I love this home I’ve made for myself. And when I was first diagnosed, these walls were a refuge. A private place to be raw, to be angry, to be scared, to cry, to live my symptoms without anyone else having to see. To be safe.

Connection. We all crave it in our lives. Whether we’re volunteering, in a book club, a golf league, or sharing a video on Instagram. As we live with Meniere’s, we all need to find connections with others sharing this path…

Well, sometimes when you don’t have the guts to jump, the universe will just give you a little shove right off the high dive and into the deep end, just like the kid you knew in the third grade. Have you ever noticed that? I happened to be looking at my calendar and staring back at me was a rather empty week coming up.

Here’s the weird thing, every time I looked at it or spent much time on any application, I felt a vague queasiness. A little dizziness. Just that little hum, you know the one. Especially when there was a lot of white on the screen, like emails. When I walked away or when returning to my older computer, the uneasiness subsided.

“You were fine…” ten minutes ago, yesterday, last month, last year. Pick one! And this week, for the first time since my diagnosis, I was labeled a “flake.”

One of the things I’ve done for the past 2 years, is keep a “Jar of Moments.” Little slips of paper on which I write happy adventures, good times shared with family or friends, “ah-ha” moments, kindnesses that were extended to me over the months, when I made a new friend, things I did for others that made me feel lit up inside…you get the idea. On New Years Day, I dump them out and read them all.

Today is today. I can miss the moments in front of me, worried about what might happen, stewing and brewing up a lot of gunky feelings. Or, I can keep looking for what this is teaching me. Embracing it as part of who I am and seeing how this thing that is now my travel companion is sharing my journey…whether I like it or not. Knowing this helps me notice and experience life more fully.

Whether you’re new to this whole Meniere’s thing or a veteran, one thing is certain…we’re all thirsty for knowledge. Why do our bodies do what they’re doing? Or not doing? What in the world can we do to control our symptoms? And what's all this talk about salt?

All of us who live with Meniere’s often struggle with making plans. When newly diagnosed, we wonder if we’ll ever be able to enjoy family events, holidays, social occasions, or even a happy hour, ever again.