Acupuncture

I have been trying to add more self care to my life. My job can be stressful, not necessarily in my daily tasks but with the things I have to endure. I hear and see a lot of things that come through the systems. My supervisor is also a micro manager and the two together just wear me out. 

I work all day doing my best to be on top of things while fighting my vestibular disorder and keeping the supervisor pleased. I spend so much time worrying about all the things that need to be done at work and at home that It’s easy to forget about myself.

One of my recent purchases from amazon is an acupuncture mat. I have always wondered if acupuncture really works, so when I seen these mats and the fact they did not actually have “needles”, I wanted to give it a try. 

Well? What did I think?

I actually love it! 

It haa some really sharp plastic tips that do not pierce the skin but will cause some prickly pain. It’s not unbearable. My 10 year old nephew even tried it out. He though it was fun but not really understanding the whole point of it (no pun intended). 

I lay my bare back on it while leaned back in my recliner. At first there is a slight uncomfortable prickly feeling. Then it turns hot and numb. After a few minutes, I’m in a complete relax mode. I have even fell asleep on it. 

After a about 20 minutes, I take the mat away leaving my back with a burning feeling something equivalent to slight sunburn. This sensation last about 4 minutes then I'm back to normal. 

It’s certainly one of my favor things right now and use it about twice a week to relieve stress and tention.

https://amzn.to/3QAqGYv

Have you ever did acupuncture of any type?

2024

 Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a great time ringing in the new year. We usually stay awake to see the ball drop on TV and around the world but not this time. Nick has to work this New Years day so we hit the sack early.

We went to church yesterday morning.  Me and Nick go to two separate churches, but I decided to go with him to his this time. It was sorta nice sitting in a more quiet setting without the bands and loud music (which I do love by the way) that cause a sensory overload I have been getting in my bad ear. This can easily trigger a vertigo attack for me. 

We did go out for a nice steak dinner before heading back home for the night. We ran into a couple friends we knew while we were there and did some catching up on our lives. 

I hope this year will be a good one but I feel like it’s going to be wild ride with it being election year, leap year and year of the Olympics. I feel like a lot of things are going to happen. So buckle up.

I do not make resolutions but I do try to set goals. I accomplish most of them. 

This year I plan to get healthier. The past few months have been hard on me going through more than usual effects of Meniere's Disease. I am currently loaded up on Steroids to see if they help. So far they seem to be helping. I will start weening off of them in two days. I have been on Prednisone for 2 weeks now with one more week to go. Since they seem to be working, I will be getting steroid shots directly through my eardrum into my inner ear 3 times in a series of 3 weeks. This will not have any side effects and will only help my inner ear issues. He just did not want to go this rout unit we knew if it will work or not. I can and will continue to have issues but hopefully no more vertigo attacks out of nowhere! 

I am beginning to get “moon face” . This is weight swelling in my face but will go away once I’m off of steroids. I can’t wait. However, I am full of energy and I can’t stop eating! I have gained 10 lbs in two weeks! I need a detox!

Here are a few of my plans for the new year.

• Talk and walk with God more.
• Eat healthier and get this steroid weight gain off.
• Purchase a lap top with my Christmas money.
• Start walking on a regular basis again.
• Do some in home workouts to keep toned.
• Save money for the new Ford Bronco I want.
• Maybe a new tattoo. 
• Maybe start a new blog on a new platform (while keeping this one).
• Start a new skin care routine.
• Vote
• Spend more time relaxing and enjoying life.
• Stay away from anything or any person that brings negative vibes.

We only have a little while left on this earth. We need to enjoy and live life abundantly (John 10:10).

Do you set any new year goals? 

How I’m Doing

Hey, remember me? I been MIA from the blogging world lately. I think about blogging every day. I need to find time for myself and start back blogging on a regular basis. It is a great way to relieve stress. 

As I’m typing this post, I am leaned back on my new acupuncture mat. Yes, I have resorted to pain to see if it can relieve me of the Meniere’s symptoms. It’s been over a month now since my last big vertigo attack and I still feel “off” I have had several emotional breakdowns not knowing how I will get through the day. But hey, here I am. By prayers, I am making it.  

I know this will soon pass and I will go into remission for a few months, maybe even a year or so. Right now it is hard for me to go to public places for long period of time. I start getting anxiety of fear that an attack will happen at any minute and it will be embarrassing. It’s not a pretty thing.

People are always asking me if I’m ok. I say yes as I hide the truth. Everyday is a struggle. I can feel balanced and on the healing side of things one minute, and in one breath, things can change and I’m spinning out of control, in pain, confusion, and vomiting. I have absolutely went to bed at night thinking I will not wake up the next morning. And the bad thing about that is…. I’m ok with that.  

I think now, my left ear is completely deaf. This usually fluctuates and the hearing can return once the fluid releases and the Tinnitus goes away but I’m not sure this time. 

I went back to my ENT two weeks ago on one of my worst days. He said the next step is to try steroid ear injections. They will insert a thin needle trough my ear and into my inner ear and inject. He gave me a name of a doctor in Charlotte that specializes in this sort of thing.  I have yet to call and set that up. I am on the fence about it as there is no promises it will work and it would take a series of visits to see improvement. I do not have the time, energy nor money to travel an hour away for this. I mean, I can barely make it to my office three miles away. 

I may still at least call him for a consultation visit. He knows more about Meniere's disease than my regular ENT. I will wait and see how I do next week. 

I do not plan to blog much more about my condition. I need to learn to deal with it and find myself again. I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and be the warrior that I am. I need to get out there and fight instead of getting anxious and scared of what might happen in public places. I have a lot of friends, family and church praying for me and that’s more than an doctor can do. God will heal me on his timing. If not, then there is a reason for this. I just need to keep the faith and enjoy life as I have it. 

 

Diagnosis Finally

I am still here in blogger land, I have just been slack at posting. By the time I get home from work, eat dinner and get in my walk and shower, I’m exhausted. I can barely keep my eyes open and rarely finish watching anything on tv before dozing off. 

Work makes me tired but what makes me most tired is fighting my condition. It’s an everyday battle to pretend I am fine all day at work. Inside, I am always fighting light headiness, brain fog and focus. Let’s add in the fact my ear feels full of inflammation pressure and lack of hearing.

If you follow my blog, I have complained about this for years. Seven to be exact. 

I went to my regular doctor again about my ear problem. Years ago, he said it must be allergies. I knew it was more than that. This time he thinks it’s my neck and wanted to do xrays. It showed spinal damages that cause pain, but still, this was different. So I went with my gut feeling and made myself an appointment with the ENT. 

The Audiologist did some testing and said I have over 50% hearing loss in my left ear. I can hear some sounds but can not make out what people are saying on that side. Next, I walked into another office where the doctor discussed a possible problem I have and set me up another appointment to have some more testing to know for sure. 

The tests they did was an ECoG, VNG, and ABR. 

I returned to the ENT the next week to get some answers.

I have been officially diagnosed with Meniere's Disease. 

He said I have no balance left in my left ear, and over 50% hearing loss. He said there is no cure and my ear has taken a hard hit. He said it will not get better and since I have Meniere’s I may lose all hearing in that ear eventually, but I can change things to help cope with it. Hopefully I can reduce the vertigo and light headiness with a low salt diet and a prescription of diuretics. Sounds can effect it, diet and weather. I have been using some earplugs for
barometric pressure but I got some new ear plugs to deal with sensitivity. They are called “Loops” and I absolutely love them. It blocks out background noise and sounds that are sensitive to me. If I am in a room with loud noises or loud singing and music, It sounds like one big loud blurr and it can trigger a vertigo attack. These earplugs are suppose to help with this. It’s weird that even though I have loss of hearing, some sounds are brutal. It’s like a busted speaker.

It’s just a lot so I’ll stop rambling. I will survive. I will get through this. Now that I have a diagnosis, I can take control. The doctors say “there is no cure”,  but I say, “do you know my Jesus?

Shop Loop.com earplugs HERE . There are three different strenghts.

Got mine from Amazon HERE.

As an Amazon Affiliate, this post may include marketing links,

 which means I make a small percentage on the sales 

but it in no way affects the price a buyer may pay.

Finding My Triggers

If you know me, you know I suffer with a vestibular disorder. It all started in 2016 when I began having loud ringing and fullness in my left ear. A couple weeks later I woke up one morning and the room was spinning. I was sweating so bad that my clothes were soaked. My husband helped me to the bathroom where I spent almost 4 hours throwing up and dry heaving. I was not sure what was going on. I figured It was the way I slept or something I ate. After the episode, I slept most the rest of the day. I was exhausted. I have only suffered 3 of these violent attacks. All other times, I am just light headed and always feeling on the verge of a vertigo attack. It’s crippling. 

I have went to the doctor about it and he suggested it was just allergies. He sent me to an ENT. There, I was quickly told me that it was not allergies. They did the hearing test, checked inside my ears and asked several questions. I checked off all the boxes as having Meniere's Disease but they would not diagnose me with it until I went through a series of testing. After learning there is no cure for it, I refused all the expensive testing. So here I am without closure to what I’m going through. No one can see it and I don’t look sick. It’s now sort of just a my secret invisible illness I keep with me.

Two years ago, my symptoms, except the ringing, stopped all of a sudden. I thought I was free and could live normal again. Until it flared back up just last month. I have not suffered the violent vertigo attacks, but the anxiety I get from the fear of it happening at work or while driving keeps me on edge.

The Tinnitus (ringing in the ear) is constant. Sometimes it’s low, sometimes it’s high. I also have lost hearing in my that ear. All I can hear from my left ear is the ringing and whoosing sounds that come from within my head.

It’s weird that even though I lost hearing, I am super sensitive to certain sounds and tones. Restaurants are the worst for me right now. All the background noise causes to much stimulation in my ear and I feel like my head is closing in and headaches start. Same goes for any place I go where there are multiple people talking. It’s miserable. Sound sensitivity is a new one right now. 

Is it sounds that trigger my symptoms?

I notice on rainy days I feel worst than when it’s a sunny day.

Is it the biometric pressure triggering my symptoms?

While listening to Meniere’s Muse podcast, I heard a guest mention that WeatherX earplugs were a big help for her. They look like normal earplugs but have a small piece of ceramic inside that protect your ears from pressure changes in the weather. There is also a WeatherX app you can download and it will notify you when there an incline or decline in pressure so you can pop the earplugs in. 

Why not try? It couldn’t hurt.

Did they work for me? 

Yes. They are a win win. I think they work for both weather changes and sound. When I feel pressure building up in my ear and head, I put them in. However, the app is no use to me as my body tells me when to put them in. They do not completely close out sound, so I can still have conversations with people. They block out a lot of background noise and make me feel comfortable and in my own little zone. Now I do not have to stick my finger in my ear to balance out sounds. Listening to the paster on Sunday was a lot more comfortable. 

I have come to the conclusion that I will continue having bad days and good days so I try and make the best of it. I have hopes that It will go away again since this time isn’t as bad as it used to be, maybe I will grow out of it. 

I am learning to handle the episodes of lightheadedness and pressure by trying to relax and accept the fact that its just part of me now.

I have decided to just live with it and stop feeling sorry for myself. I’m tired of explaining to people how I feel. Unless they have had this condition, they will never understand. I plan to make some healthy changes in my self. Now if I can just find my triggers. I can do this.

As an Amazon Affiliate, this post may include marketing links,

 which means I make a small percentage on the sales 

but it in no way affects the price a buyer may pay.

DIY Turmeric Shots

If you know me, you know I suffer from an inner ear condition called Tinnitus. It all started in 2016 and came on pretty sudden and still hasn’t stopped. Tinnitus is a constant ringing of the ears that can be caused by different things, but in my case, tinnitus was an early indicator of Meniere's disease. I have never been diagnosed with Meniere’s but have every known symptom.

What is Meniere’s Disease? Read about it HERE. 

There is no cure for Meniere’s. It is hard to find a doctor that will give the diagnosis because they can not see it and unless they have had it themselves, they can’t comprehend the symptoms that are an everyday struggle for me. I look fine. I do not look sick and carry on my days (though hard sometimes) as usual. It is an invisible disease. The biggest fear is never knowing when I will have a vertigo attack. The loss of hearing comes and goes.

SO, I am always trying to adjust my diet and find out what causes it to trigger. Since one symptom is inflammation in the ear, I had to reduce my salt intake. This has helped a little and seems to make my remissions last longer. A spice called Turmeric is great for reducing inflammation in the body. Turmeric is good for you. I have started taking 1/2 teaspoon a day to see if that will also help reduce some inflammation in my ears. 

Before I go out and purchase as bottle of the Turmeric supplements, I wanted to make my own. First I tried it as a small drink but I could barely take the taste. It was nasty! SO I got to thinking and made a dose I can swallow with water like a pill. I used all the ingredients I used in the drink besides the liquid. 

This included: 

- A few teaspoons of Turmeric, 

- 1/4 teaspoon of fresh grated Ginger,

- dash of ground pepper. 

- Then I added couple drops of honey to create a doughy paste. 

I took the dough and divided it into small pellets. 

Each pellet has about 1/2 teaspoon to Turmeric. 

I take one every morning. 

Note: Turmeric will stain your clothes and counter tops and these little pills may be hard to swallow for some, so take caution. 

Turmeric is also great for those that suffer arthritis. Turmeric is often added to foods and drinks as an extra health benefit. You do not have to have a health problem at all and still take Turmeric. 

Do you suffer from Meniere’s Disease or Tinnitus?

If so, what are your vertigo triggers?

What helps?

I am always looking for answers. 

Finally February

Wow it’s finally February. Thank goodness! I am behind on my blogging, but hey, It is my blog so there are no deadlines. Right?

January was crazy for me. It started off with me having a procedure done to remove a small cancer cell from my forehead. Then I had my first job interview. After that, I was having dinner at Jackson’s Cafeteria and bit down on piece of fat back and broke a noticeable tooth in half. This caused me to have a weekend without a smile then resulted in a dentist appointment to have a crown. This was all before I had to have a new hire photo made. Luckily I was able to have it fixed before I went. I start work next week. 

Then I was called from another place that I had applied for (not ready to tell it yet) to come take a reading and math exam. I was skeered. I am not good at reading, spelling or math. But I passed, was fingerprinted, photographed and an unexpected 1st interview. I will know in a couple weeks if I need to come in for a 2nd interview. Meanwhile I will keep working at my new part time job and later decisions might have to be made.

I have also been suffering from my Meniere's the past couple weeks. It is a never ending battle. I never know when I wake up in the mornings if I will have a good day or a bad day. The fullness, pressure, dizziness, and ringing in my ear drives me crazy at times. This also leads to hearing loss during an episode. I can’t concentrate, hence why I haven't done much blogging. 

There are days I do not feel like getting dressed or leaving the house. I never know when a vertigo attack will happen and its scary. This is a big concern of mine for when I start my new job. I will have to keep pushing my self through my episodes and hope no one notices or that I don't fall out. 

This is an invisible problem. On the outside I look completely well. No one can see me screaming inside or how tired and stressed it makes me. They do not know the struggles and concerns I am faced with every single day. I can’t even talk about it because no one understands. It’s going on 5 years now.

I hope February is easier on me and I can finally get my working life back together. I can’t hardly wait to get back out there and make money and make new friends. 

Meanwhile, stay tuned. I just managed to make some awesome cookies I plan to share next! 

Fruit Coasters

I haven't really be feeling up to par the past few weeks. My Menier's has been at about a level eight. It will literally just wipe me out. I fight it. I still go on my walks and keep doing my normal daily activities except drive. I do not trust myself behind the wheel during my episodes so I get my sweet husband to take me to work. There I struggle to get things done because my concentration level is berserk.
What is Menier's Disease? Check it out HERE.

I have a few Ambassador task to complete with a new company I have been playing with lately. I will share more on this one soon. I feel a little overwhelmed and need to do some thinking.
In the meantime I have done some relaxing and enjoying a little crocheting for my own good. It gives me time to clear my mind. I do a lot of thinking while I crochet.

I made these fruit coasters to add to my Etsy shop. Are they not just the cutest thing ever? They scream summer picnic to me.

They were fun to make and I plan to do other fruits later. My attention span is about that of a two year old. I get bored making the same things over and over so I move on to something else.

Once I shared these cute fruity rounds with my social media followers, someone reached out to me and asked if I could make some Kiwi coasters. "Sure", I said. That was actually in my next plan. I made them using the same pattern as the fruits but the details were just different.

They turned out cute and as soon as I posted them online, they sold. I wasn't even finished writing the description before I heard the "Cha Ching" chime in from the app alerting me that they had just been bought. It was from the lady that had asked me to make them.

HERE is the pattern I used for the coasters if you would like to make some for yourself . If you can't crochet and want a set, I still have the fruity ones listed. I plan to make some pineapple and pear ones soon.

Salt Pillow

I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a big believer on all this holistic therapies like the essential oils and herbs for example. Don’t get me wrong, I do not doubt they play positive rolls for natural alternatives for some as they did back in the Bible days, but I just don’t always buy it. I have tried some of the oils but never find they help with any kind of healing. Not that they don't, I just haven't experienced it. However, I do believe in aroma therapy as I think smells can react on how you feel. I think some smells will make you feel energize while others can relax you. That’s about as far as I will go with the holistics.

I have always heard that Himalayan salt rock is good for the air around you. I have never had a salt rock but have always wanted one and would also love to visit a salt cave and sit awhile just to see. 

While out and about the other day, My husband pointed out these salt pillows. 

They were a good price so I said, “ok why not”. Let just see what it does. I mean, I could use a heat activated pillow for my earaches, headaches and tummy cramps”. So purchased it and brought it home. It sat next to my chair for a couple days while I just sort of looked at it. I was waiting on a day I felt I needed some soothing comfort. 

If you know me, you know I suffer from symptoms of Meniere’s and Tinnitus. My left ear will practically go deaf and the feeling of fluid pressure and dizziness will take over my head. This can go on for days at a time with a couple good days in between. I will wake up with head aches and those days can be rotten. 

I decided to take this little pillow to bed with me. I lay my left ear against it and I'm out like a light. Since I have been sleeping with this pillow against my head, I have not woken up with a head ache like I used to do every morning. I also have not had any symptoms of Meniere’s and vertigo in over three weeks now. I am aware that as soon as I finish this post I could have a flare up as they will hit without warning, but I can’t help but wonder if this little pillow is really working or if it's all in my head? 

It weights 2.2 lbs and can be heated in the microwave for one minute and used as a heating pad. With the weight and heat combined, I'm sure it will work great for cramps. It can also be placed in the freezer and used as an ice pack. 

Salt holds temperature extremely well, whether hot or cold. Himalayan Salt Healing Pillow is filled with 100% natural Himalayan salt crystals. The pillows weight provides gentle pressure while conforming comfortably to the face and body's natural curves. Crystal salts last indefinitely and can be used over and over again. 

You can purchase a pillow like this at most department stores such as Target or Walmart or any health stores or pharmacy. I actually picked mine up at Hamricks Department Sore. 

Or just go straight to the company.

The Original Salt Company

In The Air

By the time you read this I will be in the air on a plane, by myself. When I seen the flight route, and seen that it possibly could be flying briefly along the coast line, I went online and changed my given isle seat in the back of the plane to a left side window seat in the center of the plane.  Ok, yea, it doesn't take much to thrill me.

Two years ago I went to Tampa. That trip was a bit harder as it was the first time in 23 years that I had ever been away from my husband over night. It was also the first time I had ever been on a plane! I thought is was a once in a life time opportunity so I took it. Other than missing my husband like the dickens, I enjoyed my trip. 

Well guess what? I got an invite to fly to Orlando this time to do another photo/commercial shoot this weekend. I was a bit quicker to accept the invitation this time since it was a shorter stay and I had done it before just fine.

The only thing I’m hating about this trip is being away from Nick again. A part of me says “stay”. Then another part of me says “go”. It gives me a chance to shine, get away from work and visit a place I have never been that I would never get to do otherwise. I really wish he would go with me but he will not fly and an 8 hour road trip was out of the question.

I look over my shoulder, and hope all the way until take off ,that he will surprise me by turning the car around and jumping on the plane. That only happens in the movies I reckon. I really hope if he ever gets the opportunity to take a free trip somewhere, he would go. 

Nick has been the best at making sure I have everything I need for the trip. He made sure I had a new iPhone because mine was going bad and he took me shopping last weekend. He ended up walking 5 miles around the mall while I shopped. He never complained. I know he really doesn't want me to go not matter how much he tries to hide it. 

I think he worries about me. I have Meneire’s / Tinnitus (inner ear problems). When It flares up, I get dizzy, loose my hearing in one ear, and can have sudden, unexpected episodes of vertigo. It comes and goes. I can go weeks at a time between flare ups. Well, guess what?.... It decides to flare up this week and so far through today. I just pray I do not get vertigo because It hits so hard and violent that a stranger would probably call an ambulance and that will be unnecessary, expensive and embarrassing. 

I just hope I do ok.  The plane ride can either help or hurt. I'm taking my chances here. Well, see. ......

Stay tuned, I’ll blog more when I get on the ground. For now, I'm going on airplane mode.