Hello sweet friends!!
I am Mary Ann.. the voice behind Grace In This Space. I am so blessed you are here!!
Michigan is were I was born and raised. Currently, I reside in Mid Michigan with my husband and three Labrador retrievers: Ellie, Emma and Esther.
By training, I am a nurse. But, left the nursing field to follow my passion for design. I opened my own home décor store which I ran for ten years before my husband was transferred to Southern California for work.
In December of 2012…
(while in California) I had outpatient surgery to fix a broken finger. It was a simple procedure, everything went perfectly. Seven days later, I entered most scariest time of my life. I woke up with tornado like spinning. The vertigo was so severe, that I had uncontrolled vomiting. My balance got to the point I could not walk without holding onto walls. Stairs were completely impossible. My vision turned into constant double and tunnel vision. When I was not spinning, it was as if I was in a boat with 10 foot waves. My gait looked as though I was constantly drunk. Being a nurse I was TERRIFIED. I was sure I suffered a stroke from the surgery.
We immediately went to ENT…
who diagnosed me with a rare condition called Vestibular Labyrinthitis. My inner ear had suffered severe and permanent damage from a virus entering thru my Eustachian tube during the surgery. It left two of three main nerves in my ear not functioning any longer. He wanted me to try Vestibular Therapy. The next few months would be telling if I would FULLY recover. IF I WOULD FULLY RECOVER?? How could I live my life this way… I cannot walk/stand, I cannot see!! This was the doctor’s report I did not want to hear!!!!! Panic filled my heart, utter panic, and FEAR.
I immediately…
started Vestibular Therapy 2 days a week for 1 hour. Vestibular Therapy is therapy by Physical Therapist (here is a link to my Physical Therapist, my guardian angels ) who specializes in helping others with inner ear problems. The goal was to retrain my brain to work around the damage that would not heal. We worked tirelessly training my eyes to become my new right ear. I was placed in a huge mechanical “box”…called a Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP) – the walls and floor would move simultaneously. During that time I had to try to keep my balance and stare at a “X” on the wall. It made me violently ill: throwing up, horrific migraines, fatigue to the point of exhaustion. I had to relearn to: stand, walk, look up at the ceiling without falling backwards, read, do stairs, drive. It took me a month to relearn how to back up a car without causing horrible vertigo. Simple tasks like going to grocery store were ENORMOUS feats.
I could not have…
endured this torture without God’s strength, and without His Peace that surpasses all understanding. I FOUGHT this battle with God side by side… for my life back. It was excruciating but He provided strength and courage when I had none!!
These 2 1/2 years were the hardest time of my life. With constant prayer and believing somehow God would provide, I slowly recovered. I am not 100%, I still have daily issues, but God always provides what I need for each day.
Grace In This Space was started…
in April of 2017 on Instagram with the hope of spreading love and inspiration. The name “Grace In This Space” comes from my love for Jesus. I am saved by grace, I am forgiven by grace, I am sustained by grace, I am healed by grace and I am transformed by grace. For all of you going through difficult times, I can honestly say during my illness there were many days I was filled with no hope. My doctors told me I would never recover. So keep praying, keep believing, and knowing that God is bigger than your problems.
I want to thank you for following me along here at Grace In This Space. I am not able to work a “normal” job because of the equilibrium issues I battle daily. This community is such incredible therapy for me!!
Where do we go from here??
The best way to connect with me are through the comments on my blog posts; I do my best to respond to each every one. You can reach me by email at GraceInThisSpace@Gmail.com or follow along on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube
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