I have had a good, and interesting, couple of weeks. We’ll
start with the B – BodyTalk.
B: If you’ve never heard of BodyTalk, check it out. It is an
alternative medicine that strives to work in tandem with other treatments,
which I like. It’s all about how our mind, body, and emotions are all
connected. While things like this can be a little bit ‘out there’ for me, I
always go in with an open mind. The session brought up a lot of emotions (A LOT
of emotions!!!), and was quite interesting. We actually didn’t touch on my Meniere’s
as much as I thought we might – in fact it barely came up at all. We did talk a
bit about coping and acceptance techniques for when I am having a spell – while
I am allowed to be frustrated when spells to happen, sometimes I just have to
listen to my body and accept the fact that for the next [fill in the blank] hours
I am going to be sick, dizzy, and exhausted I’ll be okay. Realizing that there
is a difference between acceptance and ‘giving in’ is difficult. I always feel
the need to fight my symptoms, even ignore them until I cannot possibly anymore
– and maybe that isn’t always the best approach. Taking a deep breath and
accepting what is happening to my body might help keep some of the anxiety and
tension down that I feel when I am in the throes of a spell. Easier said than
done!
A: Last week I was lucky enough to travel through the Rocky
Mountains with my boyfriend and one of my best friends form back in Ontario. We
had a wonderful week seeing friends and loved ones in Jasper, and then heading
to Sun Peaks BC. As we were setting out from Sun Peaks towards home (about an 8
hour drive) I began to feel sick – ‘me’ sick. Off, unsteady, dizzy, and just
generally crappy. I cannot help but think that the major change in altitude is
to blame – the descent form Sun Peaks is quite major, and while it didn’t seem
to affect me on the way UP, by the time we got to the bottom of the valley for
the drive home I was just about keeled over in the back seat. I bought some
Advil at the gas station we stopped at, thinking at least that might help me
relax. I felt better for a little while, only for my symptoms to come roaring
back a few kms down the road. This is one of those situations that was particularly
frustrating, since we were at the outset of an 8 hour drive, and with me sick
that only left my BF to drive the whole way – poor guy. After riding in the
front seat for a little while, I started to feel a bit better, and was able to
take over the wheel for a little while. By the time we got all the way home to
Calgary, I was feeling just about back to normal. Altitude? I can’t help but
think so. Being away also meant that I
was not working out or doing yoga regularly, which leaves me feeling crummier
than usual – looking forward to getting back into routine.
C: I am excited about Christmas this year – as always! There
have been years when family holidays have filled me with dread – what if I’m
sick? What if I throw up the wonderfully cooked Christmas dinner? What if I can’t
travel to see my relatives? And indeed there have been years where I have had
to sleep through Easter dinner, or sit propped up in a chair enjoying nothing but
Ginger Ale and Gravol on Boxing Day. I like to think that those years are
mostly behind me though, and that having being symptom free much of the time
now bodes well. Again, should I be sick on Christmas, or during my trip back to
Ontario, I will just have to breathe
deep and accept that…. but I am thinking positive thoughts and as always,
hoping for symptom free days!!
