Mauricio Leonardo Fernandez contacted me about translating one of my posts into Spanish. He chose "Transitioning to Healthier Eating- Advice From a Mediocre Cook". I was honored to see the result on the site http://www.ibidemgroup.com which posts "ideas worth translating" in Spanish. The link to the results is here. In addition to being pleased to see … Continue reading Translation of One of My Posts to Spanish →

I'm not sure when I'll be cleared to ride on the road again, I need to first be assured that reoccurrence of my recent severe vertigo is unlikely, or that there'll be some sort of warning symptom. I think that will have to wait until I see an ear specialist on Jan 25. In the … Continue reading Solutions For Enjoyable Indoor Cycling →

It's been over a week since I've had any symptom of dizziness. I'm not yet cleared to hike or ride a bike outdoors. But since two hiking poles serve just as well as two canes for stability, I can Nordic walk with the poles, which is enjoyable and a good workout of its own. Also … Continue reading Great to be Outside Walking Again →

The inner ear is best known for the cochlea, which converts sound into nerve impulses, for our hearing. But it also contains the vestibular system, which is crucial for balance. The vestibular system is responsible for detecting your head's orientation in space and its motion. Angular acceleration, or rotational motion, is detected about 3 separate … Continue reading Our Marvelous Inner Ear Balance System (and its disorders) →

Now that I'm on the mend I've had time to reflect on my recent medical escapade and see what I can learn from it. Here are a few things that spring to mind. Be careful what you wish for- A couple of days before my severe vertigo incident, I remember thinking to myself that my … Continue reading Life Lessons From Recent Medical Scare →

Last Thursday I was able to get into see my extremely talented physician, Dr. Smruti Nalawadi, for a follow-up. I had talked about working with a preventive medicine specialist previously. Unfortunately, having Dr. Moayed as my primary care physician was awkward because she is way up in Campbell. So I was happy to find another … Continue reading Update, and My Amazing Doc →

I'm still improving day by day. A major advance was on Monday afternoon when I got a home PT visit from Nichine, who agreed it's fine for me to use two canes or two hiking poles instead of a walker. I have to use the former when my wife is with me because she says … Continue reading Richie Two-Cane and How Do I Know She Loves Me →

My previous post expressed my sincere gratitude to the medical profession and all its representatives who have helped me through my most recent health adventure and all my previous ones. I still stand by that. But there is one area in which I'd like to offer some constructive criticism, in the face of our modern … Continue reading The Medical Profession and “Average” vs. “Normal” →

I'm on the mend since my last post. My vertigo has recovered from everything seeming like it's spinning fast 360 degrees last Thursday, to everything being normal now but a little "glitch" every once in a while where my vision seems to wiggle back and forth slightly. Unfortunately, that can result in a misstep and … Continue reading Update and Gratitude →

The short version of this story is that I have been diagnosed with a benign and treatable inner ear condition called "benign paroxysmal positional vertigo". But diagnosing it required 911, transport by ambulance to our local St. Louise County hospital, lots of tests, and a 2-day stay. Care was wonderful, but it's great to be … Continue reading Life Throws Another Curveball! I Now Have an Inner-Ear Condition. →