It’s been eight months since I went on a boat excursion in the Philippines. It was the second one within a week. The boat was a fishing boat with one of those damn loud motors. Dolphin watching and the visit to a small island was the plan. The weather was bright, and I was accompanied by a friend of mine. It was precious social time. I admit I wasn’t very keen on the beginning to go on that ride. Maybe I already had a bit enough from the previous one. However, we did something that day, so I thought when I got off the boat.
So now, let me ask you if you have ever heard of Mal de Debarquement Syndrom, short MdDs? I bet you haven’t! So had I. Already on the same day as I thought I had gotten off that boat, I felt a swaying. Apparently, that often occurs for a brief time after a cruise or traveling by plane. It usually vanishes quickly. However, there are those cases where it won’t go away just like that. It’s been eight months, and I still got this swaying. It indeed is a long trip. After a few weeks of being back home, my GP had checked me by MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). The result was excellent. Meaning that a cause like a tumor could be excluded. He sent me further to a specialist for dizziness, where I underwent a full hour or so of testing. Having done some research on my own, I already had suggested to him that it might be the Mal de Debarquement Syndrom. In the end, he confirmed this. He advised me to take up a specialized form of Physiotherapy. Delayed by the lockdown caused by the coronavirus, I finally went to the therapist only to discover that the training I should do is rather intensive.
Due to having several other appointments these weeks, I decided to delay the start of it. Once taking it up, I’m hopeful for a swift recovery. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee for this to happen. Perhaps for the better or worse, I have to come to terms with this lasting boat trip. Experiences life brings along…
Born under the Sign of the Snake 