Sad day for me....

[miss notax]

Well - it looks like i've come to the end of my co-driving career

We did the Woodbridge Stages at the weekend and I was AGAIN suffering from motion sickness, and have decided to call it a day. It’s too dangerous to risk using me (although when I feel ok I am very very good!), and a waste of money. This weekend cost us well over £500…. Not to mention the fact that Notax is an excellent driver and should be winning trophies. He deserves someone who can co-drive properly and not be ill!

I have tried everything under the sun but it doesn’t work, so I now have the dubious pleasure of trying to organise everyone as team manager ;-) We have another co-driver lined up.

We are both a bit sad as I really enjoy it and apart from anything else (when feeling ok) it was bloody good fun! Hey ho, as it's our car I suppose I’ll always be involved but just not sat in the hot seat! We always need people to help so I will still be at every event anyway...

Am thinking of sprinting the Elise now to keep myself amused....

Sympathy and / or advice welcome - I’ve never not been able to do anything before (if you see what I mean), and firmly believe that you can do almost anything through sheer determination and guts. This is the first thing I’ve not been able to tackle and win – and I don’t like it

[Dr KT]

Unlucky- at least you tired, nothing worse then going through life as a "I could have been".

Cheer up

[VladD]

miss notax said:

Well - it looks like i've come to the end of my co-driving career

We did the Woodbridge Stages at the weekend and I was AGAIN suffering from motion sickness, and have decided to call it a day. It’s too dangerous to risk using me (although when I feel ok I am very very good!), and a waste of money. This weekend cost us well over £500…. Not to mention the fact that Notax is an excellent driver and should be winning trophies. He deserves someone who can co-drive properly and not be ill!

I have tried everything under the sun but it doesn’t work, so I now have the dubious pleasure of trying to organise everyone as team manager ;-) We have another co-driver lined up.

We are both a bit sad as I really enjoy it and apart from anything else (when feeling ok) it was bloody good fun! Hey ho, as it's our car I suppose I’ll always be involved but just not sat in the hot seat! We always need people to help so I will still be at every event anyway...

Am thinking of sprinting the Elise now to keep myself amused....

Sympathy and / or advice welcome - I’ve never not been able to do anything before (if you see what I mean), and firmly believe that you can do almost anything through sheer determination and guts. This is the first thing I’ve not been able to tackle and win – and I don’t like it

Just as a last ditch attempt have you tried hypnosis?

Anyway much sympathy from me. I always admire people who have the commitment to actually get off their arses and give it a go, especially as I'm a lazy arse myself.

I hope the Elise thing works out. It's got to be more fun driving anyway. Good luck.

Edited by VladD on Monday 13th October 14:58

[mikee boy]

Ms Notax

Have you tried desensitisation? The RAF build up their Navigators' ability to cope with motion sickness by flying them until they're just about to puke, and then stop. Big lunch, same again in the afternoon. Same next morning, and afternoon, and next morning etc etc. The key is to never be sick, but to become happy with the feeling that you might, if that makes sense.

Over a period of time (some of) the Navs become desensitised and are able to cope, but it requires regular exposure to flight to remain desensitised.

I know somebody who used to expect to be ill, was ill about 5 minutes after take-off and was then fine after that.

There are also mental triggers that affect the onset of motion sickness, such as noise, smell, heat, constrictions across the stomach (from straps), breakfast/lunch etc.

Also, Kwells, wristbands, hypnosis all help, but most of the solution is in the mind and if you don't think it'll work it won't. Different motion sickness tablets have very different results. Sealegs are rubbish for me, Kwells are brilliant.

When you've tried everything and nothing works, kick Notax into the passneger's seat and you do the driving!!

Edited by mikee boy on Monday 13th October 15:23

[miss notax]

Thanks guys

I really have tried EVERYTHING - all kinds of prescription and over-the-counter drugs, different techniques (big breakfast / small breakfast etc).. I am gutted as nothing has worked, i've done 6 events over this year and have been ill at each one

Hey ho, onwards and upwards eh!

[Cara Van Man]

mikee boy said:

Ms Notax

Have you tried desensitisation? The RAF build up their Navigators' ability to cope with motion sickness by flying them until they're just about to puke, and then stop. Big lunch, same again in the afternoon. Same next morning, and afternoon, and next morning etc etc. The key is to never be sick, but to become happy with the feeling that you might, if that makes sense.

Over a period of time (some of) the Navs become desensitised and are able to cope, but it requires regular exposure to flight to remain desensitised.

I was going to suggest this, it's not just for Navs, but all aircrew.

Basically you go into the rotating G-force thingey at Farnborough, repeatedly, until you don't get sick anymore.

[mikee boy]

Cara Van Man said:

Basically you go into the rotating G-force thingey at Farnborough, repeatedly, until you don't get sick anymore.

Or preferably get driven round in the rally car. I must admit that focusing on anything other than my sickness really helped, so pace notes, radio calls, system checks etc might also help.

However, motion sickness is a result of the eyes and the ears getting different signals and your body assumes it's something you ate. It's made worse when looking down for notes etc because you're getting conflicting signals. Another good tip is to bring the notes up to your line-of-sight rather than your head down as this removes some of the 'out-of-plane' motion and makes it easier to swap between map/notes and road.

Intererestingly, motion overload may stop motion sickness, because the brain stops trying to calculate what's going on, and just gives up!

[VladD]

mikee boy said:

Cara Van Man said:

Basically you go into the rotating G-force thingey at Farnborough, repeatedly, until you don't get sick anymore.

Or preferably get driven round in the rally car. I must admit that focusing on anything other than my sickness really helped, so pace notes, radio calls, system checks etc might also help.

However, motion sickness is a result of the eyes and the ears getting different signals and your body assumes it's something you ate. It's made worse when looking down for notes etc because you're getting conflicting signals. Another good tip is to bring the notes up to your line-of-sight rather than your head down as this removes some of the 'out-of-plane' motion and makes it easier to swap between map/notes and road.

Intererestingly, motion overload may stop motion sickness, because the brain stops trying to calculate what's going on, and just gives up!

Time for someone to invent a rally navigator head up display.

[miss notax]

Thanks for the advice, but I really have tried everything (I hold the notes up so i'm not looking up and down etc)...

If it wasn't such a work-up for each rally, or so expensive, then I would keep on trying in the hope that *something* would work. However we just can't afford to do this.... Once you're entered you can't change co-driver, so effectively if I can't co-drive then that's the event finished.

It's also not safe - we hit a tree on Saturday because Notax was having to drive blind. And it's not that I was feeling too ill to do anything - you actually try speaking when you're throwing up. You can't physically speak clearly!

Anyway, I appreciate the tips but unfortunately I really do have to call it a day. We just can't keep on risking it and wasting time / money and crashing the car!! We were lucky on Saturday but I am not being responsible for mashing us both - i'm not scared of the risk, but don't want it to because I am not doing my job.

Thanks though guys :-)

[Murdock]

VladD said:

mikee boy said:

Cara Van Man said:

Basically you go into the rotating G-force thingey at Farnborough, repeatedly, until you don't get sick anymore.

Or preferably get driven round in the rally car. I must admit that focusing on anything other than my sickness really helped, so pace notes, radio calls, system checks etc might also help.

However, motion sickness is a result of the eyes and the ears getting different signals and your body assumes it's something you ate. It's made worse when looking down for notes etc because you're getting conflicting signals. Another good tip is to bring the notes up to your line-of-sight rather than your head down as this removes some of the 'out-of-plane' motion and makes it easier to swap between map/notes and road.

Intererestingly, motion overload may stop motion sickness, because the brain stops trying to calculate what's going on, and just gives up!

Time for someone to invent a rally navigator head up display.

I've always wondered why nobody has. Good call.

[robwales]

Shame that you can't carry on.

A few months ago I entered a rally which was going to be my last one in the silly seat if I was sick again. I tried Stugerons that time, they worked brilliantly and I wasn't sick at all.

[tossbag]

I had a freind who got car sick, if he sat backwards in the car he was OK, so I propose a complex setup of mirrors and pulleys and a backwards seat