Vertigo and Minicon

[mrissa]

The good news from today's clinic PT: I don't have to do the PT exercise from hell again for awhile yet, because that degree of awful is not really useful. Some awful, yes. That much awful, apparently no. (She was hoping the awful would go away quickly. It didn't.)

The further good news from today's clinic PT: I may graduate from the remedial exercises back to standing in the corner next week. Maybe. If things go well. We'll see. (There will continue to be other exercises besides that, but standing in the corner, if you recall, is the one that we stopped because it was too hard for me.)

A week from today, one of two things will have happened. Either the vertigo will have improved somewhat, in which case I will go to Minicon; or the vertigo will not have improved at all, in which case...I will still go to Minicon. Of course there are other factors like asteroids that could result in me not going to Minicon. But this is not something the vertigo is going to stop.

So please -- if you see me sitting somewhere at Minicon, and you want to talk to me, don't wait for me to get up and wander over to you. Come on over and say hi. Or please offer me an arm if you're steady enough to do so usefully. I promise that if I am feeling steady enough not to need help, I will not get tired of saying so. The vertigo is not immediately visible in a lot of circumstances. You're not going to be able to tell by looking at me sitting in the consuite or the lobby or one of the rooms with panels whether I'm feeling unsteady or not. You may not even be able to tell if I've found a nice wall to hang onto. I will be very grateful if you go on the assumption that I am not completely myself for this convention.

Comments

[ozarque.livejournal.com]

From someone who's had chronic vertigo since the 1970s -- you have my heartfelt sympathy. I don't know what's causing your vertigo, so what I say here may not apply to you; I hope yours is temporary. But I want you to know that if it doesn't go away, you will eventually get used to it. When my husband -- who'd been in the Navy, and knew a lot about surfaces being unstable under his feet -- told me, "You'll get used to it," and insisted on that, I was absolutely furious with him, and with what I saw as his heartlessness. He turned out to be right. Today, if things were to stop moving under my feet, I'm sure I would immediately fall down.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

It sounds like they're trying to do two things with this PT: help me to get rid of the vertigo, and help me to adapt to the vertigo when it is there. So we'll see.

[tanaise.livejournal.com]

I don't know if you should conclusively rule out the potential healing effects of asteroids at this point.

[jenett]

These are excellent bits of news.

So please -- if you see me sitting somewhere at Minicon, and you want to talk to me, don't wait for me to get up and wander over to you. Come on over and say hi. Or please offer me an arm if you're steady enough to do so usefully.

I intend to do these things.

[gwynnega]

I'm having a mild-ish flareup of vertigo this week. I hope the exercises help you! And good for you for not letting the vertigo get in the way of Minicon. (I once attended Dragoncon with vertigo!)

[mmerriam.livejournal.com]

My large and steady self will be there and available to act as a large and steady hand in moving the Mris from place to place.

The fact that I sometimes walk into walls might be an issue, however...

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

You drive, I'll navigate.

[mmerriam.livejournal.com]

Deal!

[pameladean]

Oh, a small hooray.

P.

[greykev.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you'll be there. I'm glad I'll be there. I'm glad there's a 'there' to be at.

Hmm, the axe isn't tall enough to lean on is it? Though A) I don't suppose you seem one for cosplay and 2) I'm guessing heavy sharp objects do not combine well with vertigo and thirdly) if an inanimate something to lean on would help you, you'd have gotten one. Right? It's not just stubbornness over getting a cane/walking stick/tool for remaining vertical? 'Cause if it were I think it'd be my brotherly duty to get you a nice and stylish cane and smile sweetly and never, ever say anything more about it.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Aren't you the brother who told me not to use the ax until I'm non-vertiginous?

Anyway, I'm not just being stubborn about a cane. The PT is not at all sure one would be helpful long-term, and so we haven't gotten me one.

[todfox.livejournal.com]

Are you celebrating Talk Like a Physicist day (http://talklikeaphysicist.com/)?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Every day is Talk Like a Physicist Day here!