When I tell people I ballroom dance and that I have vertigo, they are surprised. When Mark is with me, they look at him to see if I’m lying. I’m not lying. We adapt almost everything. Here are two examples. In waltz, there is a gorgeous step, called 3/8ths turns. The gentleman leads a left […]
I had a physical a few weeks ago, and my doctor asked me, “How do you take a walk?” I looked at her as if she was a lunatic. “I have vertigo. Why would I voluntarily take a walk?” “For exercise?” “I have the gym and Erik the super-strong trainer for that.” “But don’t you
How Do You Take a Walk? Read More »
I fly a lot. So, I walk through a lot of airports. I have trouble walking in a straight line. But, I can see where I am going. I can anticipate running into people. I can see when we are on a collision course. And, there are a number of people who think it is
What Is So Important On Your Phone? Read More »
When I was in 10th grade, I struggled with my foreign language, French. We were translating The Sword of Roland, “L’Epee D’Roland.” I am pretty sure that when I spoke in class, it sounded like “Leh pee (!) deh roa-land.” The correct pronunciation would be “Leh peh deh roh-land.” My teacher that year told me
Learning Something New Read More »
I’m in Albuquerque this week, teaching PSL with Esther and Jerry. The last time I was in Albuquerque was last December, 6 months ago, planning the AYE conference with Esther, Jerry, and Don. At the time, I was able to walk about a half block before I needed to sit for a while, because I
Large Contrast in Capability Read More »
The one person you can fool the most is yourself. At least, I can fool myself—a lot. Maybe you are smarter than I am! When I give my talks about creating an adaptable life, I talk about our old analog scale. I was a master at losing weight—on the scale. I could make that scale
The One Person You Can Fool Read More »
I spoke at Philly Emerging Tech this week, and had a major milestone. I was able to walk across the room and speak while walking. For those of you who saw me speak before my hemorrhage, you know I used to walk back and forth, and shake my head and roll my eyes. I was
Small Speaking Success Read More »
I’ve been working out at the gym in the morning for years. If I don’t go in the morning, I don’t go. This morning, I updated my two-day workout plan with Erik Bruce, my trainer for the last three years. I see Erik about once a quarter to update my workout plan. Since my hemorrhage,
Life is The Big Game Read More »
I have been achieving some small successes over the past few weeks. My doctors and I have been experimenting with a new medicine which has been helping damp down my vertigo. The results are astonishing. When I have a steady stream of medicine, as in when I wake up in the morning, I don’t stagger
Celebrate Each Success Read More »
Thomas Edison said, “Success is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration.” In order to become adaptable, you’ve got to practice. And practice and practice and practice. When I was doing vestibular therapy, I had many eye exercises to train my ocular reflex to retrain my brain so I wouldn’t feel the vertigo. The therapy
Perseverance is Key for Adaptation Read More »