My article for the "Whirligig" newsletter for MM Information Centre-OZ

Discussion in 'Your Living Room' started by tucker, Oct 3, 2006.

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  1. tucker

    tucker The Meniere's DVD Guy!

    Photography, Meniere’s, and Me….

    Never thought I would be a photographer, never thought I would have Meniere’s. I should have realized that I would someday end up being a photographer; my sister is one, my first cousin is one, and my son is beginning to become one; so I guess it was my turn. My mother has Meniere’s. So, all and all I guess it was all bound to come together at some point.

    My goal in life was to be an art teacher. As I went through college, I was told that there were too many art teachers and was directed towards becoming a Special Education teacher. It was the best of both worlds. I could still do art with my students and teach. It couldn’t be any better.

    One day in the Spring of 2000, I borrowed my sister’s camera and became instantly hooked through the lens. The same day I started notice that something was not right. It started out feeling like it was the flu coming on, being a teacher, you are bound to get some type of “bug” along the way. The “bug” turned out to be Meniere’s and it hasn’t left. It has made a permanent home in both of my ears. I have Bilateral Meniere’s.

    With Meniere’s in both ears, and the trials and errors of medications, I thought we finally found the right combination of medicine that would allow me to continue my career and my life as I had known it. Figuring just take these medications, watch my diet, and life with be fine. Looking back I wish it was that easy.

    My left ear was the first to have an operation, “the shunt” in the Fall of 2002. Two weeks later I was on top of the world, I felt great. I was beginning to wonder how did I manage to teach, drive, have a life, take photographs, and let alone do laundry before I had this surgery! I was me again! I was me again for three months when my right ear went into full blown Meniere’s. I was devastated.

    After redoing all the testing again, it was determined that I should have a Vestibular Nerve Section on my right ear. I was against it. I continued with my regiment of medications. I continued to teach. I continued having vertigo. I continued being in and out of hospital, and I continued having to be confined to bed for numerous days or up to a week. This was not my life anymore. My life as I known it will be changed forever.

    Changed forever, short for “You are not allowed to work anymore. Period.” After twenty-five years of teaching, I had to take early medical retirement. My life as a teacher was over. Over so fast, that I never finished the school year, never had a chance to clean out my classroom, never had a chance to say good-bye to the students and staff. Teaching was my whole life besides my family. I still have my family but I thought I lost teaching.

    Vertigo had taken over my life so severely that the medications were not helping, the Vestibular Therapy was making me so sick that I could not recover from the treatment. I was left with no choice other than to have the Vestibular Nerve Section.

    In December 2005, I had the surgery. Now I am left with vertigo in my left ear and all the other symptoms of Meniere’s, plus the added problem of trying to walk, stand-up straight, and bending over without losing my balance. Drop attacks occur without warning, falling backwards for no apparent reason. So far I have broken my wrist, a few big goose eggs on my head, and bruised all the muscles in my lower back when I fell backwards in to the stove. To this day, I am thankful that the stove was not on and that something wasn’t cooking at the time.

    Through the internet and other Meniere’s sites, like http://www.menieres.org I was beginning to learn that I was not alone. That there are a lot of people out there just like me. I met someone that would change my life, allow me to teach again and to continue with my photography but now with a purpose. Her name is XXXX.

    XXX has Meniere’s. XXX was a teacher with one year away from full retirement. XXXX and I talk on the phone, we are each others’ support buddies. She wanted to finish her last year of teaching no matter what, using up her sick days as needed, using the sick day bank, she was determined to finish her last year teaching. We hatched a plan.

    Our plan was to use my photography skills and create a presentation that matched my photographs with definitions of Meniere’s and use this as at an in-service for her staff and students. Thus allowing them to gain an understanding of what Meniere’s is and what it is like to live with this disease.

    XXXX ended up not returning to education and took early retirement. Meniere’s stole her last year of teaching. One year, that caused her not to receive full retirement benefits. Now I have turned that in-service around for all of us to learn.

    The presentation developed into an eighteen minute long DVD photo slideshow that combines my photography with various definitions of Meniere’s symptoms. The photos tunnel and spiral into each other as they morph into the next photo and or definition, similar to vertigo. To represent Tinnitus, “white noise” is the background soundtrack for this passage in the world of Meniere’s.

    My project, "Meniere’s: A Photographic Journey In To The Daily Life Of A Meniere’s Victim" is available for purchase. Examples of the photographs used in the DVD may be seen at my website, where you will find information about Meniere’s, plus ordering and pricing of the DVD. This DVD is available in the PAL format, which is what is used in Australia and Europe, and the NTSC format for the United States and Canada.

    http://www.shutterfreaks.com/Pancy-Menieres

    Photography, Meniere’s, and Me… we have come a long way. Through the use of the camera, cyberspace, and computers, I am still teaching. I am teaching others about life as a person with Meniere’s. I am allowing those with Meniere’s a chance to show and explain to their families, their co-workers, their friends, and others, what it means when we say “I am dizzy”.

    Daniel Pancy
    United States
    [email protected]
     
  2. Aladdin

    Aladdin Guest

  3. nassman

    nassman Guest

    Daniel,

    That is a fine article. Thank you for sharing it with us.
     
  4. HeadNoise

    HeadNoise Invisible Me

    Sob :'( -- and YEA!!!! :D
     
  5. Gwendelyn

    Gwendelyn New Member

    Thanx Daniel
     
  6. Linda1002

    Linda1002 New Member

    Bravo......well done!!
     
  7. Amethyst

    Amethyst She believed she could, so she did.

    Thanks so much for sharing it with us....great job!
     
  8. bigfool

    bigfool New Member

    Once a teacher - always a teacher! Beautiful article Tucker! I trust it will educate may people, as well as give them hope!

    Marci
     
  9. Bergie

    Bergie New Member

    May I ask if XXXX saw your video and what does she think of it?

    Danny...If I had one wish in life it would be for all of us here to have our lives back again. I read so many times people say here what wonderful friendships they've made here....and while that is true...I will NEVER say the words..."I am grateful for MM." So many people are worse off then me...and I can honestly say, IF I could do something, anything to help them...I would in a heartbeat.

    I know its "just" Menieres...but it sucks big time!
    Yeah, I'm thankful its not going to take our lives away...but, for many....this is no life to be leading...dizzy all the time and vomiting, so in many ways...it already HAS!

    Your DVD you made really sent the message out there for the folks that just don't get it, don't understand it, can't comprehend it and actually WANT to learn what it is that we are talking about. Now they can see how all of our lives have changed in some way or another, because of Menieres.
     
  10. Stacey3048

    Stacey3048 New Member

    Danny,

    Thank you for sharing your article with us! Not only do you excel in photography, you also have an amazing way of expressing your thoughts!

    Thank you again!
    Love,
    Stacey
     
  11. LisaB

    LisaB New Member

    What a great article......Lisa
     
  12. cowcollector

    cowcollector Don't hug a tree, hug a cow!!

    great article.
     
  13. Wobbles

    Wobbles Storm (April 15, 1992 - November 17, 2006)

    Thanks for posting! I enjoy your words as much as I enjoy your photographs.

    Joe
     

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