Canals and vertigo
We went on the canals with ![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
on_idle_moor and had a pleasant week.
More of that later (time and email backlog permitting).
This is mostly a placeholder for me to record what does/does not trigger vertigo.
Much to my pleased surprise, walking on a nine inch wide plank over a fifteen foot drop down to the water of a lock caused me no problems at all. Indeed, the canals proved to be remarkably low on vertigo triggers and I had less trouble than in any week I can recently remember.
Thus, the few mild attacks that I did get stand out against the background with clear causes.
1. Crossing a busy road. Turning my head quickly from left to right to keep checking the traffic.
2. The combined effect of the sound of an in-store freezer along with the store's lighting. (I actually had to force myself out of a very interesting shop)
3. Sitting at a table when the boat was rocking and seeing out the window opposite (drawing the curtains solved that one)
4. Normally, steering the boat was very easy (looking in the same direction that I'm moving seems to be a good thing), but on one occasion we were passing under some poplars in bright sunlight and the shadows of the leaves were racing towards me over the roof of the boat while the boat was moving forwards. That brought on an instant attack.
The triggers all seem to be visual. I've learned to avoid one or two triggers, simply by closing my eyes every time I take off or put on a pair of glasses, and also by closing my eyes if I turn my head while wearing glasses. That's becoming almost an automatic habit now and has definitely reduced the number of attacks.
Back home, I'm noticing a difference already. Working on the computer is possible, but is creating a definite sense of instability (I didn't use a computer at all while we were away and that probably helped a lot.) I'll have to continue rationing computer use - which will be tricky as there's a massive backlog from when I was away.
I'll probably do a few posts at some point about canal history/culture/archeology. They were an interesting phase of our history and, as far as I'm aware, the British narrow gauge canal system has no equivalent elsewhere. (Broad canals are widespread, but the narrow lock may be a British peculiarity and was a specific period in our history.)
PS. I bought a cuddly watervole with a boatman's neckerchief. (He's more of a hybrid with a rat really, but he's still cute)
on_idle_moor and had a pleasant week.More of that later (time and email backlog permitting).
This is mostly a placeholder for me to record what does/does not trigger vertigo.
Much to my pleased surprise, walking on a nine inch wide plank over a fifteen foot drop down to the water of a lock caused me no problems at all. Indeed, the canals proved to be remarkably low on vertigo triggers and I had less trouble than in any week I can recently remember.
Thus, the few mild attacks that I did get stand out against the background with clear causes.
1. Crossing a busy road. Turning my head quickly from left to right to keep checking the traffic.
2. The combined effect of the sound of an in-store freezer along with the store's lighting. (I actually had to force myself out of a very interesting shop)
3. Sitting at a table when the boat was rocking and seeing out the window opposite (drawing the curtains solved that one)
4. Normally, steering the boat was very easy (looking in the same direction that I'm moving seems to be a good thing), but on one occasion we were passing under some poplars in bright sunlight and the shadows of the leaves were racing towards me over the roof of the boat while the boat was moving forwards. That brought on an instant attack.
The triggers all seem to be visual. I've learned to avoid one or two triggers, simply by closing my eyes every time I take off or put on a pair of glasses, and also by closing my eyes if I turn my head while wearing glasses. That's becoming almost an automatic habit now and has definitely reduced the number of attacks.
Back home, I'm noticing a difference already. Working on the computer is possible, but is creating a definite sense of instability (I didn't use a computer at all while we were away and that probably helped a lot.) I'll have to continue rationing computer use - which will be tricky as there's a massive backlog from when I was away.
I'll probably do a few posts at some point about canal history/culture/archeology. They were an interesting phase of our history and, as far as I'm aware, the British narrow gauge canal system has no equivalent elsewhere. (Broad canals are widespread, but the narrow lock may be a British peculiarity and was a specific period in our history.)
PS. I bought a cuddly watervole with a boatman's neckerchief. (He's more of a hybrid with a rat really, but he's still cute)
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