power of whole plant-based foods, supplements to fill any gaps, essential oils (my plant powered support), movement to strengthen and cleanse the body, and working on my mental and emotional health.  I also believe that there is a place for western medicine.  Each component has played a part in my recovery.

Recovery does not have just one meaning.  I actually used this word very purposefully.  If I defined recovery as completely back to my “old self” or when I’m 100% all the time then I honestly don’t know that I’d ever say it.

I know that I’m recovered because I’m at peace with what I’ve been through and I will keep pushing towards feeling my absolute best.  When I’m hit with symptoms, I will let them wash over me and I will work through them with resilience.

So, here’s where I need your input.  I could tell you what my days have looked like in detail through all the stages of my vestibular disorder; I can share the holistic approaches that have helped me as well as western medicine ways.  I can talk about the many appointments with doctors who had no idea what I was talking about and why I continued to search until I found the one that understood.  I need to know what you want to hear and I truly appreciate your feedback.   Your participation will help more than you know.

I’ll be back soon, but in the meantime I hope you smile knowing that there is so much power within beautiful you.