One evening, as I began to clothe myself for my bed chamber,
the world began to spin. Of course, the
world is always spinning, but normally I do not feel it in this way. It did not do this because of the quaking of
the earth, nor was it because I had taken part in some intoxicating beverage.
As I have been a Medicine Man for others, I put on my Thinking Cap and diagnosed myself with the dread malady “Vertigo.” That was all the further than I got.
While I have heard many times the Proverb “Medicine Man, Heal Thyself,” I have found diagnosing myself about my Max. I cannot say that my diagnosis brought me either joy or comfort.
All that night I did turn, even without moving. Yeah, and my stomach was Queasy as All-Get-Out, even to the point of Nausea.
The next morning, I was a little better and so I improved a little bit by little bit for the space of a week. Then I was as good as before, but more conscious of the blessing of something called Equilibrium.
I have seen patients with Vertigo before in my office, but till now, I had little concept of how miserable it was. Now, I know.
It was for this sort of situation that the Apostle Paul wrote, “If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation, and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.”
Truly, there is no sympathy like the sympathy of one who has walked through the same trial you are experiencing. Though people may be linked by blood or friendship, yet some are connected by the maladies which they share. So it is that for some diseases there are meetings for encouragement called Support Groups.
It may be that the most important thing for someone dealing with a Trial is to know that they are not alone.
When we walk through a Hard Experience, we must remember how we felt during it so that we might encourage and sympathize with others.
Even if we experience so small a thing as feeling a spinning feeling when lying very still in bed.
I've had vertigo at times so I do understand what you're saying. I had a strange "vertigo flu" about 10 years ago, and even though it's not something you'll find in medical books I'm sure: my doctor did tell me she knew of a number of people who had it including her own husband! She thought it was some kind of virus going around. Those of use who had it could not move (at all) for the first few days without WILD spinning. Even my eyeballs were going crazy. Then, with medication, it became manageable. Doc said that she had observed with others that it lingered for many months, which it did. Now I'm more prone to vertigo sometimes but I've found that taking a decongestant helps the most. Or a hot cup of coffee. And yes, I have far more sympathy for others when it's something I've experienced myself.
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