Sorry for the lack of an update this week – truth be told, I haven’t had the greatest weeks with most of it spent lying on the sofa with the comfort of a quilt and watching endless hours of television (or at least trying to!!) feeling particularly dizzy, weak, nauseous and with frequent episodes of the ‘room spinning’ motion.
It started Wednesday evening and I believe that the deterioration in my condition was due to the afternoon I spent at ‘Life 4 Living’; a local group I attend every week which promotes enjoyment, positivity and friendship. Don’t get me wrong, I love my time at the group, and is something that I really look forward to, however, this week we had a local singer coming to the group to perform and so we left the confines of our usual room to conduct the session in the Day Centre’s Main Hall.
Now as I may have mentioned before that one of the triggers that seem to affect me much more than anything else are high ceilings. The very first dizzy spell I experienced was in a DIY Superstore with vast ceilings and being in a place with high ceilings can bring on an attack of vertigo, causing my vision to become out of focus, balance becomes even more unsteady. I have no idea why these places affect me so much but they just do – if anyone knows any such explanation I would love to know!! The ceiling wasn’t particularly, much lower than what you would find to expect in a superstore for example, but as there was dips within the ceiling itself – progressing from higher to lower and so on just threw me for a loop – as if it was too much visual stimuli for my brain to process!
Unfortunately for me everywhere and every new store that is opening up seems to be big vast and open as well as the problematic high ceilings – as if the world I live in now no longer is fit for me, a lot of places coming out-of-bounds for me and my condition, nowhere being accessible for people ‘like’ me.
We had prior warning to the change of venue and knew what it was like in there beforehand so I was able to bring my Mum along for support and to help me if taken unwell. On a positive note, I did manage to stay in the hall for the entire group session (close to 3 hours) but even so I uncomfortable and unwell the entire time, and my balance was really bad also – thank god Mum was there to get me drinks and to help me get my food from the buffet. As much as I did want there, I just wanted to enjoy myself with my Mum whom I do not get to go out with anymore on account with the severity of my symptoms as well as the awkwardness of spending a long amount of time out causes due to the weakness in my legs, and Mum was also looking forward to seeing the singer perform so didn’t want to spoil it for her.
The most embarrassing part came towards the end of the afternoon when coming to leave my legs seized up on me causing me to crash to the floor!! But still a good time was had by all!
And since then, I have really gone downhill, legs weak I have hardly been able to stand and generally feeling weak and lethargic – as if those three short hours just took everything out of me. So here’s to a quick recovery in time for volunteering Monday and especially to the next meeting of ‘Life 4 Living’!!
Comments
We have an SUV with a sun roof. I can’t stand riding in the car with it uncovered.Even a few yards has my head spinning. I keep trying and hope I can get used to it but not so far. Poor husband really wants to use it when the weather is so hot.
Thank you Linda. I also have a problem with my Dad’s sun roof as it’s glass, even with the cover on you can still through it!! And it does affect me especially seeing lights from street lights whizzing by can make me very dizzy!! I always sit at the back which helps a little – if I ever go on long journeys am going to try a night mask to put over my eyes and see if it helps then!!
Am slowly getting used to it, but still have not found anything to help with my problems with high ceilings!! Do you have problems with high ceilings, Linda?
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Hi, I came across your blog after doing a web search for dizziness in places with high ceilings. I am the same way. “Big box” stores are my nemesis too. I’m perfectly fine in little stores with normal height ceilings. If I set foot in a big box store, I have to be holding onto something…..like the cart or my kid’s stroller, and even then, I feel like the floor is going to give out on me, or my knees. Whichever comes first. I think the fluorescent lighting might have something to do with it too though…..they hurt my eyes and maybe contribute to the dizziness? I’m not sure. I completely know how you feel with the world outgrowing you….it seems like all the new stores are these enormous, wide open places where you have to walk miles to accomplish anything. Anyway…..I know I’m not any help, but I want you to know that someone out there is experiencing the same thing as you.
Hi Sara
Thanks so much for your reply, it’s lovely to know that someone is reading the blog and is helping someone else. Sorry to hear about your dizziness, is it only in certain situations such as being in a ‘big box’ store or do you experience it a lot?
It’s strange that certain places can bring on attacks such as these, perhaps you are right and it has something to do with the fluorescent lights
Thanks again for your reply and I wish you all the best
Rhiann