A sword of positivity

Kim Ott, a social sciences teacher at Manhattan High, has been battling many different health problems throughout the years, though she always finds a way to remain positive and laugh her way through these battles.

Her first major health problem was Vestibular Neuritis, which is the inflammation of nerves inside the ear that connect to the brain. Vestibular Neuritis targets the vestibular nerve- controls balance, leaving Ott to have many sessions of vertigo. Vertigo is the sensation of spinning, or dizziness. Vertigo would cause Ott to consequently fall on the floor, leaving her some stories to tell.

“One year I had a vestibular vertigo spell walking in the hallway, and I thought I could catch the lockers, I didn’t,” Ott said. “So I face planted, I was laying there kind of embarrassed. The world is spinning right outside of a senior English class and they knew who I was. And they’re like, call 911, it’s Mrs. Ott, she’s dead and I’m like, don’t call 911.”

The second health problem Ott has battled revolves around a sinus infection she had two years ago. She went to the doctor to get medicine for the sinus infection, though the medicine prescribed to Ott had some serious side effects associated with it. The medicine known as Levaquin gave Ott fluoroquinolone toxicity- an adverse reaction to fluoroquinolone antibiotics which causes damage to connective tissues according to Hormonesmatter.com. This reaction caused tendon damage in her legs and permanently damaged her right achilles tendon leaving her in physical therapy.

Though Ott pushes through these struggles with her positive attitude. This positive outlook has helped her keep her classes going even if it means having to “limp down the hallway.”

“Everything I have is life-annoying, but not life-threatening,” Ott said. “So I consider myself pretty lucky.”