One morning about a week or so ago, I decided I would drive a few blocks to the 7-11 and get a french vanilla cappuccino. I go in there all the time.

It was a spur of the moment craving and I grabbed my keys and my purse and took off. I found a park right at the front door and reached over and no cane. I sat there for a minute and wondered if I should drive back home or should I try to go in without my cane.

It wasn't crowded so I decided I would just go in and get my cappuccino. Small store, short walk with just a couple of customers. I got out of the car and the cashier was staring at me and the few customers in the store were staring at me. It was so strange to see them look at me because I guess they must have thought I was drunk or on drugs.

I have used a cane for 16 years and have it with me whenever I walk out of the house. There have been a couple of times that I have forgotten it and I have always gone back for it.

I really don't notice people staring at me when I am on my cane. I get a lot of compliments about how what a cute canes I have. I have an animal print cane and a red, white and blue one.

I felt like I was doing pretty well until I realized everyone was staring at me. It was the strangest feeling to have all eyes on me. I just ignored them and paid for my cappuccino and went back home thinking, wow, what an eye opening experience to be gawked at like that.

Becky, you were sure brave to go in there w/o your cane. Too bad about all the negative attention, though.

Might be time to get a cane just to keep in your car.

The negative attention was very unnerving to be honest. It was just freaky.

I just figured it would be a quick trip. I didn't knock anything over but I was definitely walking slow and staggering with my balance. I just didn't realize how bad it would be with the people gawking.

I couldn't believe I forgot my cane, it's like part of my body when I walk outside my house. I even keep them right by the door and have only forgotten a few times in 16 years.

There are at least 3 canes in the back of my car.

One for me, when I've got vertigo issues, or if I think I might have vertigo issues in a store.

One for my dad when his back is messing with him.

And one for my mom, who has had two knee replacements and a bad back and is suffering from injuries she got in a car accident when she was 17 that waited years to show up. She's also got a walker in my car, and occasionally a wheelchair.

There's a couple of spare canes in the back of my dad's car too. Helps to be prepared, and my dad's "walking stick" collection is getting used now.

Sorry everyone felt the need to stare. It can be a very strange feeling to know that people are watching you.

I've left a few times without my cane, thinking I'd be okay just for a short while. Always figured they were just staring cause I'm so darn beautiful!

Erin,

You are really prepared. That is smart.

I don't drive very often so I really don't need an extra in the car. I am home 99% of the time. I use my cane when I walk out the door even to pick up the newspaper. When I get out for social activities with friends or family, they always drive. I just do quick errands and don't drive very far from home.

It was just one of those things that happened. Next time, if there is one, I am going back for my cane.

I might have thought they were staring at my beauty if I had makeup on and my hair was done. I had on sweats and a tee shirt so I didn't look too great. Stacey and Clinton of "What Not To Wear" would have taken me away.

If we take the canes in the house, we always end up forgetting to take them with us if we need them.

If I go to the zoo tomorrow with my boyfriend, I'm taking my cane. Dont normally take it, but after the vertigo issues I had a few weeks ago, I'm a little nervous about not having it for a big day like a visit to the zoo.

Erin,

If you are having vertigo, you should probably have the cane with you at all times. I have had vertigo, dizziness and balance problems from the beginning.

The more activity I have, the worse I feel. I don't use my cane in the house since things aren't moving around. I do hit the walls and have touch points in my house but I have the occasional fall. I alway try to roll with it.

Have fun at the Zoo, that sounds like a fun day!

The last super big problem that I had with vertigo was last summer around this time. I had vertigo that would sneak up on me and trip me. No warning, it would just drop me to the floor. My regular doctor gave me oral pred for that. After a two week taper, that type of vertigo (which I'd never had before) left me and hasnt come back. (good riddance!)

About two or three weeks ago, I woke up with vertigo. Which is something very familiar to me. I'm pretty sure vertigo was my first symptom of MS at least 10 or 12yrs ago, and possibly even when I was about 9 or 12yrs old (memory is kind of suspect on the childhood vertigo)

The vertigo I had a few weeks ago, I think, was caused by some annoying optic neuritis crapola that was going on. I called the neuro, he was about to give me steroids, and the vertigo went away after maybe, a week or so. It's not really come back, at least not that way. I've accidentally set it off by turning too quickly, or backing my car out of a space too fast. But that goes away after a minute or two (or less)

I think this year's vertigo is caused by the vision weirdness. (last year's was probably either my 8th cranial nerve being tickled by an MS troll, or I might have some weird problem in my inner ear left over from when I had mononucleosis and had my head so plugged up for 3 weeks that I was deaf for half the time I was sick with mono)

I havent gotten any vertigo in the stores, except when I stupidly went to Walmart the day I woke up with vertigo. But there are days when the heat is making me feel a little sick, and I'll drag the cane out just in case I have a problem with the dizzies.

I think (hopefully!) that I'm starting a remission of the weird and wacky crap that's been bugging me for the past...6 months? My vision in my right eye feel so much better the past two or three days. It had gotten to it's worst during May, but at least it never went "giant blind spot/useless eyeball" on me like my left eye did when all this MS crap started for me in 2006.

I still have some fuzzy vision, but I can actually read the text I'm writing right now with the right eye and there's only a minor (but still annoying) bit of distortion right now.

I feel so much better in the past few days than I have over much of the past year. I really hope that this is a remission that's going to last oh...say the next 50yrs. (I'm 39 now, so I really dont think I'd mind a 50yr remission) I'm just worried that things are only letting up on me for a few days before I'm going to get smacked to the ground with some kind of new MS crap.

I hope I'm going to the zoo tomorrow. Boyfriend didnt call me tonight, so I'm not sure if it's going to happen. It might not be that great of a day to go to the zoo. The College World Series is being held right next door to the zoo. Parking can kind of suck at the zoo during that. (the stadium and the zoo kind of share parking to some extent)

I want to go see the new butterfly exhibit that they just finished building. The zoo here in Omaha is probably one of the best in the country.