I don't know what the risk factor
is for me for COVID 19, with my invisible disorders - all of which are
neurological. Additionally, my husband is in the at risk group. So I'm erring
on the side of caution. As an FB friend said, this is NOT a virus I want to
get. It's not the flu. And my disorders have not magically vanished.
I had a good phone conversation
with my aunt recently - she listened, which is so important! I told her that
while I've greatly benefited from my therapies, none of them is a complete cure (currently, I'm only doing monthly check-ins with my cognitive behavioral therapist). My
daughter asked me the other day if carrying heavy stuff makes me dizzy, and I
said it's more like I have to work harder to keep my balance or equilibrium.
Having people ask questions is a
great way to educate others, and helps me understand what I experience because
I have to think about it.
VeDA (the vestibular disorders
Association – www.vestibular.org) has loads of info about a lot of vestibular
disorders. Migraine associated vertigo or vertiginous migraine is a vestibular
disorder - it became an official vestibular diagnosis relatively recently. I
have other disorders as well, like my vision disorder, which is closely linked
to my vestibular disorder. I like to use the word "disorder" because
it makes sense to me - something is "out of order."
When I have trouble, I remind
myself that I have the info and management tools to take care of myself, AND
that I always, eventually, get back to my baseline. I also know that at the age
of 59, I want to be around for a long time yet, so short term cost for long
term gain is OK with me. Making decisions won't always be easy, but I'll do the best I can. I'll also continue
to try to notice anything positive, pull myself back to the present, and take
things one day at a time.
I couldn't stand on one leg like flamingos
do, but isn't it amazing that they have this capacity!
