Consequences

I had a good day full of fun yesterday. It all began with bowling. My brother asked me to join him and his son. We played two games. And though I had a bit of trouble with the noise level and it triggering my dizziness, I noticed that it made me anxious. I plugged my ears and concentrated on my breathing and was able to get it under control. While I don’t think anxiety is the cause of Ménière’s and in this case hyperacisis, it can make it worse. So by eliminating the panic I got better.

I was winning until the last frame. My brother had an off day, but my game was average for me. And this was during the attack.

When I returned home I walked the dogs, since I wasn’t experiencing dizziness. They can tell when I am and won’t bother me.

Finally, we had tickets to see the Golden Knights play! I felt good all evening and enjoyed myself despite our loss. It would be nice for our team to win when we are at the game. 

All in all I had a good day, but I am paying for it today. Not my Ménière’s Disease, but my Fibromyalgia. I am in serious pain today. It’s been so long since I had a flair that I all but forgot about it. So, here I am, lying in bed, exhausted, but unable to sleep writing about yesterday. 

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita

Have a spin free day!

Enjoying Life

Today I turned 54 years old on Palm Sunday. Most of the parish wore red in honor of the day it is always cool to see a sea of red on Palm Sunday as we gather outside to begin our service.

I have a had a good weekend with little to no dizziness. My husband took me to The Donut Bar. I couldn’t believe that there was a line as this was downtown.

The chocolate one is normal sized. The donuts were delicious, even though I gave my second on to my nephew, because my first one filled me up.

Then Ralph drove down Las Vegas Boulevard so I could do a live for the fabulous support group, Ménière’s Worldwide. We truly are spread around the world and many have expressed an interest in visiting, so I have a virtual visit. For me Vegas is so much more than the glitz of the Strip, but I do love it and I see something new every time I go. 

We had a game night at our sister-in-law’s with family and friends on Saturday night. It was fun full of laughter. 

On Sunday Ralph and I went to mass. It was a sea of red as Father Bill asked everyone to wear red on Palm Sunday. We stopped at Starbucks for Frappuccinos and home to have a couple of my husband’s delicious breakfast burritos.

For lunch we met my brother, nephew. Ralph’s brother, sister-in-laws, nephew and parents for my birthday lunch at Baja Miguel’s at Southpoint. I love the food and the prices are good.

We came home and watched some tv. All in all it was a good day. There was some stressful stuff going on that evening, but despite having a vertigo attack everything was resolved once I made a bunch of phone calls for about 2 1/2 hours. 

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita

Have a spin free day!

Date Night

Our evening began at Holsteins. Burgers, shakes and onion rings... very yummy! Gordon Ramsey’s Burgers are still at top of the list. As you can tell by the cows in the picture this is my kind of place... vampires, Frankenstein and mummies... 

I know I rarely speak of my proclivity for all things horror. But mostly when I write it is dark. I can’t help myself. Occasionally, though some less dark things slip in like my children’s book, Mikey’s Tail. 

After dinner Ralph and I went to a show, Opium at The Cosmopolitan (Holsteins was there too.) The doors to the bar opened up at 7:30, though the actual show doors, didn’t open until 7:45. 

There was a definite space theme going on as soon as we entered the bar. Even the drinks had space names. 

This is what the stage looked like. You can see how close we were. 

There was a prop that looked like a huge computer. It’s name was Jim, pictured below. There was a band off to our right. 

I didn’t take anymore pictures as I wanted to enjoy the show. I really did enjoy the show... It was funny and entertaining and kept a smile on my face the entire time. 

Cross dressing singers, jugglers, and a hula hooper made the show entertaining. Oversexualized woman and men added to the entertainment. It was all in good fun. 

I enjoyed it more than my spouse did, but I have a warped sense of humor anyway. On a laughter and enjoyment scale, I give Opium (OPM) two thumbs up! 

Leaving was a bit more difficult as the had disco lights in the hallway, which made it difficult for me to navigate. I had to stop and wait for Ralph to catch up so I could hold onto him. I wish that people would quit with the disco effect and strobe lights. 

Love, Peace and Light! 

Rita

Have a spin free day!

Great News

So, I was totally going to wait to post until after my night out on Thursday, but I received an email this morning that has me walking on air.

I received this about a contest I entered for the Review Journal.

Congrats! Your selection into the short essay was a winner. You will be receiving access to the Jane Freidman workshop! I'll be contacting you next week with more information. Until then please reply with your phone number so I can give you a call then!

As you can imagine this was a bit of good news. I haven’t entered much of anything since my husband died in 2012, but I took a chance. Now I get to see Jane Friedman, who spoke at The Y-City Writers Conference some time back, so I know that she’s a fantastic speaker.

I wasn’t going to be able to attend the conference. I guess if I quit booking cruises I could attend, but no... Cruise Fever you know!

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita
Have a spin free day.

Swimming (My head not my body.)

Mornings are difficult for me, which is unfortunate since I am an early riser. Unfortunately, the Ménière’s didn’t get the memo. Everyday I wake up with dizziness or to be more specific my head feels as if I am swimming.

Aside from the obvious problems I have with walking in straight lines, I also have trouble concentrating or focusing when my head feels like this. All I can really do is go back to sleep until it passes or push through to get things done like laundry. 

Because I look healthy people don’t always believe me. I guess it doesn’t help that I smile most of the time. 

When this all began in 2000 I had spinning episodes with nausea and some kind of episodes where I felt as is someone pushed me and I would slam into doors or walls. (My House was very small.) I only get that once in awhile now and the only full on spins seem to happen in my sleep now. Instead I see walls that move up and down and feel as if I am on an elevator ride. I am not sure which is worse, because at least with the spinning I knew to stay in bed. 

I am having fewer good days, but I refuse to let Ménière’s win. I will continue to do the things I enjoy, rest when necessary and hope for the best.

I need to get a referral to an ENT and I hope Las Vegas has an Otoneurologist. In the meantime Meclizine seems to work when I need it. Hopefully a specialist will have other ideas. 

Have a spin free day.

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita

Black Panther

If you like superhero movies, you’ll enjoy Black Panther. It has all the things I love about Marvel movies... Fancy gadgets, cool costumes and sexy men (and women, too.). 

It was a bit confusing to have Michael B. Jordan playing a young Zuri/James and then play Eric Killmonger, the Black Panther’s cousin, but I’ll forgive them because Michael is so sexy. (They could have used a different actor for that short part.)

I think maybe Eric could have been redeemed, and are villains or superheroes ever really gone? I mean look at Bucky. That little teaser has me chomping at the bit for Avengers: Infinity War.... Can we say Doctor Strange, Hulk, Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy, etc...  Here is the link for the trailer.

If you haven’t been to see Black Panther, what is stopping you? Don’t let others opinions sway you, you definitely need to make up your own mind. 

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita

Speed Crate

My husband decided to buy these speed crate packages with our NASCAR drivers. His is Ryan Blaney and mine is Kevin Harvick. (Yes, Ralph has made it clear that Kevin’s team cheated to win the last two races. How many other drivers could come under such scrutiny without finding the same things. And aren’t the cars checked before the races?) Here is the video we made of Ralph opening the boxes.

It was worth the $35.00 price for the things we received.

Love, Peace and Light!
Rita


PS. I hope you are having a spin free day, unlike me who is dizzy. I know... hold the jokes... I’ve heard them all before.

Date Night

Do you and your significant other have date nights? Ralph and I try, we really do, though sometimes we just want to stay in. As you might have noticed we are on the go a lot. 

However, our priest said that every couple should have a night/day out just the two of you. Just to reconnect. We go to breakfast most Sundays and that gives us a chance to talk without the tv or our phones. 

I think this time gives us time to be ourselves and to talk about things we did over the week or want to do. Don’t get me wrong, we talk all the time, but this is our time without distractions. 

At home there is always something or a pet demanding our attention. We are good at managing our vacation time. Whether we are cruising or camping or visiting family, we enjoy our time together.

Our next cruise is less than a month away. I am looking forward to the peacefulness I find in the ocean. It seems to recharge me. I know a beach vacation can do the same and we took one at Ralph’s cousin’s place last year, but I have cruise fever.

And we are both excited to see the Astros at Minute Maid Park the night before we sail. Neither of us has been to the Astros home to watch a game. 

Then the next day we board the Carnival Conquest for a five day cruise. This will be a family vacation, since Ralph’s brother and sister-in-law and cousins are going as well. 

Don’t worry though we’ll find time for just the two of us. It is a big ship. Maybe not the biggest, nor is it as small a Carnival Fascination, but big enough to steal away by ourselves.

Please tell me what you do to recharge your relationship. 

Love, Peace and Light!

Rita

Movie w/Friends: Game Night

Last night Ralph and I joined friends at The Orleans to watch Game Night. Let me just say that I loved the movie. Jason Bateman was excellent, And Michael C. Hall was in it, albeit briefly. I miss Dexter.

The plot kept twisting and turning and just when you thought it was over, it twisted again. And I laughed and laughed. Laughing is always a plus. I am glad our game nights don’t go as this one did, though it was hilarious.

Do you have game nights? What games do you play? We play a bit of everything... Cards Against Humanity, Uno, are just a couple. My husband just bought me a Doctor Who Fluxx game that I am looking forward to playing.

Love, Peace and Light!
Rita

PS. For those of you wondering, my Ménière’s makes me feel like I have a general uneasy feeling as if I am going to be sick or with slight vertigo or dizziness. I tip over without warning, but don’t fall.

The carpet in the Orleans has a pattern that is wavy and makes me uncomfortable, couple that with the noise from the slots and people and my dizziness gets worse. Fortunately, we didn’t stand around talking for very long. I felt a bit nauseous on the drive home, but I made it incident free.
Have a spin free day!

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!