NASCAR: Day 2

The day started at friend’s trailers at the Speedway with breakfast, Bloody Marys and lots of laughter and fun.

It was a beautiful day at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The wind was much milder than the day before. You can see the Las Vegas Strip from our perch in the stands. 

My driver, Kevin Harvick dominated the race today much to the disappointment of my companions and many others. I did receive some high fives from other Harvick fans. 

Ralph’s driver, Ryan Blaney, placed 5th after a good bit of time in second place. 

All in all it was a great day. Marred only by inconsiderate people smoking pot and vaping. I am glad the breeze blew the pot smoke away quickly so that I didn’t end up with a migraine. I must be the only person pot doesn’t help with pain. 

After the race we returned to the trailers for snacks, dinner, more conversation topped off with a campfire and s’mores. 

And for those of you wondering... I only tipped a bit which is pretty much normal for me. I am one of the lucky ones that alcohol is not a trigger for my Ménière’s episodes, unlike salt which pretty quickly causes the tinnitus to become louder. 

Have a spin free day!

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita

NASCAR & Ménière’s

It was a windy day at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Ralph and I arrived around 11 am. We went to the vendor area to get some freebies. There was a cacophony of noise. (I used that word because it sounds a bit like all the different sounds.) The sounds coming from everywhere and quite loudly overwhelmed my inner ear and made walking difficult. Fortunately, my husband was nearby to grab onto. I must’ve looked drunk. 

We met up with family and grabbed some food. My husband also procured some earplugs for me. We managed to find a table to sit down at. After that I felt much better. We were in our seat to watch the race begin. The earplugs were a lifesaver, because I didn’t have any more problems with my balance the rest of the day.

Leaving the track wasn’t the end of our day, because my husband has been raising money for St. Baldrick’s (childhood cancer research) and it was time to get his hair shaved off in solidarity with the children who lose there hair to chemo in their fight against this horrible disease. Here is a link to a video I took of Ralph getting his hair shaved off.

It is 9:30 and I am exhausted. 

Have a spin free day!

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita 

(Stay tuned for part 2 of NASCAR weekend.)

Why I Talk About My Illnesses

I might make people uncomfortable by talking about my health. I mean who wants to hear about Lichen Sclerosis, Ménière’s Disease, Mitral-Valve Prolapse, Asthma, Migraines, Endometriosis Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia. 

Today I was reminded why it is important to not silently suffer. A friend who is suffering from Vertigo needed to talk. I hope I offered some support and ideas of how to cope with the terrible symptoms she has endured for years. 

So I will continue to talk about my illnesses and hopefully by doing so I can offer support to others or make them feel like they are not alone. Even though many of these diseases are considered rare there are others who understand. 

        My new hairdo on Think Pink Day (Wear pink on the first of every month to support breast cancer warriors. Started by my friend many years ago.)

Sometimes even people who should understand do not. Like my disability lawyer who dropped my case before I went to court. Fortunately I went anyway and let the courts expert testify. Today I am on disability due to the Ménière’s and the fact that the judges expert knew how debilitating this disease is.

Though my disability is hidden, it doesn’t make it any less real than a person in a wheelchair. The only difference is that I and others like me have good days and bad days. The good days are like an oasis in the midst of the desert or as with Ménière’s the eye of the storm. 

Even though people may get tired of hearing about my illnesses and may even judge me... I will not be silenced. And it’s for those who may need to hear it. Hey, it might even be you someday that may need support, though I hope not. I will be there for you no matter how you treated or judged me. 

This is my gift... to speak out about things that I experience. That includes my successes and my problems. 

My next blog will be more upbeat, I hope, because I am going to NASCAR! Noise is a trigger for me now, so praying that I can enjoy the experience and not teach my husband the horrors of Ménière’s.

Have a spin free weekend.

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita

Busy Life

We are getting ready for NASCAR this weekend. Tickets are bought. We still need the food & drinks for the weekend. We tailgate with friends who have trailers set up at the LV Motor Speedway. 

Here we are a couple of years ago at the race.

I am also trying to get things finalized for our cruise in April. I finally booked our return flight home. Excursions are reserved and/or booked. I picked up some door decorations to make our door stand out. 

I am worried that our cruise out of Dublin next year may be canceled since we had money returned to our bank account. The bank cannot tell me which cruise line. If it is I’ll come up with something.

I booked an excursion in Cuba through our cruise line. I just need to pay off that cruise. I am very excited about this cruise. I want to visit Cuba before it begins to get more industrialized. 

If you couldn’t tell I have cruise fever. I’d rather take cruises and excursions than drive places and so would my husband. 

I need to make arrangements for camping this year. 

You may be wondering but how am I doing all this with the Ménière’s... I am hoping for the best and naps seem to help, and meclizine helps the dizziness & vertigo spells. I refuse to let the Ménière’s win and I will keep going even if I have to have accommodations like a cane or wheelchair. As long as my husband is willing...

I hope you all are spin free. 

Love, Peace and Light!

Relaxing Long Weekend

Ralph and I flew to Sacramento to visit his Aunt this past weekend. 

(The sunrise, because we took an early flight.)

I was worried about my ears and the change in pressure, but managed to avoid any complications by chewing on some Twizzlers. 

Since we are foodies, what trip is complete without trying the local fair? We started with breakfast at Tower Cafe. I am glad I got the small portion of French Toast, because it was huge, delicious and filling. Paired with Ghiradelli Hot Chocolate and breakfast was a success. The place was jammed packed with knick-knacks...

Our next foray was out for ice cream to the Back to the 80’s Cafe. We were waited on by George McFly. I am not kidding. This kitschy place is worth checking out.

What trip would be complete without checking out local breweries? We checked out Claimstake Brewery and River City Brewery. Such very different places.  

Claimstake Brewery was difficult to enjoy, because noise carried in it. We could hear everyone and no one at the same time. The beer was good and they allowed dogs inside. 

River City Brewery was much different. It was bigger and offered food. The food was delicious and the beer was enjoyable, okay so I really only tried the stout. (I didn’t want to trigger dizziness by drinking too much.) 

Ralph also made his stacked enchiladas on Friday. They were delicious. We posted a video on You Tube you are welcome to check out. 

I had a few episodes of lightheadedness and some vertigo during the trip, but I took naps when needed and nothing got out of control. 

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita

Ménière’s Episode

I am a bit upset, I just finished publishing a blog post about strobe lights... And I am sitting in the comfort of my own home and I have an episode. I just recorded a video where I describe how it felt. 

I am totally glad I was sitting otherwise I think I would have had a drop attack. The whole episode didn’t last long. It felt like an elevator dropped and then the room started spinning and rocking. It was brief, but disconcerting and I am trying not to get anxious or have a panic attack, which would make everything worse. 

Although the anxiety doesn’t cause Ménière’s it makes it worse. I have spoke about this before, anxiety is a symptom you can control. Right now I am keeping my breathing even. And by videoing and writing about it, I am providing an outlet for my anxiety. 

I try to smile and laugh no matter how I feel. And if you can find a reason to laugh about some of the situations you get into because of your illness, I think it will help make it more bearable.

We all find something that helps us cope and this is my way of coping. I hope you do not view it as whining. I truly only talk about it to promote awareness and to help those with this debilitating disease. 

Have a spin free day. 

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita 

Strobe Lights-Why?

It mystifies me that shows still utilize strobe lights... I want to know why? Surely, they know that strobing can cause seizures. For me it’s a trigger for my Ménière’s. 

The other night my husband and I went to see Carrot Top. It surprised me that a comedian used strobes when he entered the stage. Luckily, I know it’s a trigger and I covered my eyes until the strobing stopped. Others might not be so lucky. 

We enjoyed the rest of the show, though I had to hold onto things and the railing in the hallway when we left. So, even though I covered up, I still had a slight issue when we were leaving. 

I did have a slight sensation of falling forward when we got on the escalator, but it was brief and I got down to the next floor without more issues.

I really did enjoy Carrot Top, though I’d tell people with issues like seizures and Ménière’s to use caution when going to see him. 

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita