[nagdu] Going Downhill

Fri Apr 22 19:33:38 UTC 2011

Julie,

Yeah, it took me a couple of years to realize why I kept having so much
trouble with simple stuff when I felt I had enough already because of my
cold...  D'oh!

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Julie J
Sent: Friday, April 22, 2011 10:03 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
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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