“Can cerebellar dizziness and nausea resolve?”
The cerebellum is where my own injury is and doctors have told me over and over that damage to the cerebellum is not possible to reverse. Well… This may be right. I’m not a doctor. I do know though that 25 years ago I couldn’t lift my head off my pillow without huge waves of dizziness and nausea. I couldn’t lie totally flat either (until much later) because the dizziness wouldn’t stop if I did. I had to take care to move my head very slowly and steadily and there was a big temptation to just stay in bed and rest: at least then I felt OK.
But – and for me ‘the but’ was all encompassing… I was a young woman and the mother of 3 very active sons. I was also very stubborn and this was my life. I didn’t believe the doctors – even for one minute – that I was going to be so totally disabled forever.
I was determined to improve. And I did…
The first couple of years were tough: I used a cane some of the time although most of the time I used the handles of the stroller I was pushing for balance. Although it always seemed that the ground I was walking on was moving – like a ship experiencing heavy waves – I knew that the movement was in my head and I ignored it. I told myself constantly that I would get better: that I would eventually feel ‘grounded’ and that the nausea wouldn’t actually get to the point of vomitting but that it was just my imagination. I pushed myself. I walked with my arms out to the sides like a tightrope-walker. Or I held on to a stroller or someone’s hand or brushed my fingers along the wall to keep myself oriented. In fact on a bad day, I still use walls and railings to reorient myself. I also take salsa lessons – which I love – and have recently joined a performance group!
There was no-one to encourage me or to walk with me while I was first rehabilitating – which is the whole reason for ReBuildingYou: that no-one will need to ‘do it alone’ again. I want to share my story and the story of as many others as possible. I want to share new therapies and enable ‘grads’ like myself to share what we’ve learned with those who are just starting on their journey. An unbidden, unwelcome and scary journey that has almost always rudely interrupted your life.
Instinctively – and eventually fuelled by the fact that I was getting a little better every day – I sensed that either my brain was healing or perhaps other parts of my brain were taking over for the damaged and missing parts. I kept going. Now stories abound about brain plasticity and elasticity. There’s proof at last of what I ‘knew’. I felt like someone in a nightmare, arguing for my case and everyone shaking their heads and not seeing my story. Now I’m delighted – check out this free YouTube presentation by a neuroscientist, Jill Bolte-Taylor, who had a major stroke when she was a young woman and who has now documented it, minute by minute..
I have also recently met a young man by the name of Martin Guay who has brought the ancient wisdom of Total Biology to the English speaking world and who has shown me how to bring further improvements into my life. I will write about these as soon as possible and add them to my site. Meanwhile he’s available to one-on-one consultation. Discovering what he had to say was a breath of fresh air for me because he has been able to explain to me why some of the things I did worked – which will make it easier to share them. He has also been able to help me to continue improving even after 25 years!
Happy Monday! And I wish everyone a healthy and fun week!