[nagdu] Going Downhill

Fri Apr 22 17:42:48 UTC 2011

I have some motion sickness in vehicles since losing my sight (never had any 
issues before that). Not dizziness, just a little queeziness, and it tends 
to act up when I've been riding in a vehicle for awhile and there's a lot of 
stop and go or the road is curvy. (its worse with some drivers than 
others -- with how hard they break for stops, etc).  It also tends to happen 
more often on an empty stomach.  Also, I normally hate the air conditioner 
blowing directly on me, but when I'm feeling that way I actually want it on 
me because it helps.
Like I said, never happened before losing my sight.  And my sighted mother 
has always said she has motion sickness if she is not in the front seat 
where she can see out the windows better. But for me, I could always sit 
anywhere and it didnt matter.

Sarah & Miguel

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julie J" <julielj at neb.rr.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, April 22, 2011 10:02 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Going Downhill

> Mark,
>
> It can be your vision playing tricks on you, but it doesn't have to be 
> visually related.  My dizziness around stairs is mostly visual, but also 
> has an element of being high up.  I never feel dizzy at the bottom of 
> stairs. It's the same response I get when standing on something really 
> high.  It's a spinning feeling, where the floor doesn't exist where I 
> think it should. *smile* For me holding onto the hand rail or physical 
> contact with something solid helps a lot.
>
> Interestingly my son also experiences motion sickness in vehicles and 
> vertigo in high places.  He is sighted.
>
> It can also be caused by various other issues including problems with the 
> inner ear.  It definitely doesn't have to have a visual component.  I know 
> a totally blind woman who has serious motion sickness when in a vehicle. 
> For her rolling down the window helps a lot.
>
> Google tells me that there are quite a few causes for vertigo and related 
> conditions of dizziness.   Some are quite serious like brain tumor and 
> some are as minor as having a cold.
>
> HTH
> Julie
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Mark J. Cadigan" <kramc11 at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, April 22, 2011 9:13 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Going Downhill
>
>
>> Having been completely immune to motion sickness and vertigo proof my 
>> entire life, I don't understand exactly what is happening here. Is it 
>> just your vision playing tricks on you?
>>
>>
>> Mark
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Tamara Smith-Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 11:43 AM
>> Subject: [nagdu] Going Downhill
>>
>>
>>> Hey!  How do all of you go down hills with your dogs without getting, 
>>> you
>>> know, seasick?  Or is that just me?  /lol/
>>>
>>> Now that I don't have rain as much for an excuse not to get my lazy 
>>> backside
>>> out with my dog, I'm looking for a route to walk on this side of the 
>>> Road of
>>> Certain Doom.  The best and safest route to get some decent walking 
>>> exercise
>>> -- with sidewalks part of the way! -- is up a fairly steep hill.  Good
>>> exercise for the dog, too, since she has to drag me up the thing once I 
>>> wear
>>> out.  There's even a little spot where I can let her have some run play
>>> before we turn around to come back down...  Supposing I don't break my 
>>> neck
>>> falling on my nose.  /lol/  How I didn't literally fall on my nose the 
>>> first
>>> time -- when the effect was a real surprise -- is beyond me.  I  had to 
>>> sit
>>> down right where I was while the whirling sensation just kept building 
>>> and
>>> building...  So I couldn't get up.  I've experienced the minor version 
>>> of
>>> that on gentle downslopes, but never like that!  The only reason I 
>>> didn't
>>> end up calling DD to come pick me up because I was too seasick to get 
>>> home
>>> is because I am just too dang stubborn and have way, way too much pride.
>>>
>>> So.  By this spring, it seems I can think about taking the hill on again
>>> with getting seasick in advance, and I think this time I'll have a 
>>> strategy.
>>> /grin/
>>>
>>> So here's my plan, in general:
>>>
>>> 1.  Take dog on leash, use cane going up and coming down for added 
>>> reference
>>> point for balance to learn to maintain balance and proprioception on 
>>> steep
>>> grades.
>>>
>>> 2.  When ready, use guide dog to go up the hill.  Take cane out before
>>> turning around, to use as reference point to judge grade.  Use cane to 
>>> come
>>> down.
>>>
>>> 3.  Repeat as necessary, removing cane tip from ground periodically to 
>>> build
>>> up number of steps to walk without reference point before falling on 
>>> nose.
>>>
>>> 4.  Gradually build up until the cane on the ground is no longer 
>>> necessary.
>>>
>>> 5.  Start using guide dog to come down and see what happens.  /smile/
>>>
>>> Any comments, helpful hints, strong advice, smart remarks about what a 
>>> dolt
>>> I am?  /lol/
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>> Tami Smith-Kinney
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
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>
>
>
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