ProBalance Therapy is made for situations where you struggle in staying steady

Anyone in my family will tell you that I’ve never been an athlete, but 2023 drove that home without any room for question. As my adrenal glands puttered out completely (along with my ability to stand up straight and do simple tasks like brushing my teeth without getting totally winded), I also took a gnarly hit to the head.

What Happened To Me In 2023?

On New Year’s Day, 2023, I bent down to close a file drawer and smacked my head hard on the edge/corner of our upright piano. It didn’t break the skin but I could have sworn at the time that I dented my skull.

I hadn’t yet been diagnosed with Addison’s Disease (primary adrenal insufficiency), though I had plenty of symptoms I was trying to ignore since they would always get better as the day went on. I also had some underlying infections and with my immune system going haywire, my inflammatory curve was sky high.

After that hit to the head, I noticed a marked decline in my balance. When I would get up to go to the bathroom at night, I would stumble, which I never had before. Everything was much harder in the dark. If I tried to turn my head to make a comment to someone while walking alongside them, even during the day, I’d drift into the wall immediately. I often would catch myself right before taking a misstep–I’d have to consciously work to straighten myself before completing my step because my line of movement was skewed.

My brain felt like it was melting.

Some Symptoms I Was Feeling

In fact, at one low point, I remember waking up from a dream where I knew I was struggling to come up with the right word. I said the word “shrimp” in my dream, and everyone around me plus myself knew it was absolutely not the right word to have used but didn’t want to point it out because of how embarrassing it was for me. And then I woke up, worrying I was facing early stage dementia. That’s a scary feeling.

My brain has had some level of inflammation for a long time. Some of the causes of that are starting to clear up (mold, lyme and the nasty biofilm that comes with both), but unfortunately, what’s left behind is still a bit of a mess. Kinda like World War 2 after the bombing stopped–despite the fact that the attacks were over, there were cities and countries left in total ruins. That’s kinda how my neural pathways have seemed at times–total ruins! Brain fog, difficulty with word-finding, memory struggles. No fun!

Things Started Turning Around With Therapy, Medicine and Grit

Luckily, things have started getting a LOT better in late 2023. I’m on a combination of medication and supplements that are helping with the autoimmune stuff, prioritizing good nutrition, learning tons about my body, and I’ve started really working on my balance. Thyroid issues are still giving me fits since I’ve recently changed meds and have to “recalibrate,” but compared to how things were 6 months ago, life is a breeze these days! You might even assume I’m a normally functioning human. And–hallelujah–for the most part, I am now. 🙂

But when The Chiropractor told me about the new therapy he was bringing in, I knew I needed to get myself in there asap to help my poor, beat up brain. Enter the ProBalance and my new best friend, Claire! I’ve only done a couple of sessions, but it feels so good to be doing something to actively challenge my brain and balance. It’s very motivating to see quantitative feedback about your balance (or lack thereof). And whether it’s from that work, or the lions mane supplements or anything else I’m taking, I’m not bumping into the wall at night or losing my balance nearly as much as I was a few months ago.

Luckily I’ve never scored in the “fall-risk” range on the ProBalance equipment, but my goal is to complete at least 10 sessions with Claire, keep going to my yoga class, continue working on my mindset…and live.my.best.life. Even with Addisons and Hashimotos and the other dumb labels docs have given me. I have healed so much in the last few months and I have significant hope that there is more healing in the works.

I may never be that impressive old lady who learns to ride a unicycle in her 70s (although who knows…), but gimme a couple of years and I might be the 45 year old who says I feel better now than I ever have before. It’s all about trajectory, right? And balance. =)