Vertigo

For a few years in the early 2010s, I seriously dove into becoming a runner and entered my share of local races.

Growing up, I admittedly hated running with a big passion and would do any type of training instead of putting one foot in front of the other aiming endlessly down the road. It also didn’t bode well for me that I abhor getting up before the crack of dawn on weekends, so racing was never going to be sustainable competitively for me.

I wasn’t breaking any records but I religiously made time 6 nights a week to make the loop around my neighborhood into my own version of therapy. My preferred distance was 4-6 miles and the consistency in my regime also helped me get in really good shape transcending into accomplishing my dreams of conquering Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Everest Base Camp.

And for four straight years I was the reigning female overall champ of the local Give Kids the World 5k in November. It wasn’t much to boast about but for me it was that elusive goal that I never thought I would be destined for. It was also an important lesson in branching out of my comfort zone and totally committing to something new.

After my last victory so close to eclipsing the 20 min 5k goal, I had to immediately head to my new job as the Associate Executive Director at the Dr. Phillips YMCA for a special Veteran’s Day salute to our heroes. Smiling ear to ear, I slipped in the back doors to take a quick shower and that is when my life literally turned upside down.

As I was drying my hair, I started losing my balance and became extremely lightheaded. I barely managed to finish getting dressed and sluggishly dragged myself down the long hallway to my new office by holding onto the walls to keep me upright.

Once inside the break area, I collapsed onto the floor and violently started puking. I faded in and out of consciousness while my head felt like it was exploding. The rest of that ridiculously embarrassing day is mostly a blur, but I’ll never forget my new boss calling 911, me only agreeing if the ambulance crew took me out the back door to avoid making a scene, then being wheeled smack through the middle of the service looking like a disheveled ghost. Completely mortifying for this introvert!

After 2 nights in the hospital and stumping the doctors with my severe symptoms, it was finally determined that I had been struck with a viral vertigo somewhere in the finish line area that had attacked my entire system. Then for a week, I slept on the couch and couldn’t do anything but stare straight ahead. Complete torture for this active nut!

• No reading
• No watching TV
• No running
• No work

I tried to return to work with restrictions, but I drove just 2 miles to the closest gas station to fill up and the world was still spinning. Definitely not safe for me to be anywhere near the highway, so I turned around and barely made it home safely to assume my familiar position on the couch.

After another 2 days, I attempted again and slowly gained my life back even though running on a treadmill didn’t resume for +2 additional weeks.

So over the last 9 years, I’ve only had one major relapse temporarily sidelining my adventures but live with the distant threat it could flare up anytime or anywhere. My biggest fear is still when approaching a 14K+ mountain summit or the anticipation of my Antarctica cruise through the hairy Drake Passage that I will be paralyzed by this uncontrollable phenomenon.

But I’ve also learned not to let any fear stand in the way of my goals and aspirations in life.

Journey on!