On February 1st, 2020, my husband and I flew to Orlando, Florida for a getaway.
Best.Vacation. Ever.
Okay, so what was so special about this vacation that led me to make the above statement?
Well... it was our first vacation in 32 years of marriage without our children.
February in Ontario, Canada is bitterly cold. Orlando was sunny and warm.
I didn't have to cook, clean or do laundry.
It was sunny and warm...
It was sunny and warm...
I didn't have to shovel snow.
It was sunny and warm...
It was sunny and warm...
I didn't have to drive my children anywhere. Or pick them up. Or pick up after them.
It was sunny and warm... (you get the idea!)
It was sunny and warm... (you get the idea!)
But most importantly for me, neither the flight there or back, caused any vestibular issues.
And the minimal dizziness I experienced that week, did not impact our vacation whatsoever. Hooray!
We didn't choose Orlando as a destination because we wanted to experience the magic of Disney. No, we went there because my husband's friend has a home in Davenport and we were fortunate enough that he let us stay there for the week.
We enjoyed all the typical vacation activities in Orlando. Long walks, bicycle rides, visiting beautiful gardens, museums, a day at Clearwater Beach and my personal favourite - mini golf. But the absolute highlight of the trip was when we visited The Kennedy Space Center. I was beyond excited about this.
We enjoyed all the typical vacation activities in Orlando. Long walks, bicycle rides, visiting beautiful gardens, museums, a day at Clearwater Beach and my personal favourite - mini golf. But the absolute highlight of the trip was when we visited The Kennedy Space Center. I was beyond excited about this.
I couldn't believe that we were here. At NASA. Standing in the shadow of some of the brightest, best and most brilliant minds on the face of the earth.
NASA, where President Kennedy in 1962, boldly stated that they would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade, but never lived to see it.
It was here, while I waited for my husband to finish his ride, that I looked around me and wondered how many other people are here today walking around dizzy? How many are too dizzy to enjoy this particular exhibit? Any of the exhibits? How many people, like me, are suffering in silence?
According to the Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA) as many as 35% of adults aged 40 years or over in the United States have experienced some form of vestibular dysfunction. That's approximately 69 million Americans.
I literally stared into space and wondered..."How is it that they can they can put a man on the moon, yet cannot fix the plight millions of people on this planet who suffer with chronic dizziness and balance disorders on a daily basis.
How is it that astronauts have orbited the earth, built an International Space Station and launched thousands of satellites from rockets and space shuttles, so that down here on earth, when I'm driving in my car and make a wrong turn, if I have the GPS enabled, a signal is sent and I'm redirected and rerouted within seconds....from SPACE!
How is it with all the advances in science and technology that no one has researched and developed a way to permanently put the inner ear crystals back into place once they've become dislodged so that people with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, (BPPV,) don't keep having recurrences even after treatment? How is it that they haven't found an effective treatment for people. like me, with Vestibular Neuritis, so that we are not still living with the debilitating effects of the virus two years or even longer after the virus has left? How is it that they haven't discovered a cure for Meniere's Disease that can cause violent episodes of vertigo and can often lead to hearing loss? Or Tinnitus? Or Vestibular Migranes?
I don't actually know the answer to these questions, but if I were to take a guess, I would say it's because of visibility. Or invisibility to be more accurate. People who have these conditions look normal from the outside. Our disability is hidden. It's invisible.
Visibility changes things. Visibility changes behaviour. Visibility causes action.
It is only because of visibility that a pregnant woman in her third trimester, will be offered a seat on public transit. That is definitely not the case when she's in her first trimester. She may be feeling just as tired, weak or nauseous due to all the hormonal changes, but no one can see that in the early stages of pregnancy.
So what can we do to make an our invisible disability more visible? Well, we can launch awareness of vestibular disorders into space. Cyberspace, that is!
With the many forms of social media out there, the influencers, the blogs and public platforms, we can bring awareness to the people and organizations who have the power and ability to bring about change.
What can you do? You can visit VeDA and learn more about vesitbular disorders and all the work that they do within the association here. and if you are financially able, leave them a donation here.
You can share this post. Sharing information is powerful. There was a very successful Faberge shampoo ad campaign in the 1980's where actress Heather Locklear stated "if you tell two friends, they'll tell two friends and so on..." Sharing will help to spread the message.
with you.
Finally, my only aim with this blog is to try and highlight vestibular disorders and show how devastating and life altering they can be. If we can shine a spotlight on these disorders which affect millions of people everyday, perhaps then and only then will our invisable disability become visible. So visible in fact, that it will be clearly seen. Even from space.
NASA, where President Kennedy in 1962, boldly stated that they would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade, but never lived to see it.
I visited the rocket garden.
Took the bus tour to the historic launch sites.
Stood in awe viewing the actual Space Shuttle, Atlantis.
Visited the memorial of the lost orbiters Challenger and Columbia and paid a solemn tribute to the 14 brave astronauts who died during their missions.
I sat at the controls and pretended to take off in a space shuttle.
I discovered how astronauts use the washroom. I even tried Freeze Dried Space Food.
I discovered how astronauts use the washroom. I even tried Freeze Dried Space Food.
And this is the one time that I actually preferred an apple over an ice cream sandwich!
I did however, decide to take a pass on the virtual Space Shuttle Experience. Why on earth would I line up for 20 minutes to experience what it feels like for an astronaut to be launched into space? Firstly, it could potentially trigger vestibular issues for me. Secondly, I get to have that 'experience' at random every time my body chooses to have a vertigo attack. That's not virtual, that's my reality.
It was here, while I waited for my husband to finish his ride, that I looked around me and wondered how many other people are here today walking around dizzy? How many are too dizzy to enjoy this particular exhibit? Any of the exhibits? How many people, like me, are suffering in silence?
According to the Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA) as many as 35% of adults aged 40 years or over in the United States have experienced some form of vestibular dysfunction. That's approximately 69 million Americans.
I literally stared into space and wondered..."How is it that they can they can put a man on the moon, yet cannot fix the plight millions of people on this planet who suffer with chronic dizziness and balance disorders on a daily basis.
How is it that astronauts have orbited the earth, built an International Space Station and launched thousands of satellites from rockets and space shuttles, so that down here on earth, when I'm driving in my car and make a wrong turn, if I have the GPS enabled, a signal is sent and I'm redirected and rerouted within seconds....from SPACE!
How is it with all the advances in science and technology that no one has researched and developed a way to permanently put the inner ear crystals back into place once they've become dislodged so that people with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, (BPPV,) don't keep having recurrences even after treatment? How is it that they haven't found an effective treatment for people. like me, with Vestibular Neuritis, so that we are not still living with the debilitating effects of the virus two years or even longer after the virus has left? How is it that they haven't discovered a cure for Meniere's Disease that can cause violent episodes of vertigo and can often lead to hearing loss? Or Tinnitus? Or Vestibular Migranes?
I don't actually know the answer to these questions, but if I were to take a guess, I would say it's because of visibility. Or invisibility to be more accurate. People who have these conditions look normal from the outside. Our disability is hidden. It's invisible.
Visibility changes things. Visibility changes behaviour. Visibility causes action.
It is only because of visibility that a pregnant woman in her third trimester, will be offered a seat on public transit. That is definitely not the case when she's in her first trimester. She may be feeling just as tired, weak or nauseous due to all the hormonal changes, but no one can see that in the early stages of pregnancy.
So what can we do to make an our invisible disability more visible? Well, we can launch awareness of vestibular disorders into space. Cyberspace, that is!
With the many forms of social media out there, the influencers, the blogs and public platforms, we can bring awareness to the people and organizations who have the power and ability to bring about change.
What can you do? You can visit VeDA and learn more about vesitbular disorders and all the work that they do within the association here. and if you are financially able, leave them a donation here.
You can share this post. Sharing information is powerful. There was a very successful Faberge shampoo ad campaign in the 1980's where actress Heather Locklear stated "if you tell two friends, they'll tell two friends and so on..." Sharing will help to spread the message.
You can like and follow my new Facebook Page The Dizziness Diaries. Most of the Vestibular Groups that I belong to on Facebook are private (as they should be) because the people in these groups often share painful, sensitive and private information. The wider public audience will never see the truly awful side of our condition. However, my Facebook Page will be open for anyone to read posts from this blog and gain a little understanding about ordinary people living with vertigo.
Also it would be great if you left a thumbs up or a comment, so I know that my stories are resonatingwith you.
Finally, my only aim with this blog is to try and highlight vestibular disorders and show how devastating and life altering they can be. If we can shine a spotlight on these disorders which affect millions of people everyday, perhaps then and only then will our invisable disability become visible. So visible in fact, that it will be clearly seen. Even from space.
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