Our Stories
Read inspiring personal stories that give an insight into the experiences of people living with balance and dizziness conditions. Share your story.
| Image | Title | Content | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Cathy White’s Vestibular Journey: Poems and Paintings | My name is Cathy White and I live in Tofino, BC. These poems and paintings are a response to my six-year journey with head trauma, right-sided abdominal pain, weight loss (60 lbs.), depression, anxiety, vertigo, neck pain, vestibular migraines, and all the symptoms they involve. These paintings were therapy, a … | August 7, 2021 |
 | Living with Mal de Débarquement Syndrome: Brandy’s Story | Other than a five-month remission of my symptoms, I’ve been living with Mal de Débarquement Syndrome (MdDS) since Christmas Eve of 2012. That’s when it struck. I’d felt it a bit before that, but it would go away after a few hours. I had experienced anxiety in the past and … | June 18, 2021 |
 | Fear Came to Stay: a Poem | It was an ordinary day, when fear kicked down the door to my world. A 10,000-pound automobile smashed into the driver’s side of my car. As time stood still, with the contents of my car flying through the air, during that deep intake of breath… Fear came to stay With … | June 10, 2021 |
 | Living with CANVAS Syndrome: Jay’s Story | I was about 30 years old and teaching a martial arts class in England when I experienced a dry, irritating cough. That cough is still with me, 40 years later. I realize now that this might have been my first symptom of CANVAS syndrome. At age 67 I found myself … | February 21, 2021 |
 | Chronic Dizziness and Imbalance Respond to Physiotherapy | Balance & Dizziness Canada: Even though the author had a few possible diagnoses, this story highlights the importance and the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation in cases where dizziness symptoms persist long after the precipitating “vestibular” episode. Many people find our “Gaining Balance” exercise video helpful when doing vestibular rehabilitation at … | November 22, 2020 |
 | Found on Reddit: Heart-wrenching Story by Young Vertigo Sufferer | Below is the raw, unedited, heart-wrenching story about a young woman who suffered with undiagnosed vertigo until she finally met the right doctor! However, we are not 100% sure if what she had in the beginning was BPPV, but, from her symptoms, we are quite sure that she developed PPPD … | November 20, 2019 |
 | How I Cope with Chronic Dizziness: Karen’s Story | I have suffered from spells of vertigo since 1999; however, they have become more serious, debilitating and frequent over the past five years. Though I had already seen about a dozen specialists, it wasn’t until I was fortunate enough to meet a neuro-otologist and her team at St. Paul’s Hospital … | June 21, 2019 |
 | Vertigo Changed This Woman’s Life for the Better! | My name is Nancy, I’m 28 years old, and I was diagnosed with vertigo three months ago by my physiotherapist. I firmly believe that I have vertigo because I was anxious, I was working 12-hour days on the computer, I wasn’t present in my life, and I couldn’t even enjoy … | June 14, 2019 |
 | Global News BC: More Experts in Dizziness Needed | “A BC woman who suffers from chronic dizziness says there is a shortage of doctors who can diagnose what is a relatively common condition,” Linda Aylesworth reported. In this news item, Emilia Gordon, a dizziness sufferer, and Erica Zaia, audiologist and VP of the Balance & Dizziness Canada Board of … | October 11, 2018 |
 | Living Life with Episodic Ataxia Type 2 (EA-2) | At school in England I was never any good at sports because I would get out of breath very easily and my legs would become “rubbery.” Also, I would often get dizzy and fall over. I had to stop taking rides at the fun fair because I would become dizzy … | October 11, 2018 |
 | An Experiment of One (N=1) | My philosophy is this… When we have a vestibular disorder that has no obvious cure, and medical doctors have few, if any, solutions for us, we need to help ourselves by becoming an experiment of one (N=1). We need to be fully open-minded and willing to look at all kinds … | July 28, 2018 |
 | How Volunteering Helped One Woman Cope with a Debilitating Vestibular Disorder | I was diagnosed with Ménière’s disease eighteen years ago. A friend who knew about my struggles with balance and vertigo pointed me to the local Ménière’s support group where I started to gain a better understanding of my illness and learn ways I could help myself. Shortly thereafter, the group … | June 24, 2018 |
 | The Confusing Concussion | Written by Muriel Kauffmann, Co-Founder and Past-President of the Canadian Balance and Dizziness Disorders Society I have a vestibular condition. I have dealt with balance issues and dizziness for years. I have fallen many times. I listen to the news. I am interested in what happens when athletes suffer concussions. … | June 21, 2018 |
 | Give Physiotherapy a Try; It Can Make All the Difference | When I experienced my first frightening episode of vertigo I was 64 (now 91). It was extremely frightening. My first thought was, “How am I going to cope with the rest of my life now that I’ve just retired?” Fortunately, more serious episodes did not present themselves until I moved into a … | May 28, 2018 |
 | No Diagnosis: All Too Common for Balance and Dizziness Sufferers | My first bad episode was about fifteen years ago. I got up in the morning and immediately fell back to bed. I was very dizzy and could not even sit up. Eventually I managed to crawl to the bathroom. My husband called my work to say I wouldn’t make it … | May 22, 2018 |
 | Going for a Medical Procedure? Ask for What You Need to Make You Comfortable | I just wanted to share my last few days with you. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Andrea Wilson, the Webmaster for Balance & Dizziness Canada, and I have two rescue dogs. I walk my dogs daily, as long as I’m feeling well… I always hate it … | May 21, 2018 |
 | Face your Fears… and Risk Getting Better! | In 1992, an operation that restored the loss of hearing in my right ear left me with vertigo. And this completely changed my life. For instance, I had participated in the Vancouver Sun Run three times, but now I clung to my husband on walks. And I could no longer … | May 19, 2018 |
 | An Inaccurate Diagnosis of Your Vestibular Disorder Can Compromise Your Insurance Claim | My story starts when my world turned upside down after a significant head injury at work. I immediately had vision problems. A week later I got vertigo and was left with constant dizziness. I couldn’t move my head and felt nauseated all the time. I couldn’t walk in a straight … | May 18, 2018 |
 | How Earplugs and Vestibular Exercises Gave Me Back My Life! | I have had Ménière’s disease with balance, auditory and visual challenges for the last 15 years. The affected ear has only 1% hearing and no word recognition. Noise is one of my biggest challenges. Large groups, restaurants, meetings, etc. cause nausea, dizziness and balance problems. I discussed this with a … | May 15, 2018 |
 | When Dizziness Strikes, an Understanding Employer Can Make All the Difference | My journey with balance and dizziness issues began in November, 1996. I had just recovered from the common cold when out of the blue I began to have dizzy spells accompanied by severe nausea. My first attack happened at work and I had to lie down on the floor for … | May 10, 2018 |
 | How a Balance & Dizziness Canada Meeting Changed My Life | It used to be that when I flew in an airplane I ended up being dizzy and vomiting. It first happened in England while visiting a favourite cousin and his wife, which caused me to be known thereafter as their guest from Hell https://mannligapotek.com/generisk-cialis/! I had asked at several of … | May 7, 2018 |
 | Never Stop Looking for Improvement: a Possible New Treatment for Balance Issues and Other Chronic Neurological Symptoms | After a serious accident, I suffered from multiple, debilitating vestibular issues for several years, but I never sat back and gave up. I was always trying different therapies and looking for ways to help myself. One day my old boss told me about a clinical trial for people who had … | May 4, 2018 |
 | How I Cope with My Balance Issues while Walking Two Dogs! | My name is Andrea Wilson, I’m the Webmaster for Balance & Dizziness Canada and I have vestibular issues. Recently we asked our members and website visitors to send us their stories about their own experiences with imbalance and dizziness. So, to get the ball rolling, I thought I would share … | May 3, 2018 |
