New Treatment For the past 3 months, I’ve been using Timolol Maleate 0.5% eye drops, which are prescribed to treat Vestibular Migraine (VM). My neurologist prescribed them with the hope that by reducing my VM symptoms, my MdDS symptoms would also decrease. He recommended using one drop in each eye twice daily for symptom prevention,Continue reading “New Treatment and New Gig”
Author Archives: Sandy Brunner
My Top 3 Coping Strategies Right Now
These coping strategies have been helping me lately and guiding my quarantine self-care: I make my exhales longer than my inhales. It’s super simple. I can do it anywhere at any time! It helps keep my stress levels down and helps me relax and fall asleep when symptoms spike. I ask myself: If I wasContinue reading “My Top 3 Coping Strategies Right Now”
Adjusting the Sails
Mal de Debarquement Syndrome creates a lot of daily challenges. The “boat sensations” are constant, and I’ll get caught off guard by random spins or pulls, a flare-up of symptoms, dizziness with head movements, or head pain. I decided to stop taking any and all prescriptions for a while, which has made the seas lessContinue reading “Adjusting the Sails”
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
To boat or not to boat? That was the question on my mind as summer was fast approaching. Most people said, “Are you crazy? Why would you want to go on a boat?” I probably am crazy, but something about being told I could never go on a boat again made me want to doContinue reading “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea”
One Year Without Land Legs
After one year without land legs, this is what I know for sure: It gets better. It gets easier. Hard to believe, but it really does. My progress has been very slow. It took months to see notable improvements. Recovery hasn’t been linear. I still rock, bob, and sway, but day to day I feelContinue reading “One Year Without Land Legs”
Trying to Turn the Tides
After developing some scary new migraine symptoms, I had taken a month off of work to attempt to turn the tides. (If you haven’t read my last post, Ebbs and Flows, yet, read it HERE to catch up.) I was hoping that a break might help me achieve remission or reach it sooner. At theContinue reading “Trying to Turn the Tides”
Ebbs and Flows
Where we last left off I had just come home with a renewed sense of hope after attending treatment at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. I had made improvements, but what really excited me was the idea that remission was within reach. If I could just avoid my triggers for a few weeks,Continue reading “Ebbs and Flows”
Steering My Ship in the Right Direction: Mount Sinai
There are not a lot of treatment options available for people with Mal de Debarquement Syndrome. There is only one evidenced-based treatment proven to successfully diminish or eliminate symptoms in most patients. The treatment is VOR (vestibulo-ocular reflex) readaptation, which is only done at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Preparing for TravelContinue reading “Steering My Ship in the Right Direction: Mount Sinai”
Ship for Brains: MdDS Memes!
Making light of a boat situation! I hope you enjoy these MdDS-themed memes!
Six Months at Sea
The Voyage Continues After about 3 weeks thinking I was headed for land (metaphorically), a snowstorm came (literally). I started getting a migraine more intense than the usual head pressure, with a sharp pain on the right side of my head. The migraine lasted for days. With each day, more and more symptoms reemerged –Continue reading “Six Months at Sea”
