Meniere's Disease

That's the important thing: ignore any doc that tells you to stop living, esp. stay in bed!! During the years that I moderated the Meniere's Discussion Group, I learned that the people trying to get disability, which many docs recommend, were all extremely unhappy. In order to be officially disabled, you must prove that you have no ability to do anything useful. It's a really bad program.

I am very proud of the fact that during the four years of hell with 2-3 V&V crises every week, every single issue of both magazines went to the printer on time. I'm also really glad that I didn't shrivel back into my shell and miss all the great wilderness adventures we had while we both worked for the same publisher. We were a team, both photographers, both writers. You'd think that spending a week gratis at a luxury lodge would be a great deal (and it was in many ways), but you spend time doing background interviews of the owners/managers, staff while others are relaxing after a long day fishing. You put down your rod to photograph guests with fish: you need to have photos of people other than yourselves. If the lodge manager says, "Boy, those red and white flies are really working this week. Could you tie up a couple dozen tonight after dinner?" you get out your vise and materials and get to work. If the guide asks you to help a guest with his casting, you do it. You always give the paying guests first shot at the water they want to fish. I once removed a fly lodged in the butt of a very rich Texas oil man...all part of the deal. In return, we saw parts of Alaska we could never have afforded to see if we'd been paying. We used to fly up to Alaska every summer for three weeks or longer, usually visited two lodges for a week each, plus one or two day or overnight trips, and still had time to visit Marty's family--all of them still live in Alaska; he's the only one who lives Outside.

This sounds like the point I’m at .. how do I live with this disease. I’m so depressed and I’m trying to make the best of everyday but how do you manage knowing you can have vertigo at any time? Do you work? Do you drive? I’m scared to go any where by myself .. any advice ? Thx

I cheated by hiring an assistant (although that was after I had gotten things somewhat under control). By that time, I had my own marketing business and, in those "olden" days everything was done with sets of film for color separations, which meant driving to/from the color house, in heavy traffic, every day. My assistant's main job was to drive back and forth from the color house, sparing me lots of driving. He was also there to answer the phone if I was down for the count. Before I had my own biz, everyone at the publishing office knew that if I suddenly left the office it was to spend hours puking in the back of my van. I once scared a client by leaving in the middle of a fight over which image should be on the cover of their annual catalog (really big deal). They were even more worried when I didn't return to their office before they closed. Someone did have the presence of mind to bring my wallet out to the van. At the time, I hadn't been having V&V very often, so the warning I'd given them months earlier had been forgotten, for the most part.
It was easier for me to ignore my Meniere's problems as much as possible, because during all the decades I worked for the publisher, I was the one who packed my pickup with cases of books and magazines, drove to all the West Coast trade shows for the outdoor industry, back in the 70s and early 80s, when there were virtually no women in booths (other than a few wives of Mom 'n Pop businesses) and very few women who attended outdoor shows. It required a good deal of toughness to survive in that situation, always being the, ahem, odd woman out! The two questions I almost always heard were, "Hi, Honey...can I talk to the boss?" (answer was, "you are.") and "Do you really fish?" (Answer was yes, definitely, mostly fly fishing for steelhead and salmon.) On top of the oddity of being one of very few women in a huge arena full of men, I had to do business with other exhibitors, selling them advertising in the magazines, or, if they had a shop, books and magazines for their shop. You need a tough skin to do well in that situation. It's all very different today: the last show I did, in about 2006, was helping my husband who was then selling boats for one of our clients. He was schedule to do the big show in Seattle, with a 60' booth and three boats, all by himself, so I offered to go up for the weekend to help. I row their biggest drift boat, an 18', and I've helped with design over the years, so I was thoroughly ready for questions. If it had been the early 80s, no one would have talked to me; they all would have waited for "the man." Instead, not only did people listen to both of us (which meant we could both be actually selling a boat at the same time), but we set a record for how many boats we sold during that five-day show that still stands. I couldn't believe it: not one single man doubted that I do know a good deal about boat design, why our client's boats are the best choice, etc.

@joyces Please - there's definitely a book here. If you haven't started on one, do so now!!!

I am working on a couple of book ideas, but neither is stories of my past life. Funniest single thing: I worked for a real male chauvinist. After I'd worked there for nearly 15 years, selling ads, managing all the publications, he complimented me one day: "You know, you've done a hell of a job selling advertising all these years...in spite of the fact that you're a woman." His basic rule was: "Men need to fish. Women like to work." None of the men ever worked five full days in a row, as they were often off fishing. He left at Noon every Tuesday...for the remainder of the week. Different times, different world.

@joyces Whatever form your book takes, you are a natural storyteller - another one for your book.

Understand what you're saying - I worked very hard and advanced to the point of supervisor. "You deserve it," he said, "but unfortunately, I can't promote you because you are a woman." Those indeed were the days.

Unfortunately, many women/minorities want equality but aren't willing to work the same way as the men/whites, which ruins the concept. My daughter, in her 30s, worked as a claim adjuster, settling personal injury cases (which include all forms of sexual harassment). Other women in the office griped about her raises and promotions--but, when someone was needed for a job that involved travel, or working after 5, or Saturdays, they refused while she didn't. She earned her promotions/raises by working for the company all over the country when they merged with another company and needed to do things the same way in all their offices. It was a real grind: everyone hated that she was making them change the way they had worked for years/decades, and every week she was out of town, often far across the country. After three years of hard work, the company told her that she was "too expensive" and fired her, albeit with a golden parachute of continued salary and benefits (insurance) for several months. It did give her time to wind up being part owner of a company that she believes she will be able to work for the rest of her working life. Sheesh...both my children are now thinking about retirement!

Trishanna, those days need to be buried deep into the ocean with non melting polar ice caps on top of it. I remember so well I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon, and had no support for my career. Mothers husband kept telling me that I’m taking a slot away from a boy who wants to be a doctor, or it was said you will get married first, then you have spent too much money for education. Result I’m a retired bacteriologist
, better known as germ doctor.
As for money,it was never an issue, as he was not paying for anything. Sad part he did get his hands on the funds, and blew it on bad stocks and gambling.
Ike you I’m glad those days are gone for good.

I graduated from HS in 1960, when women went to college mainly to find a husband and learn how to be a good corporate wife. I was offered a full scholarship to an exclusive girls' school in the Midwest; the big attraction at the tea to woo potential attendees was that we would learn how to handle a full tea service. Yikes! I went to a state school full time while working full time, plus helping my mother with fragile infants she fostered--gave up after one term, not because of $$ (full scholarship) or difficulties, but because the emphasis for women was on learning to be a good wife.
By the time my daughter was in HS and had a conflict between honors English and biology, she was told "girls shouldn't take biology." Apparently, the poor empty-headed little things would find it too difficult. Since she planned to be a doctor, she took biology anyway. Discouraged by the amount of debt she'd have by the time she had finished med school, she switched to health care management, which was a new offering in the late 80s...and graduated just as Oregon passed a tax limitation that meant that every public health worker was looking for work.
By the time she was 28, she was an injury claim adjuster (ins.) and was sent to Texas to help settle storm claims. The manager of the office there welcomed her with, "Great, they sent us a typist!" He was chagrined to learn that she was higher up the ladder than he was--in Texas during the 90s, that company had zero female claims adjusters! She found that she had a more difficult time fighting to to her job in Texas than the black fellow from Seattle! Policies were written for "John Smith and wife" and the wife couldn't make any decisions without consulting her husband. My sister, who lives in GA, owns nothing--my brother-in-law has title to everything: it's the GA custom. We still have a long way to go.

@funcountess @joyces You two bring back so many memories. Remember how shocked I was when I married and received notices from all my creditors that all MY accounts were to be closed and transferred into his name. He had just finished military service but I'd been more than gainfully employed for a while. It seems that married women could not have accounts in their name. Joyces, congrats to your daughter - well done. Hope that in gaining equality we've not misplaced a work ethic......