A month ago I went to the doctor to find out what had been causing dizziness/vertigo I had been experiencing for a few days. After my check up, she told me it was most likely being caused by an inner ear virus and should go away on its' own after a bit. I ended up having the dizziness for another week until it went away. I started back at work as well as the rest of my life getting back to what it was before the virus hit. For two & a half weeks, everything seemed to going smoothly. Then it hit again- this time with a vengeance. The dizziness/vertigo was back, along with nausea, tinnitus and head pressure plus migraines. I prayed and hoped it would go away for over a week. Finally, I ended up back at my doctor's office to see what was going on this time. She did another check up and this time the diagnosis was Meniere's Disease (MD). The Mayo Clinic defines MD as, "a disorder of the inner ear that causes episodes in which you feel as if you're spinning (vertigo), and you have fluctuating hearing loss with a progressive, ultimately permanent loss of hearing, ringing in the ear (tinnitus), and sometimes a feeling of fullness or pressure in your ear. In most cases, Meniere's disease affects only one ear.
Meniere's disease can occur at any age, but it usually starts between the ages of 20 and 50. It's considered a chronic condition, but various treatments can help relieve symptoms and minimize the long-term impact on your life."
Umph- I wasn't actually taken aback as I had already read a bit on MD along with other possibilities during the first round. I might have been thinking that she would tell me I have MD which is why it didn't really come as much of a shock as it could have. After talking a bit and getting a referral for the ENT plus a couple of prescriptions, Brian and I went on our way. Once home, I pretty much felt sorry for myself for a while while eating my dinner of way too much Taco Bell. Thankfully, my ENT nurse friend, Shelly, had been texting to see how I was. She asked if the doctor had put me on a low salt diet. I answered no, while thinking all the while of all the fast food I had just consumed. Knowing more than I about this subject, I followed her advice and started reading up on MD and a low sodium (lo-so) diet. It looked like a really good idea, and so I set forth on my new quest of low sodium cooking and eating.
Well, since I can't do a whole lot, I've been on the Internet a lot lately. I'm excited to say I've found some great websites with terrific recipes, my favorite being thedailydish.us. Not only does Christy have a touching story about her own journey with MD, her recipes are mouthwatering! If that's not enough, she's got great tips and suggestions making eating low sodium easier than it seems. Sodiumgirl.com and the Food Network website have some yummy recipe ideas too.
There are even a lot of packaged foods that are lo-so. Brian and I shopped today at Natural Grocer's and found a few things including these-
And this-
Needless to say, I'm not as worried as I was when first facing this new unknown. I've pretty much got the gluten free, lactose free & nut free thing down when the kids are home, so hey- I know I can do this..
So where does this leave me? For now, I spend a lot of time on our borrowed recliner while the world spins around- sometimes more literally than others. I've learned to pray more for others (some I've never met, like my "friends" on Instagram), and am finding the joy of being able to read for fun again. I'm thankful for my iPad and phone, so I can do whatever work I can from home. I miss being at the salle a lot, but I'm learning to at least try to be content with where the Lord has me for now.
With all that being said, if you have a prayer request, I'd love to pray for you. Just leave a comment or email me with your need, and I'll add you to my list!
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