A Troubling Admission

One of the reasons I started this blog was to let my friends and family stay a little updated on my life. It then turned into my online journal of sorts, which turned into therapy which turned into my outlet for life. As many of you know and remember from previous posts, I have been having a lot of problems with my inner ear and vertigo episodes/ attacks. I don't know why I haven't shared this earlier, just hasn't really hit me I guess.
I was recently diagnosed with Meniere's Disease. Now, this isn't life threatening or something I can die from, but it does make life a little more troublesome.

And no... That's not a vagina, it's an ear/ inner ear :)



What is it you ask?

Meniere's disease is a chronic disorder of the inner ear that causes spontaneous episodes of vertigo — a sensation of a spinning motion — along with fluctuating hearing loss, ringing in the ear (tinnitus), and severe debilitating nausea.

Symptoms:

• Recurring episodes of vertigo. Vertigo is similar to the sensation you experience if you spin around quickly several times and suddenly stop. You feel as if the room is still spinning, and you lose your balance. Episodes of vertigo occur without warning and usually last 30 minutes to 8 hours or more, up to 24 hours. Severe vertigo can cause nausea and vomiting. (it always does)
• Hearing loss. Hearing loss in Meniere's disease may fluctuate, particularly early in the course of the disease. Eventually, most people experience some degree of permanent hearing loss.
• Tinnitus. Tinnitus is the perception of a ringing, buzzing, roaring, whistling or hissing sound in your ear. With Meniere's disease, tinnitus is often low-pitched.
• Aural fullness. Aural fullness is the feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear.

... I get vertigo so bad that all I can do is turn off all lights and sounds, get on all fours and put my head in a pillow. The spinning never ends. It gives me the worst case of nausea to the point where I am dry heaving and cant stop. The ringing and roaring in my ear is constant and affects everything.

I have already lost partial hearing in my right ear and there is a chance that more hearing loss can occur.

The disease appears to be the result of the abnormal volume or composition of fluid in the inner ear. There is still little known about Meniere's Diseases, its causes, and treatments. The inner ear is such an intricate part of the body.

What am I doing for it now?

I have had to completely change my diet. NO SODIUM... which ='s everything I love. Sodium severely alters the fluid in your body. I also have to go on a daily diuretic which regulates said fluid but also drains my body of Potassium.. which is all energy. So I am like severely worn out all the time like I just ran 10 miles.

I'll stop here but all in all, it is what it is and is something I have to learn to live with. Luckily I have medicine on me at all times to "help" vertigo attacks but this is something that might affect the rest of my life. I just wanted to vent about how much I hate this. how I am so afraid of losing my hearing and how much I have taken it for granted. I just want this to go away and not be paranoid 24/7. Not have it affect my life like it already has in so many ways. Trying to be cool about this and be in high spirits.

For now though, Happy Wednesday.

Feel Good During the Holidays Advice

Happy Friday Everyone!

So today I thought I would share some highly embarrassing/learned the hard way advice with a little background. Ever since I can remember, I have had a problem with fluctuating weight. On one of my parent's side, there seems to ALWAYS be an emphasis on weight, the new diet, exercising tips, and being in shape. Almost to the point where it's exhausting. All of my family pretty much looks like super models... and then there's me. Talk about rough.

When I was in high school and the beginning years of college, my weight would always sky rocket, then come down, then shoot back up again. It was embarrassing but was inevitable. I would eat like every meal was my last and count going to the mailbox as exercise.

Needless to say, I was developing extremely horrible habits. I began to notice that I was always moody, never had energy, and had a poor self image. I would try diet pills, meal plans like nutrisystem, and at one point would go to the gym for 2-3 hours every day.

The low point:

SO EMBARRASSING!

I came home for the holidays and my mom told me she almost didn't recognize me. This is when I started nurtrisystem, hydroxy cut, and endless workouts - all at different times. Nothing seemed to really stick. I was miserable. I began eating like crap while simultaneously working out. Every week was up and down.


The Turning Point:


See my uncle/Big Brother right above? Ya... Super model. I came home my junior year to complete an internship after I had finished my second season knocking door to door selling pest control. That summer my diet consisted of Jack-in-the-Box. Seriously... That's all I ate. I couldn't even button my jeans, I was forced to pull them up and tuck in the tabs hoping no one would notice. I felt puffy all the time and greasy. Now please mind that I am 5'1 and have a petite frame - so any weight I gain is extremely noticeable.

Problem areas: Face, stomach, thighs, upper-arms

With the help of my Aunt Peggy, I was able to start making significant lifestyle changes. Diet is nothing without moderate exercise. And most importantly, exercise is NOTHING without diet. I began finding that it was EXTREMELY easy to eat healthy, even while going out. Here are just a few tips that I adjusted to that made all the difference in the world:

-GRILLED everything. You can even eat a grilled chicken fillet by itself from McDonald's even.
-Vegetables and Fruits - these are essential
- No bananas and other fruits that are high in sugar.
-Mrs.Dash marinade, dipping sauce and seasoning. Make sure to get the NO Sodium, No sugar.
-No dipping sauce or dressings other than above. This is crucial. There is so much sugar and salt in dippings.
-I LOVED salads with lettuce, grilled chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions. Seriously, without the dressing I could taste each food item more. These are so easy to order anywhere
-Almonds as snacks instead of potato chips
-limit carb intake - all whole grains and no simple grains.

I began going to the gym 3 times a week. I would do 45 minutes of some type of cardio (run, treadmill, elliptical, stair master) and then 40-60 minutes of weights. I made sure to always try new machines (even when I had no absolute clue how they would work) and switch up my routine so I wouldn't get bored or comfortable.


Today:


If I slip up, its not the end of the world. I just make sure that I wont go into the depths after a few mess ups. Today I feel extremely comfortable with my body and weight. I still have areas that definitely need to be worked on and toned... but I feel good about how I feel, not just how I look.
So during this holiday season, It's important to remember to not just fall off the bandwagon because it's holiday time. Continue to develop good habits and actually commit to them.


Parting Advice:

It's not about being skinny. It's about being healthy