In this episode of the ICU Podcast, we’re diving into the concept of pacing—a vital self-management strategy for people living with vestibular disorders. When dizziness, vertigo, brain fog, and fatigue are part of your daily reality, even routine activities can become overwhelming. We’ll explore how pacing helps individuals with vestibular dysfunction conserve energy, manage sensory overload, and create a more predictable rhythm in an often unpredictable life. Pacing isn’t about giving up—it’s about planning ahead, listening to your body, and protecting your vestibular system from being overstimulated. We’re joined by a patient who has learned to pace their days to avoid symptom flare-ups, and a healthcare professional who supports patients in integrating pacing into their treatment and rehabilitation plans.

Guests:

Tracey Franklin had just started a new job while recovering from a viral flu when she began experiencing fatigue, dizziness, and brain fog. A few months later, she went on sick leave, followed by disability. In 2018, she retired medically from her 30-year career as a publishing professional. Over the next six months, Tracey saw multiple doctors and underwent various tests and was diagnosed with Vestibular Migraine and Persistent Postural Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD). Along with ongoing VeDA support groups, vestibular rehab, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medical treatments, she manages these invisible disorders by getting adequate rest and pacing her commitments and activities. She hopes to build a bridge between the vestibular and medical communities, so others are diagnosed sooner. Tracey loves ice cream, writing, the beach, and snow. She lives with her husband of 21 years and their cat. She believes it’s her faith in God that continues to bless her with managing her conditions and having fewer symptomatic days.

Steph Fowler is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCPC, CADC). She is also a chronically ill, disabled, and neurodivergent therapist, writer, consultant, and coach who has lived with Long COVID since early 2020. After her health, work, and life were dramatically changed by this condition, she shifted her business and rebranded as Misfit Mental Health. She now focuses on supporting people in the chronic illness, disability, and COVID Conscious communities - as well as their loved ones and care providers. Earlier this year, Steph was featured in TIME Magazine, sharing her personal and professional insights on navigating healthcare and medical gaslighting. When she's not depathologizing non-conformity, she enjoys taking care of her houseplants, building LEGOs, spending time with her partner and their cat Ziggy, and all things macabre. Check out Steph's pacing workshop and other resources here: https://linktr.ee/misfit.mental.health.

In this episode of the ICU Podcast, we’ll discuss how the brain interacts with the body and the specialized type of healthcare provider who studies this interaction. Chiropractic neurology, also known as functional neurology, is a specialty that branches from the traditional chiropractic methods. You might think of a conventional chiropractor as someone who performs manual adjustments on the neck and spine. Chiropractic neurologists aim to optimize neurological functions by leveraging the concept of neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to change and adapt. Chiropractic neurology offers a holistic approach for assessment and therapeutic interventions that may benefit patients with vestibular symptoms. By examining how brain function interacts with other bodily systems, chiropractic neurology can begin to unravel complex health conditions.

In today’s ICU episode, we’re exploring an important and often overlooked topic: how menopause can impact people living with a vestibular disorder. Hormonal changes during menopause can affect the inner ear and brain function, often intensifying symptoms like dizziness, imbalance, brain fog, and migraines. For those already managing a vestibular condition, this transition can bring new challenges — but also new opportunities for understanding and support. In this episode, we’ll dive into the connections between hormonal shifts and vestibular health and offer insights on how to navigate this complex time with greater resilience and hope.

Speakers:

Lara Bishop: Lara is a mother of twins who was diagnosed with vestibular migraines in 2012, vestibular neuritis in 2013, and PPPD in 2018 — all of which have been profoundly life-changing. Coping with invisible illnesses has been a challenging journey, often difficult for her family and friends to understand fully. In addition to her vestibular disorders, Lara also lives with Anxiety, panic Disorder, depression, as well as some other chronic conditions. Over the years, she has made significant lifestyle changes to help manage her conditions, including participating in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT), adopting a regular routine of daily exercise such as biking and weight training, and making critical dietary adjustments.

Lara is passionate about raising awareness of debilitating vestibular conditions, supporting fellow sufferers, and educating both the general public and medical professionals. Despite the many challenges she faces, she maintains a positive outlook on life and is determined to share her optimism and motivation with others.

See Lara’s presentation to the British Association of Audiovestibular Physicians on Vestibular Migraine in women - The Hormone Connection here: https://youtu.be/cVsVhtISFB8?si=VSUm2AB4NnIrOATg.

Heather Bartos: Dr. Heather Bartos is an OB/GYN, menopause specialist, author, and speaker, recognized as one of the nation’s top five experts in menopause by Oprah Winfrey and Maria Shriver. Her mission is to dismantle the taboos surrounding menopause and sexuality, empowering women through transformative midlife transitions.  Her latest book, Quickies: 100 Little Lessons to Living Sexily Ever After in Midlife, is out to rave reviews. Her diverse background, spanning PR, medicine, and Reiki practitioner, as well as her service in the Navy, underscores her holistic and personalized approach to healthcare. Featured in Shape, Glamour, Refinery29, ABC News, and more, her insights are pivotal in changing the narrative around midlife and menopause. Cosmo magazine celebrates her as a ‘supremely badass gyno,’ highlighting her significant impact on women’s health advocacy.

Learn more about Heather Bartos at https://heatherbartosmd.com.

Welcome to the ICU podcast, where we illuminate invisible chronic illnesses and the people who live with them. In this episode, we’re spotlighting Balance Awareness Week, an annual event hosted by the Vestibular Disorders Association each September. This global campaign raises awareness about the impact of vestibular disorders—conditions that affect balance, dizziness, and spatial orientation—and connects patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals through education and advocacy. In this episode, we talk with Paul Morris, VeDA’s Development Director, about how people can get involved in Balance Awareness Week, as well as Christian Chabbert, a French neurophysiologist who engages healthcare professionals across Europe in this event, and is spearheading a global walk for balance.

Speaker Bios

Paul Morris has over 30 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, helping a wide spectrum of organizations raise millions of dollars to support their missions. He has led successful development efforts in direct health services at the state and national levels. He’s also helped raise funds for organizations that work in regional theater, architectural preservation, offering chess to low-income students, and more. For Paul, fund development isn’t just about raising money, but building relationships with people in your community so that they feel heard, valued, and are excited about supporting their shared mission. 

Christian Chabbert is a French neurophysiologist and Research Director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research. He is developing research on balance disorders at the Research Center in Psychology and Neurosciences at Aix-Marseille University. Since 2015, Dr. Chabbert has directed GDR Vertige, a national research consortium uniting clinicians, scientists, and industry partners to advance the understanding and treatment of vestibular disorders. His expertise in sensory neuroscience and molecular electrophysiology has contributed to over 90 scientific publications and the founding of two biotech companies—Sensorion Pharmaceuticals and Vertidiag—focused on developing therapies for balance-related conditions. Dr. Chabbert also plays a key role in the European PROVIDE network, promoting translational research and innovation in neuro-otology across Europe.

In this episode, we’re diving into a crucial yet often overlooked part of vestibular recovery: sleep. If you’re dealing with vestibular dysfunction, getting high-quality sleep isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a vital part of healing. When you're well-rested, your body is better equipped to handle treatment and manage symptoms. On the flip side, sleep deprivation can actually trigger or worsen dizziness, imbalance, and other vestibular issues. In this episode, we’ll explore how developing strong sleep habits—from setting a consistent bedtime to managing light and noise in your room—can become a powerful tool in your recovery toolkit. So grab a cozy blanket, and let’s talk about why it’s time to take sleep seriously.

Speakers:

Tiffany Kopp

In June 2021, Tiffany woke up to her world spinning. It took 2 weeks for her to be diagnosed with BPPV, two months to be diagnosed with vestibular migraine, and a month later, she was also diagnosed with PPPD. It took almost six months to find a doctor who prescribed a treatment plan that works for her. She discovered VeDA’s website early on in her search for answers to her symptoms and connected with several VeDA Ambassadors, who helped her during her vestibular journey. Now she hopes that she can do the same for someone else. She volunteers as a VeDA Ambassador and believes that advocating is the best way to get the word out and help “make vestibular visible.”

Nicole Acerra

Nicole Acerra earned her psychology and physiotherapy degrees at Queen’s University. After working as a neurological physiotherapist in Canada, the United States, and Australia, she completed doctoral studies in neuroplasticity at the University of Queensland and post-doctoral studies at the University of British Columbia. She has 25 years of clinical experience in neurological and vestibular physiotherapy in acute and private practice. She enjoys working closely with patients and families to develop a customised treatment plan, which may include hands-on therapy, home-based exercises, management techniques, and coping skills.  When not at work, Nicole enjoys spending time with her family and friends, road cycling, skiing, hiking, gardening, travelling, reading, and doing yoga.

Sleep Assessments

• Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
• Sleep Quality Scale
• Insomnia Severity Scale

In this episode we explore the power of storytelling and the profound impact it can have on making sense of our lives. Our guests are a memoir expert and our very own co-host, Kimberly Warner. You don’t have to consider yourself a writer to gain something valuable from this conversation. We’ll delve into the stories that shape us, how we find meaning in them, and the transformative potential of sharing these stories with others.

Kimberly Warner is a film director, producer, author, and a medical school drop-out who traded prescriptions for cameras in pursuit of narrative medicine. She founded Unfixed Media in 2019 to share stories of people living with chronic or rare conditions and how adversity can broaden our definition of what it means to live a “good life.”

Christine Wolf is a trauma-informed memoir coach, developmental editor, and the traditionally published co-author of Politics, Partnership and Power -- a biography about one of the first 50 women to serve in the United States Congress. She runs a workspace for women writers and teaches about writing and entrepreneurship. An award-winning journalist and live storyteller, Christine regularly leads workshops and retreats centered around the science-backed benefits of expressive writing for emotional healing.

Persistent Postural Perceptual Dizziness. That’s a mouthful! No wonder we call it PPPD! This relatively new vestibular diagnosis helps explain why some people continue to experience vestibular symptoms when test results are normal. PPPD typically starts shortly after an event that causes acute vertigo, dizziness, or some other disruption of balance, but it may also occur for unknown reasons. PPPD causes dizziness without vertigo, and fluctuating unsteadiness provoked by environmental or social stimuli, such as crowded places. Some critics question whether this is a “garbage” diagnosis for people with unexplained vestibular-like symptoms. In a separate interview with Professor Jon Stone we learn that this is not the case, and indeed, that PPPD can co-exist with other vestibular disorders. In this episode of the ICU Podcast we’re going to talk with a patient who struggles with PPPD and a physical therapist who treats this complex condition.

Speaker Bios:

Susan Blount is a college professor, publishing and media executive, and certified health and wellness coach who has dedicated her career to education and well-being. After developing Persistent Postural Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) following a trip to Alaska, she faced life-changing challenges. Yet, through vestibular rehab, cognitive behavioral therapy, and a commitment to strength training, she has redefined what it means to live fully. Now, Susan empowers others with the message that being both healthy and chronically ill is possible. With the support of the VeDA community, she continues to navigate life with resilience, purpose, and joy.

Dr. Megan Daly is an experienced Vestibular Physical Therapist and Health Coach.  She has her own physical therapy and coaching practice to help people address the root cause of their symptoms, navigate the healthcare system, and modify their lifestyle. She also runs Dizzy Coaches, a vestibular mentoring program for clinicians of all levels.  She helps patients with dizziness, migraines, concussions, and balance issues manage their conditions so they can have fewer dizzy days. She has experienced many vestibular conditions personally and brings this empathy to all her patient interactions.

Did you know that vestibular disorders affect children as well as adults? There are increasing reports of vestibular deficits in children. One study suggests that as many as 1 in 5 children in the United States have problems with dizziness or balance. Pediatric vestibular disorders result in vertigo, gaze instability, delayed motor development, and problems with reading. These symptoms are difficult for anyone to cope with, but are especially challenging for children and their families. Pediatric vestibular healthcare specialists are hard to find, it can be difficult for a child to describe their symptoms, and delayed diagnosis can have devastating results. In this episode of the ICU Podcast we’re going to talk to a pediatric vestibular specialist and the mother of a young child who bravely battled vertigo, hearing loss, and a host of other vestibular symptoms.

Guests:

Andi Gilkey - Andi is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the proud mom of a

vestibular warrior. Her son is an amazing 11-year-old who loves baseball, music, video games and his friends. He has bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, a unilateral Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct, childhood vertigo, PPPD and vestibular migraines. His hearing journey has been well supported by an incredible team, but his vestibular journey has been one of the biggest challenges Andi has encountered as a mother. She says it felt like an endless roller coaster full of ups and downs since he was a toddler. Through hard work and the creation of an incredible vestibular team, she is proud to say that her son has been in remission of vestibular symptoms for 10 months. Her ongoing goal is to share her family’s story with others to provide hope and support to the vestibular community.

Jennifer Braswell-Christy, PT, PhD, FAPTA: Dr. Jennifer Christy is a Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her primary area of research is in the development of innovative intervention methods to improve gaze stability and balance in children with vestibular-related impairments. Related to this area of research, Dr. Christy teaches numerous continuing education courses in the U.S. and abroad.

In today’s episode of the ICU Podcast, we’re going to talk about brain fog. It kind of sounds like some sort of weather pattern. What is brain fog, and why do so many vestibular patients experience it? Some people describe it as forgetfulness, confusion, a lack of focus, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, or just a vague sense of blurry thinking, like your head is in the clouds. When the brain is dedicating a great deal of energy to maintaining equilibrium and staying steady, activities such as recalling details or short-term memory may become more difficult, and thinking might seem slow. First, I want you to know that this is NORMAL. Today we’ll talk to a patient who knows about brain fog all too well, and a doctor who has helped thousands of women learn to manage this frustrating symptom.

Dr. Kathleen Jordan is the Chief Medical Officer at Midi, a virtual care clinic for women going through menopause and perimenopause. She has personally experienced the struggle to find a healthcare provider she can consider a partner in her journey toward wellness. She created Midi to put high-quality, patient-centered care within reach for all women at midlife. As an expert in women’s health, Dr. Jordan is very familiar with brain fog, otherwise known as “menopause brain”, and has some great suggestions for how to recognize and manage it.

Ann Walder has struggled with migraines all her life. The word Vestibular Migraine entered her vocabulary after an illness that damaged her inner ears when she was 48. Early on Ann says her brain fog was fierce. She was blessed to connect with the vestibular community and find qualified healthcare providers early in her journey. Her family has been very supportive, and she’s found many friends among VeDA’s Ambassadors. She currently works as an activity specialist with the elderly and says that helping others brings her true happiness.

For many people who have a vestibular disorder, a trip to the grocery store can turn into a battle with dizziness. The bright lights, rows of shelves, patterns on the floor, and crowds of people can trigger symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, and light-headedness. Bending down or turning your head to scan for the items you need. All this can take a lot of energy to navigate. Visually induced dizziness is an umbrella term for a group of symptoms. It can also be referred to as visual vertigo, space and motion discomfort, supermarket syndrome or visual vestibular mismatch. Researchers think it is caused by a conflict between different parts of the brain’s balance system. In this episode of the ICU podcast, we’re going to talk to Elizabeth, who struggles with visual disturbances as a result of her vestibular disorder, and Dr. Morgan Kriz, a physical therapist who specializes in treating this condition.

Elizabeth Schneider has been living with a Vestibular Disorder for 21 years. She was first diagnosed at age 36, when she lost her balance and experienced severe visual disturbances. She had to retire from her job as a Registered Nurse because she could no longer work due to her vestibular symptoms. Elizabeth knows what it’s like to struggle with career, money problems, and family stress, especially when you first get sick. Like many of you, she had to navigate through the medical system to get help, which is a taxing effort at best. She decided to become a VeDA Ambassador to bring awareness to this diagnosis and to help others get the help they need!

Dr. Morgan Kriz has been practicing vestibular physical therapy for more than 10 years. She understands the journey that many vestibular warriors endure to get a proper diagnosis, obtain a supportive care team, and feel like they are on the right track to get their lives back. She is co-owner of Vestibular Therapy Specialists, with clinics in Seattle, WA and Bend, OR, where she resides with her family. She is also a consultant for Blue Marble Gaming Company, which is developing online home programs and protocols for Vestibular Rehabilitation. She’s a content creator and presenter for Vestibular IQ, a Continuing Education Platform for healthcare providers, and the volunteer director for a support group series called “Boost Your Brain’s Balance.”