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What I Can't Do With Meniere's Disease

Over the years I've come to some realisations about things I'm no longer able to do due to having Meniere's disease. Before you read any further, please remind yourself that this disease is different with everyone, and what's not working for me might be working for someone else. This post is also not me complaining about things I've had to give up. I'm just presenting some facts here :)


Rollercoasters. Ah, I used to love going to amusement parks and riding rollercoasters and other rides. I LOVE amusement parks. Now, unfortunately, my balance goes way off if I get on a ride, so I no longer have to spend crazy amounts of money on those wrist bands...

Walk down the stairs without holding onto the banister. I still have good days when I can just run down the stairs with no problems, but most of the time I need to hold onto something. If it's dark, I definitely have to be careful on the stairs.

Function well without proper sleep. I need my sleep, I really do, or I will lose my ability to handle everyday things. I can stay up all night as long as I'm able to go to sleep in the morning, but it's not something I can keep repeating. I'm not pulling all-nighters for anything except the Oscars (they stream live at night time here bc of the time difference) lol :D

Handling bright and flashing lights. Light shows are out of the question. I'm mostly fine with driving in the dark - traffic lights and city lights aren't bad. I just can't really be in a dark space with a ton of flashing lights, I think flashing is the key word here. I've had issues with them in my teenage years, too, but with Meniere's it's worse. They make me feel woozy.

Something I can't explain... Intense focus on something too close to my face? Looking at Google Earth on an iPad has triggered an attack for me twice. I no longer do that... and it's also the reason I'm scared to start drawing again. I used to draw a lot, and I was good at it, but I remember this one time a few years before I got sick with Meniere's when I was drawing for a few hours straight, and afterwards I felt really lightheaded and dizzy.

Meniere's hasn't limited my life all that much. Rollercoasters and flashing lights aren't an everyday thing for most of us, and I've adjusted to my situation pretty well. I hope I can get back to drawing, it's really just a matter of having the courage to try it out.

What are the things you've had to give up? Are there any?

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