Patient Testimonials
The Patient Testimonials you are about to read are from actual patients relating their experiences with the BrainPort balance device. These patients’ testimonials may not be representative of the total population of patients with balance disorders. Results vary from patient to patient.
- Bilateral Vestibular Loss Due to Gentamicin Ototoxicity
- Bilateral Vestibular Loss Due to Gentamicin Ototoxicity 2
- Bilateral Vestibular Loss Due to Gentamicin Ototoxicity 3
- Unilateral Vestibular Loss Following Encephalitis and Coma
- Age-Related Vestibular Loss
Bilateral Vestibular Loss Due to Gentamicin Ototoxicity
I have had balance problems since September 1999. During surgery I was given Gentamicin which affected my vestibular system on both sides. I couldn’t walk without a cane and felt as if I was drunk as I was uncontrollably wobbling from side to side. Many times I was really bouncing off the walls that protected me from falling down. It was impossible for me to stand upright or even close my eyes without the risk of falling. I was not able to walk and look from side to side as I was only able to focus looking forward. If I looked to the side while walking I would fall so crossing a street was scary to me and driving was very difficult. I could not bend over to pick up things on the floor without feeling I would do a summersault. I was also limited in my social life and personal freedom as I could not go places where it was dark inside, such as restaurants or movie theaters.
I tried traditional physical therapy for vestibular rehabilitation – three times a week for four months, but it didn’t really help much. Over the last 6 years, I have learned to compensate for my vestibular problems just practicing, trying and pushing myself to do more.
The first time I used the BrainPort balance device was in 2004. It helped so much on the very first day I trained with the device twice for 20 minutes, that I was able to walk a straight line, turn around in a circle, pick up things from the floor and even walk on uneven surfaces, such as grass, stones and gravel, without losing my balance! I still remember the wonderful feeling of being “normal” again. It was so amazing! I used the device at Wicab, Inc. for the week of testing, but after about 2 days of returning home without the device I was back to my “wobbly old self”.
Since April 8, 2006 I have a BrainPort balance device I use at home twice a day for 20 minutes each. It has made a huge difference in my life. I am able to do so much! Things that I have hesitated to do for fear of falling have become easy and fun to do again. Just going for a walk, pulling weeds in the flower beds, going places with friends are fun again because the BrainPort balance device has given me balance again. The device has truly made an improvement in my life! Thank you, Wicab!
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Bilateral Vestibular Loss Due to Gentamicin Ototoxicity 2
My difficulties with my balance began after being administered the antibiotic Gentamicin in November of 1997 to combat a post operative infection. After the prescribed regimen of the Gentamicin I woke one morning and literally fell to the ground leaving me with no other option than to haphazardly crawl to the phone to call the doctor. After all was said and done, I learned that my vestibular system had been damaged by the Gentamicin and that the damage was permanent.
At the onset I could not walk unassisted, I couldn’t tell which way was up and where I was in space. I used touch points to maneuver around my environment and then, reluctantly, began using a cane for additional support. I could not drive and was dependent on others for just about everything. I could not be in the dark and would tumble to the ground if I was caught in a dark situation. I could not walk on uneven surfaces leaving me to abandon the hiking that was a major part of my recreation.
Not only were my balance capabilities destroyed, my vision took on a whole new perception with an associated condition called oscillopsia – bouncing and blurring vision with any kind of movement. Having these two conditions coupled together was as if I had been placed in a world completely foreign to my understandings. My disability affected all aspects of my life. I lost my home, my job, my life as I knew it. I was only 39 years old.
I took part in two separate rounds of traditional vestibular physical therapy but really didn’t feel I gained a terrific amount of progress. The majority of my therapy ended up being self-driven as there tended to not be a lot of sustainable and long-term therapy available. All my symptoms persisted and despite all my efforts, I was still disabled, dependent and desperate.
My first experience with the effects of the BrainPort balance device in 2000 was simply the starting point to the incredible differences I now enjoy each and every day. I am incredibly stable, no longer feel at risk of falling, can see things much clearer, feel alive and energized with any form of fatigue now gone. I can drive again, even in the mountains and on busy highways! In all respects, I feel normal. I am incredibly active and even went on a bicycle ride with my grandson the other day! Best of all, I am independent. Where I am now is somewhere that would have never materialized if it weren’t for the BrainPort balance device’s capabilities. Using the BrainPort regularly allows me to live each day to the fullest.
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Bilateral Vestibular Loss Due to Gentamicin Ototoxicity 3
In April of 1996 I was diagnosed with a complete permanent loss of my vestibular system together with oscillopsia resulting from an IV antibiotic known as Gentamicin. Initially the symptoms were extremely severe. My vision was quite impaired. I could barely focus on anything because everything was moving in my field of vision. I could not stand without hanging onto a wall because the world was spinning. I was also vomiting but that was the least of my problems.
I immediately started occupational therapy – vestibular rehabilitation. I also immediately started to use a cane to move around. I went to therapy twice a week and also did exercises at home twice a day every day. Gradually the severity of my symptoms calmed down but they never went away. I could no longer drive a car. My ability to work was greatly decreased. I had to let staff go and move my law practice into my home. If I wanted to go somewhere I needed someone to take me. It was difficult to read and I was tired all the time. I was and felt isolated. My future Wife’s life was also turned upside down.
I became very dependent upon her and felt like I was a burden. I could do very little around the house. I felt like I was on a boat all the time and out in a rough sea. I was in my early 30’s and people would ask why I had a cane. I developed back pain from using the cane all the time. I continued with my occupational therapy at an intense pace for two and a half years. At that time my therapist had thought I had peaked although I had to continue to do therapy twice a day every day at home. Although I had peaked I was still unable to drive, needed a cane, and could do limited work. I continued this way for over nine years and one day my stepson sent me an article from the NY Times describing the Brainport Balance device.
I emailed the MD who invented the Brainport and was put in touch with Wicab. Although I was initially a little skeptical I wanted to try out the Brainport to see if it could help me and improve my life. Fortunately I was invited out to Wisconsin to try the Brainport device for a week. The therapy sessions were twice a day for a week and were extremely challenging. On the fourth day, Thursday, after my morning session I was waiting in line for lunch with my Wife when I noticed something very strange. Something was missing. I no longer felt like I was seesawing back and forth on a boat. I felt normal. I went outside and walked towards a tall building to see if it looked like it was moving away from me. It was not. For nine years when I walked towards a tall building it did appear to me to be moving away from me. I said out loud Holy S ---! I was amazed.
A year later I was again able to participate with Wicab and use the Brainport device, this time for a year. I use the Brainport every day twice a day for twenty minutes. I went through a series of increasingly more difficult exercises with the Brainport as my balance steadily improved. I am able to do exercises now with my eyes closed that I could not have even attempted before with my eyes open without falling down. I stopped using a cane immediately after I once again started using the Brainport. I can climb stairs without looking down or holding a hand rail. I can walk my dog without any difficulty and without any apprehension that I might fall. I can dance again. Over the course of a year I felt better and better. I started to think about driving again because my vision symptoms had actually gone away. I am actually able to now once again ride a bicycle.
I was able to continue my participation with the Brainport after my one year anniversary. My balance function tests showed continued improvement. Although a little nervous I decided to try driving again. After eleven years of not driving it seemed strange at first to start up again. I had to get a permit and practice all over again. After two months of practice I feel comfortable behind the wheel. I passed my road test. It is nothing short of amazing to me. I think the Brainport is clearly a miracle and clearly a scientific accomplishment. I am still digesting my new found freedom. I think I would compare it to someone getting out of jail after ten years for a crime they did not commit.
I would enthusiastically recommend the Brainport device to anyone who has a balance problem. The Brainport positively changed my life and I once again look forward to living the rest of it with a lot more freedom.
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Unilateral Vestibular Loss Following Encephalitis and Coma
In August of 2004 I lost my balance on the right side of my body. I had viral meningitis and encephalitis. The world was spinning. My balance problem impacted my whole life. I was compensating on one side of my body for my entire body. I was always exhausted because of the amount of energy it took to compensate. Even taking a shower was a challenge. I was afraid that I would be unable to work again because of the balance problem. My quality of life was seriously compromised and my children no longer had the multi-tasking mother they once knew.
I felt as if I was eighty years old even though I was only in my late forties. I was unable to perform many physical activities. It felt as if half of my body was invisible. I participated in physical therapy several times a week, attempted Yoga and swimming. Everything I tried was extremely difficult. I participated in physical therapy for several months several times a week. The process was extremely frustrating because it didn’t help.
In July of 2005 I began using the BrainPort balance device. I came to Wicab, Inc. with a cane. After only a couple of days I left the cane in the waiting room. There are multiple changes that the BrainPort balance device has given me. I call them gifts.
I have been a workplace mediator for sixteen years. Because of the BrainPort balance device I am able to help workers through their workplace conflicts as I used to before the onset of my illness in 2004. Recently I taught a course at a local university by myself for two and a half days. According to my colleague, at the end of the course I was close to receiving a standing ovation from my class. I am sure this would not have been possible without the BrainPort balance device. I take an African Dance class once a week and work out every day. The BrainPort balance device has given me my life back and more importantly, the device has given my children their mother back.
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I am delighted to provide a testimonial for the use of the BrainPort balance device, as the use of it has brought very positive results to me. I am convinced this approach to balance difficulties has definite therapeutic advantages. It produces results not available through traditional treatment methods. My initial balance problems stem back to the late 90s. I doubt we could specify the initial cause, but the most obvious diagnosis suggests air travel (changing pressure in planes). The years of therapy I have undergone since my initial symptoms appeared disclose two problems. One is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) with its acute nature, and the other is probably age related.
I have been very fortunate to have received years of excellent care as a patient at a leading medical facility in North America. Using the traditional methods of therapy, this treatment included physical therapy with massage, acupuncture, exercises, et al. It was after years of conventional therapy when I was recommended to try the BrainPort balance device. I am enthusiastic about the BrainPort balance device, as I made amazing progress in only five days of treatment. This was progress that never had been accomplished through traditional therapeutic methods. The tests indicated the dramatic improvement I experienced, and this is a highly motivating factor for continued use of the BrainPort balance device.
I continue to use the BrainPort balance device once a day. Because of tendonitis in my legs, I now sit on the edge of a chair with my feet together (and eyes closed) and this form of training seems to be as effective as standing with my eyes closed. Because of the improvement I have experienced since starting the BrainPort balance device therapy, I am particularly pleased to recommend the use of the BrainPort balance device for anyone who has balance problems.
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