Back In The Swirl

Aaaah! The Starry Night. Beautiful, famous, invaluable. Who is not acquainted with this masterpiece painting and his deeply disturbed, unfortunate creator, Vincent van Gogh? Although, it was not documented during his lifetime it has been determined many years later, that van Gogh suffered from an incurable, relentless, devilish illness; Meniere’s disease.

Commonly called “glaucoma of the inner ear,” Meniere’s disease is a chronic illness that often affects individuals in the prime of life. It is characterized by episodes of severe vertigo, loss of balance, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), nausea, vomiting and progressive hearing loss.

The National Institutes of Health estimates that about 615,000 people in the United States have Meniere’s. Approximately 450,000 new cases are diagnosed annually in the country. Meniere’s symptoms, especially vertigo can wreak havoc in affected patient’s lives. The disease has a very serious psychosocial impact in its victims and their families. In the Quality of Wellbeing Scale, a scientific study, it is stated that Meniere’s sufferers are the most severely impaired non hospitalized patients studied so far. The quality of life of a Meniere’s patient is comparable to that of a Cancer or Aids patient. When having acute attacks, the Quality of Wellbeing is closer to a non- institutionalized Cancer or Aids victim…six days before death!

It is well documented that Meniere’s sufferers fall prey to depression in alarming numbers due to their almost non-existing quality of life. In my own case, both illnesses are concomitantly present. Mental disorders are very common in the United States and internationally. Globally, the percentage of people with psychiatric disorders is growing faster than those of heart disease. The present worldwide state of economic turmoil is increasing those numbers exponentially. An estimated 22% of Americans ages 18 and older (about 1 in 5 adults) suffer from a mental condition; that’s approximately 44 million people. The direct costs of mental health illness services in the United States is over $70 billion. The indirect costs are over 78 billion. The latter refers to lost productivity at the workplace, school, and home due to premature disability and death. Over 90% of suicides are committed by people who suffer from a mental illness. These staggering figures have been the inspiration to write about my vast personal experience dealing with both health conditions.

Van Gogh was so miserable in his affliction that in an extremely radical measure he severed his left ear in attempt to alleviate his highly disturbing Meniere’s symptoms. Meniere compounded with other illnesses, among them a severe mental condition, finally claimed the life of the painter in his late thirties at his own hand.

My story’s priority is to help Meniere’s and depression sufferers to resort to less drastic measures to cope with these co- occurring illnesses, counteract their unpredictability and guide them to regain control of their live; allowing to experience their God giving right to a fulfilling, rich and active life as possible. It provides useful, unique tools and guides to overcome the turbulence and chaos in those afflicted by Meniere and chronic depression (compounded by migraines). It is my most fervent desire that my story serves as an inspiration to all patients affected by a severe, chronic, disabling condition.

A veteran of tough times I have survived paternal abuse as a child, exile that forced me to leave behind the only family that raised me and loved me, that is my uncle and aunts, the loss of my envisioned career’s plans when I was stricken by Meniere’s at age 22. I have also suffered the progressive loss of my hearing, and all means of sustenance after my Meniere came back after 16 years of remission rendering me disabled forever. Finally, I have lost my marriage of twenty years and yet, through it all, I have found friends who have helped me cope with all of my losses.

It is my most heartfelt desire that my story would serve as an inspiration to all patients affected by a severe, chronic, disabling condition and a celebration to all milestones conquered and their daily victories.