Courageous Kathryn Overcomes Meniere’s Obstacles
This is a remarkable story of a woman’s courage and determination not to let Meniere’s Disease control her life…
Woman Overcomes Meniere’s Obstacles To Train For Marathon
Kathryn Dow Suffers From Meniere’s Disease
BOSTON — A local woman with Meniere’s disease is overcoming the obstacles of the disease by training to walk in this year’s Boston Marathon.
NewsCenter 5’s Heather Unruh reported Monday that for anyone with Meniere’s disease, balance is a precious commodity. The condition causes vertigo and hazy vision and can make even walking a few steps a major challenge.
Six years ago, Kathryn Dow didn’t know she had Meniere’s disease, but she knew something wasn’t right.
“Any kind of movement bothered me. My husband flicking the channels on the TV would make me sick to my stomach,” Dow said.
Dow had a constant buzzing in her ears, cloudy vision, and she kept losing her balance. Doctors diagnosed her with Meniere’s disease, a mysterious condition with no known cause and no known cure.
“Mentally, it really does a number. I was wondering from day to day: Can I keep my job?” Dow said.
Doctors recommended exercise to help Dow regain her balance. Dow took their advice a few steps further — training to walk 26.2 miles in the Boston Marathon.
“I’m going to do it now because in an instant, I could lose this again and not be able to,” Dow said.
Dow does most of her training indoors. Meniere’s disease makes it nearly impossible for Dow to keep her balance after dark. In Townsend, where Dow lives, there are no streetlights. When Dow trains outside, she has to focus on telephone poles to keep from getting dizzy.
“The faster I move, the more pronounced the bounce is, so you learn to be very smooth in how you walk,” Dow said.
Dow is already up to 14 miles and has raised more than $4,000 as part of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary marathon team.
“It’s already helping me. I can feel my balance starting to come back. Crossing the finish line is the icing on the cake, and it will be great to cross the finish line,” Dow said.
