Older, Not Necessarily Wiser

Movement, colors, lights, sounds... some would say this is overstimulation

Recently I went to Michigan, where I was born, grew up, and lived for 40 years, for a visit.  My parents, sister Mary Anne, and my aunt and uncle still live there. Michigan is a beautiful state where there is a lot to see and do.  However, when I go, I usually just hang out and visit with family.

This trip Mary Anne and her boyfriend took me to one of Detroit’s casinos for an afternoon to play penny slots.  My sister knows all the casino games and is quite good at them, she seems to win more than she loses. I did not get that gene.  The most I can handle is the penny slots, which Mary Anne introduced me to on our first annual cruise (we’ve been on 5 or 6 by now).

LOTS of cars & trucks can never be overstimulating!

  It is fun and if you are even halfway lucky you can play quite a while for $20. I took nothing with me except my money and my driver’s license so as not to worry about keeping track of anything.  (That means no earplugs that are always in my purse.)

Entering the casino you are overwhelmed by all the noise, smoke, flashing lights, hoards of people, and that multi-colored, multi-patterned carpeting you must walk on.  This “real” casino is huge in every way compared to the cruise ship’s “mini” casino. I walked through the casino holding onto Mary Anne (that colorful, swirling carpet makes me swirl).  We quickly found the “good” machines and parked ourselves there as we started the quest for a “jackpot”.  I think we were there for a few hours, getting up only for bathroom breaks and changing to “better” machines.  On one of my bathroom breaks (one taken by myself with no one to hold onto) I was overcome with feelings of dizziness, tinnitus, aural fullness, and nausea.  I barely made it to the stall before getting sick.  I sat in the stall for quite a while before I felt well enough to call (thank goodness for cell phones) my sister to let her know where I was and that I needed help. 

A lifesaver watching out for you is always a plus.

The little sister came to rescue her big sister.  Luckily this was not a full fledge can’t get up off the floor Meniere’s attack, but a mini.  Mary Anne and her boyfriend literally dragged me out of the casino to the car.  Oh, the looks and comments I am sure I got that evening!

I got back to my sister’s, went to bed, and woke up feeling fine in the morning.  I was lucky.  As I have mentioned before, my main triggers for Meniere’s are fatigue, stress, and heat.  But, the next one after that is over-stimulation. My casino experience was a perfect example of that.  You would think I would know better by now, but… Remember your own triggers – and try to listen better than I did.