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📣 Today, The DMC Declares that sometimes we need someone who just gets it.

A vestie is a bestie who is also navigating a vestibular disorder — someone who understands the invisible parts of this illness that the rest of the world may never see.

A vestie becomes so much more than someone who shares your diagnosis.
They become your people.
Your safe place.
Your cheerleader.
Your confidant.
Your friend.

We may have different diagnoses, varying symptoms and different journeys, but there is a shared understanding that comes from living this life.

We know what it truly takes and means to keep showing up when your world feels anything but steady.
We raise awareness and advocate together.

And that’s why we are stronger together.

Because when one vestie shares their story, another realizes they aren’t alone.
When one finds something that helps, they pass it on.
When one is having a hard day, another reminds them that tomorrow might feel different.
When one celebrates a win, big or small (and no win is too small), a vestie will celebrate right alongside them.

Together, vesties turn isolation into connection. Fear into understanding. And individual struggles into a community that stands beside one another.

So whether you’re newly diagnosed, years into your vestibular journey, still searching for answers, or somewhere in between…

You’re a vestie. And you’re not walking this journey alone.

Drop a 🫶 in the comments to let your fellow vesties know how much you appreciate them — and remind them that there’s a whole community behind them.

#thedizzymomsclub #vestie #vestibular #invisibleillness #chronicillness #strongertogether

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💜 World Menopause Day 💜

This year the focus is on chronic pain at midlife, highlighting the persistent pain, migraine and other health challenges women experience during the menopause transition.

In our latest Heads Up podcast episode, Dr Katy Munro and Dr Barbara Phipps discuss the links between menopause, hormonal changes, sleep and pain.

💬 What would you like more people to understand about pain during midlife? Share your thoughts in the comments👇

For more information listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and all leading podcast platforms.

#WorldMenopauseDay #ChronicPainAtMidlife #Migraine #Menopause HeadsUpPodcast

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Big exam coming up?
Suffer from migraine?
Let’s plan early to reduce the risk of a migraine attack interfering with your study and exams- and if it does, let’s have a treatment plan ready! (Information only, not medical advice) #familymedicine #exams

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📣 Today, The DMC Declares that sometimes gratitude looks like the little things. Sometimes, the little things are the big things. A laugh with your kids. A hug that lasts a little longer. A moment of playing together when your symptoms give you a bit of breathing room. Being present, even when you can’t do everything you wish you could.

And sometimes, giving ourselves grace means accepting that some days look different than we planned. That we need to sit down, cancel plans, take a break, or let someone else take over. That getting through the day is enough, even when we didn’t get anything done on our to-do list.

Parenting with unpredictable symptoms isn’t easy. We carry so much that others can’t see, while trying to keep life feeling steady for our families. We would give another dizzy parent grace, so we are worthy of giving it to ourselves as well.

On this Canadian Thanksgiving, and as American Thanksgiving is around the corner, let’s remember that we can be grateful for the beautiful little moments and acknowledge the hard ones. We can love our lives and still grieve what chronic illness makes harder. We can be thankful and exhausted, hopeful and struggling, all at the same time.

You don’t have to feel grateful for every moment to find gratitude in some of them. And you don’t have to earn rest by pushing through the hard ones.

Here’s to being thankful for the little moments and giving ourselves permission to struggle through the hard ones.

Dizzy or not, we’re doing the best we can. And that is enough.

Let us know what you are grateful for in the comments ❤️

Dizzy or not, here we come!

#thedizzymomsclub #vestibular #chronicillness #invisibleillness #thanksgiving

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🍂 OCTOBER SLIDE 🍂

If you live with chronic illness, you may have heard of the October Slide.

It’s a term used within the chronic illness community to describe that familiar shift that can happen as summer ends and fall begins — when symptoms seem to creep back up, energy disappears, and suddenly the things you were managing feel harder again.

And if you live with a chronic vestibular illness, you might know this feeling all too well.

You were getting through summer.
Maybe you were doing a little more.
Maybe you had more energy.
Maybe your symptoms had settled enough that you started feeling a little more like yourself.

And then… October.

A new season can mean adjusting all over again.
🍂 Adjusting to changing light and changing weather.
🍂 Adjusting to shorter days and new routines.
🍂 Adjusting to busier schedules and disruptions in sleep.
🍂 Adjusting to increased stress and sensory overload.
🍂 Adjusting to a body that doesn’t always respond the way you wish it would.

And suddenly, your vestibular system seems to be saying: “Actually… we need to slow down.”

And perhaps the hardest part is wondering: “Why do I feel like I’m going backwards?”

But here’s your reminder: A difficult season doesn’t erase your progress.

If you’re feeling the October Slide right now, give yourself some grace. Sometimes moving forward looks like slowing down.

This October, we’re reminding dizzy parents that there is no right way to move through a season with chronic illness.

Let us know if you’re feeling the October Slide too. We’re in this together.

Dizzy or not, here we come!

#thedizzymomsclub #chronicillness #invisibleillnes #vestibular #octoberslide

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One of the questions I ask in migraine clinic is:

“How many crystal clear migraine days do you have?”

I recently posted that question on Instagram, and I was flooded with the same answer:

None.

No days where they feel completely, unquestionably well.

How can so many people be living with this level of disease burden, and we’re still fighting the idea that migraine is “just a headache”?

Migraine is so much more than the hours when your head hurts.

#Migraine #MigraineAwareness #ChronicMigraine

Information only, not individual medical advice.

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📣 Today, The DMC Declares that the things that take the most courage aren’t always the things that get noticed.

Not every step forward is obvious.

Some steps are big and easy to celebrate.
Others are quiet, personal, and almost invisible to everyone else.

The step out of bed on a dizzy morning.
The step into the grocery store when everything feels like it’s moving.
The step toward asking for help.
The step back when the body says, not today.
The step of showing up for our children, even when simply getting through the day takes everything we have.
Not every step looks like progress from the outside.

Some are quiet.
Some are invisible.
Some are simply choosing to keep going.

But they all count.

Because living with a vestibular disorder means learning to measure progress differently — one step, one moment, one day at a time.

Drop a ❤️ to celebrate the steps you’re taking on your journey.

Dizzy or not, here we come!

#vestibular #thedizzymomsclub #invisibleillness #chronicillness

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ADHD and migraine overlap more than many people realise.

And if you have both, migraine management may need to look a little different.

Executive function, sleep, eating patterns, medication, healthcare access , ADHD can affect all of them.

For ADHD Awareness Month, a reminder that good migraine care should work with the person in front of us.

#ADHD #Migraine #Neurodivergence #ADHDAwarenessMonth #nationalmigrainecentre

General information only, not individual medical advice.

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🖥️ Our very first presentation that we got to do together is officially in the books!

We are incredibly proud to share that we were invited to present at Interacoustics Academy’s (@interacoustics_us ) Introduction to Vestibular Diagnostic Workshop, which took place in Middelfart, Denmark from September 29–October 1!

Our presentation, “The Dizzy Moms Club - From Patient to Parent: Bridging the Gap in Vestibular Care,” brought the lived experience of dizzy mothers into a room filled with around 35 healthcare professionals dedicated to understanding and treating vestibular disorders.

The workshop brought together otolaryngologists, neurologists, audiologists, vestibular physiotherapists, and other specialists from all over the world. But alongside the clinical knowledge and diagnostic tools, there is another important part of vestibular care:

The person behind the diagnosis.
The parent behind the patient.
The life behind the symptoms.

The DMC was honored to share what it is like to navigate a vestibular disorder while also navigating motherhood—and why understanding the “double load” experienced by dizzy parents matters when thinking about care, support, and recovery. It was also a fantastic opportunity to introduce these practitioners to our friends at @vestibularveda as an invaluable resource for their clinics and patients.

We are so grateful to Interacoustics Academy for creating space for the patient and parent perspective. This is a massive step toward a future where dizzy mothers aren’t just seen as patients, but as people, parents, and partners in their care.

Here’s to many more presentations!

Dizzy or not, here we come!

#thedizzymomsclub #vestibulardisorder #interacousticsacademy #invisibleillness #vestibular

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Sometimes chronic migraine isn’t happening in isolation.

If you’re also navigating perimenopause and a late autism diagnosis, the picture can become much more complicated. Hormones, sensory load, sleep, masking, stress and migraine can all interact, and each one can make the others harder to manage.

That doesn’t mean everything has one cause.

It means that treating one piece while ignoring the rest can sometimes leave you feeling stuck.

This is why I’m so interested in the overlap between migraine, hormones and neurodivergence.

Sometimes the answer isn’t another isolated fix.

It’s stepping back far enough to see the whole 3D puzzle.

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📣 Today, The DMC Declares that motherhood teaches us to slow down, wait things out, and meet our children where they are. But living with a vestibular disorder teaches us a whole different kind of patience — with our bodies, our symptoms, and our limits.

Patience with a body that suddenly feels unfamiliar.
Patience when trying out different coping and managing strategies.
Patience while waiting for a diagnosis.
Patience while waiting for a flare to settle.
Patience when recovery takes longer than expected.
Patience when our brains and bodies simply need us to slow down.
Because when symptoms become part of everyday life, even the simplest parts of parenting can take more time and energy.

You learn that you can’t rush your vestibular system.
You can’t force yourself to feel steady.
You can’t always push through and make symptoms disappear.

So you wait.
You hope.You adapt. You adjust.
You realize that some mornings have to start slowly. Some plans need to change.
Some days, simply getting through is enough.

And somewhere along the way, you realize that patience isn’t optional anymore. It’s part of learning how to live this life. How to live it dizzy.

And perhaps the hardest part is learning to give ourselves the same patience we so naturally give our children. Because parenting with a vestibular disorder is a different kind of motherhood. One that asks us to be patient with ourselves too.

Drop a ❤️ if this resonates with you.

Dizzy or not, here we come!

#thedizzymomsclub #vestibular #invisibleillness #chronicillness #motherhood

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A little while ago I shared that one of the questions I ask in a migraine consultation is:

“How many crystal clear days do you have?”

What surprised me was how many people replied saying:

“Hardly any.”

That really stayed with me.

Because if you rarely feel completely symptom free between attacks, migraine is still taking up a huge amount of your month, even on the days you’re functioning.

And I know the next thought may be:

“But I’ve tried everything.”

You may genuinely have tried a lot.

Still, it can be worth going back through the whole picture: sleep, meals, movement, hormones, mental health, acute treatment, medication overuse, supplements, preventives, and whether it’s time to discuss specialist options such as Botox, CGRP targeting treatments or gepants.

Not because there is one magic answer.

Usually there isn’t.

Migraine management is often about several things working together and finding the combination that gives you more of your life back.

The goal isn’t only fewer devastating attacks.

It’s more crystal-clear days.

More days when your brain feels like yours again.

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