Author Archives: Sandy Brunner

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

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”

Making light of a boat situation! I hope you enjoy these MdDS-themed memes!

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”

The reason I first decided to write and share my Mal de Debarquement Syndrome experience was because I was curious about how other people’s symptoms changed over time.  I figured other people with MdDS might be interested in that same thing. It is hard not knowing what to expect.  My post about my symptoms andContinue reading “Land, Ho?”

Here are some things that seem to help me, listed in order of helpfulness, from somewhat helpful to definitely helpful. (Please note that I am not a doctor and these are not recommendations. However, I do hope readers can find something on this list that could help them, too! I am so grateful to theContinue reading “Staying Afloat: Things That Help”