My lovely mum wrote a blog 2 years ago in June 2017. Have a daughter who suffers from vestibular conditions and mental health must be very hard. My mum has watched my deterioration over the years, she has seen some of the extreme horrific bad days with me crying in foetal positions on the floor. However thanks to me finding out my triggers and concentrating on my strict treatment program, she is now witnessing me getting better.

As its Mother’s Day soon, it seemed perfect timing to give you an update 2 years on from her original post. So she has once again put pen to paper and written the below, which I cried over when I read it! It is so lovely to get someone else’s perspective as an onlooker, as with these conditions you do feel rather lonely and feel its your own battle. I am still waiting for my husband to write his blog, he has promised to do one, one day I hope to share this with you!

I know I am extremely lucky to have an amazing mum, some people do not have their mums around anymore, or do not have a good relationship with their mums. So I am very fortunate.

“Two years on from my first original “mummy’s perspective ” blog in June 2017 and I am feeling very happy indeed to report that things have improved for Lara in a number of ways. She has worked so hard over the years to get things back on track in a positive way with a vigorous treatment plan. She is starting to love life again. 

One of the most noticeable changes has been from the anxiety/panic disorder and depression perspective, due to the fact she has been able to get her vestibular symptoms under control. She is no longer as anxious about certain activities eg travelling by bus, being a passenger in a car, going walking or cycling with her children etc She has achieved this new found confidence through meditation, diet and exercise. She seems to be more able to face the bright world of shops and noisy restaurants a little easier nowadays, although still a challenge. This reduction in her mental illness has gradually built up more confidence to try new challenges and step out of her comfort zone.

By sticking to a very strict healthy diet regime and exercise/physio programme, which includes Pilates, walking and weight training, she’s been able to reduce her vestibular symptoms greatly. Exercise is perfect physio and seems to be very good for her vertigo, dizziness and improves her mental health too. (I must admit to being very envious of her new slim toned figure, able to fit into smaller size clothes again!)

The girls are very supportive and have a great level of empathy and have even got their own Pilates mats now and do mindful Pilates with Lara each week. Being able to get outdoors in nature has been very invigorating for her and is a great pick me up and the girls love this too. As Lara is feeling better in herself nowadays, I have noticed she is much more able to challenge herself. She loves being creative and recently made a wonderful handbag cake for my 70th Birthday and organised the whole weekend. She has also recently pushed herself to do gardening, using electric hedge trimmers, lifting heavy pots and ornaments, which she could have never done when she was very chronic with her illnesses. 

One of the things I am most proud of is her endless wish and passion to help other sufferers of invisible illnesses. She gave up her much loved business to concentrate on her health and family and now much of her time is dedicated to helping others through her support groups, raising much needed money for charities and raising awareness of these misunderstood and unrecognised invisible conditions. She has been asked to contribute to many articles and speak at events to raise more awareness, this is all in her own time and of course she will not accept any payment for anything, she just does it out of kindness. She has received countless messages of sincere thanks from sufferers she has inspired and helped over the years, which must be very satisfying and heart warming.

As to the future, I am very mindful that there can easily still be setbacks and probably nag too much every week, to get her to pace herself! The hospital professionals say she needs to never get too complacent and to always be aware of triggers. Nobody, most of all me, wants to witness that terrified tearful face, I have seen countless times, when she has a bad vertigo drop attacks and dizzy attacks etc and the mental health relapse they can cause as a result.

I feel overall that she has turned, what are very debilitating conditions to be afflicted with, into a positive lovely way to help others and I am extremely proud of her. It has been very important to Lara to have the backing of a close support network of people who are there if she needs them. It certainly has been vital for her recovery. I pray things will keep improving for her. “

Thank you for reading this blog post.

Lara x