From one of my new Facebook "friends":
"Keep the smile, leave the tear. Think of joy, forget the fear. Hold the laughter, leave the pain. Be joyous, because it's new year's day!!"
He's somewhere on the other side of the world, I think. I just thought it was a great way to welcome in the new year.
31 December 2008
Happy New Year's Eve!
Howdy!
Guess what......I actually left the house yesterday. Of course, it was to go take care of switching car insurance companies and to look for shoes for Bobby and go to the grocery store, but I'll take what I can get. Not that any of the chores were exciting, but I got pretzels at the mall, so I'm content. (And Bobby discovered that the shoes he liked were too wide through the heel, so that was all we got at the mall).
So far, the headache's a little better today. The center of the pain has moved, though. It's moved from the left front to kind of the right center, though there's still a "hot spot" pain in the left front. Unfortunately, it feels as if it's going to develop into a rather large area of pain by the end of the day.
Everyone - have a wonderful, fun, safe and sane New Year's Eve. E ya next year!
Lori
Guess what......I actually left the house yesterday. Of course, it was to go take care of switching car insurance companies and to look for shoes for Bobby and go to the grocery store, but I'll take what I can get. Not that any of the chores were exciting, but I got pretzels at the mall, so I'm content. (And Bobby discovered that the shoes he liked were too wide through the heel, so that was all we got at the mall).
So far, the headache's a little better today. The center of the pain has moved, though. It's moved from the left front to kind of the right center, though there's still a "hot spot" pain in the left front. Unfortunately, it feels as if it's going to develop into a rather large area of pain by the end of the day.
Everyone - have a wonderful, fun, safe and sane New Year's Eve. E ya next year!
Lori
30 December 2008
Ow, again
The headache is bad again today. It wasn't too bad when I first got up, but it's working it's way back up to horrible, I do believe.
Bobby came home last night. :-) He was unable to get a ticket to the show he was planning to go to last night, so he just came on home. I'm sad he couldn't see his friend's show, but happy he's home. So balance has been restored. The cats are no longer confused. At least no more than usual. Bobby's taking the rest of the week off work, so we get to hang out together. Maybe I'll really get lucky and get in to see the neurologist! I'm not holding my breath on that one, though.
Ok, that's my limit for now. Perhaps I'll write more later.
Love y'all!
Bobby came home last night. :-) He was unable to get a ticket to the show he was planning to go to last night, so he just came on home. I'm sad he couldn't see his friend's show, but happy he's home. So balance has been restored. The cats are no longer confused. At least no more than usual. Bobby's taking the rest of the week off work, so we get to hang out together. Maybe I'll really get lucky and get in to see the neurologist! I'm not holding my breath on that one, though.
Ok, that's my limit for now. Perhaps I'll write more later.
Love y'all!
29 December 2008
28 December 2008
Sad Sunday
Well, I knew it was coming, but it's still sad. Josh & Jenn left for home this morning. It's always so great having them around, even when we're not really doing anything. It's like part of me is missing when he's not around. Oh, well. They're doing well and Josh even got word that he was hired for a second job for which he had applied. The hours at his other job have been reduced.
On their way home, they're going by to pick up Melia. Melia's visiting them through New Year's. I'm sure all of them will have a blast!
We had a great visit. It's so nice that they live closer, as I get to see them more frequently. I'm sure his dad and mom (ok, step-mom, but that sounds like they don't get along. She's his mom, too) miss seeing him so often, though.
The headache has moved to a different part of my head this morning, but it's still a fairly strong pain. I am just so tired of this. However, perhaps a couple days of relative silence will help me deal with it.
Nothing else is going on. Love to all!
27 December 2008
Ahhhh, Saturday
Hello, again!
It's Saturday morning and I'm finally awake after going to bed at 2:00, not falling asleep for quite a while, then being awakened by a thunderstorm (?!???!!!!) soon thereafter. At least you can say this about the weather, it definitely keeps the local meteorologists on their toes! We were even under a tornado warning and/or flash flood warning. Odd for December, but that's what we're used to dealing with.
The headache stayed pretty bad all day yesterday. When I first got up this morning, I thought it was at a little more manageable level, but by the time I had taken a shower & gotten dressed, it was at least as painful as it was yesterday. The location of the main area of pain shifted a bit, but the intensity hasn't changed.
I have no idea what we'll be doing today. J&J are going over to the Light side (of the family) this evening, so we'll probably just hang out at home again today. They went out looking for turntable parts yesterday afternoon. Other than that, we've been sitting around watching movies and even complete series on tv. Good thing we all like the same type of shows, eh?
No other activity here. Blog ya later!
It's Saturday morning and I'm finally awake after going to bed at 2:00, not falling asleep for quite a while, then being awakened by a thunderstorm (?!???!!!!) soon thereafter. At least you can say this about the weather, it definitely keeps the local meteorologists on their toes! We were even under a tornado warning and/or flash flood warning. Odd for December, but that's what we're used to dealing with.
The headache stayed pretty bad all day yesterday. When I first got up this morning, I thought it was at a little more manageable level, but by the time I had taken a shower & gotten dressed, it was at least as painful as it was yesterday. The location of the main area of pain shifted a bit, but the intensity hasn't changed.
I have no idea what we'll be doing today. J&J are going over to the Light side (of the family) this evening, so we'll probably just hang out at home again today. They went out looking for turntable parts yesterday afternoon. Other than that, we've been sitting around watching movies and even complete series on tv. Good thing we all like the same type of shows, eh?
No other activity here. Blog ya later!
26 December 2008
The Day After
Well, we all survived Christmas. Surprised and pleased my mom by showing up for the Christmas Day service at Bethlehem Lutheran with Josh and Jenn in tow. Joe, Mell, Brianne and Melia were also there. After church we all went to Mom's for dinner and gift opening. We had a good time and some great food. There was prime rib for us carnivores and salmon for the "kids" as they're all Pescatarians (vegetarians who eat fish). How it happened that the next generation doesn't love a big, juicy steak is beyond me!
At any rate, we enjoyed good conversation, great food and wonderful gifts.
The headache bothered me quite a bit in the morning. I ended up having to leave the sanctuary during church as the sound/stimulus pushed the pain up to an intolerable level. However, after finding a quiet area the pain subsided. The rest of the day, when pain would start to ramp up, I would close my eyes for a while (I've discovered that if I remove some of visual stimulus, I can somewhat slow down the pain escalation). I managed to get through the rest of the day without a major pain episode.
I finally slept well last night. I hadn't slept soundly for a couple nights. However, I woke up with a much worse headache than I had when I went to sleep.J&J had been up for a while and were catching up on this season's "Californication" episodes. We have no major plans for today and will do whatever strikes our fancy as the day progresses.
I'm off to find some breakfast. Love to all!
At any rate, we enjoyed good conversation, great food and wonderful gifts.
The headache bothered me quite a bit in the morning. I ended up having to leave the sanctuary during church as the sound/stimulus pushed the pain up to an intolerable level. However, after finding a quiet area the pain subsided. The rest of the day, when pain would start to ramp up, I would close my eyes for a while (I've discovered that if I remove some of visual stimulus, I can somewhat slow down the pain escalation). I managed to get through the rest of the day without a major pain episode.
I finally slept well last night. I hadn't slept soundly for a couple nights. However, I woke up with a much worse headache than I had when I went to sleep.
I'm off to find some breakfast. Love to all!
24 December 2008
My present's here!
Josh & Jenn got in about an hour ago. Since none of us had eaten lunch, we went to BD's and stuffed ourselves. They're both doing great and looking great, too. Of course, I'm a bit biased.
Happy Christmas Eve!
Josh & Jenn get here today! They drove to St. Louis last night and will finish the journey today (waiting for roads to clear). I can't wait to see them.
Bobby left this morning.
Oh, well. I had kidnapped him and taken him to Atlanta for Thanksgiving, so he's headed home for Christmas. He'll be back eventually. I already miss him. This will be the first Christmas where we aren't together at least most of the time for 10 years or so. Who's going to make sure I don't push myself too much????
The headache's still pretty bad. Yesterday's trek to work/Credit Union was about all I could handle, sad to say. Too much stimulus for me, I guess. It kind of proved to me that I can not handle multiple inputs right now. I'm really tired of this pain. Within a minute of waking in the morning, I'm aware of the pain. The only question is where it will decide to center itself each day. The last few days it's been hanging out from the temple area to back about halfway across my head.
It looks like we'll have a white Christmas. Since I'll have to leave the house, the snow's not nearly as pretty as when I could just look at the window at it. At least we won't have a long drive to Mom's for Christmas.
I better go eat now. Enjoy your day, everyone!
23 December 2008
Excitement's building!
Ok, so maybe that's overstating it, but at least I'll be doing something different today - leaving the house! I need to go make sure the money I need is in the appropriate accounts, so Bobby's going to take me to the Credit Union after he gets off work. Of course, if I notice the weather starting to get bad before then, I'll drive myself. And pray the whole time that I don't get one of those stabbing pains that make me close my eyes. But then, I always try to avoid that! At least the dizziness is less common, so I'm not quite as concerned about that...but I also haven't tried driving in a while. (I'm not counting driving the cool little cart around Sam's. However, I did realize that things "zipping" by in my peripheral vision made me a bit woozy.)
I got an early Christmas present yesterday - some wonderful English Muffins from Mell & Joe! They are outstanding and I think Wolferman's has gained a new customer. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
The headache is about the same today as it was last night, which was pretty bad. I can handle short conversations, but after a bit even talking is painful. I much prefer the written word today. I can read/write a bit at a time, and it doesn't matter if I stop for a little while. The mute button on the tv remote gets a workout, because noise can make the headache worse. It's amazing how much better daytime tv is when you don't listen to what they're saying! I'm definitely learning patience during this.
Matt's still working on one of my projects at work. He called me yesterday trying to get some help in determining how to set up some file/folder structures with the hyperlinked index. In my great mentor role, I told him I hadn't a clue and to just do what worked best for him. Awesome advice, right? Hey, I do the best I can with what I have to work with. Fortunately, he's a bright guy and will figure out a good solution.
Time to shut up and take a break. Love you, everyone!
I got an early Christmas present yesterday - some wonderful English Muffins from Mell & Joe! They are outstanding and I think Wolferman's has gained a new customer. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
The headache is about the same today as it was last night, which was pretty bad. I can handle short conversations, but after a bit even talking is painful. I much prefer the written word today. I can read/write a bit at a time, and it doesn't matter if I stop for a little while. The mute button on the tv remote gets a workout, because noise can make the headache worse. It's amazing how much better daytime tv is when you don't listen to what they're saying! I'm definitely learning patience during this.
Matt's still working on one of my projects at work. He called me yesterday trying to get some help in determining how to set up some file/folder structures with the hyperlinked index. In my great mentor role, I told him I hadn't a clue and to just do what worked best for him. Awesome advice, right? Hey, I do the best I can with what I have to work with. Fortunately, he's a bright guy and will figure out a good solution.
Time to shut up and take a break. Love you, everyone!
22 December 2008
Ow, ow, ow
Not only is the headache getting slowly worse today, my stomach's upset and I'm short of breath, too. Laundry's getting done, though! Just not too sure anything else will get done. Been playing games on facebook to pass the time as it doesn't require real thought or any movement. Just another day in paradise!
Mundane Monday
Ahhh, here we are again. Monday. Yay? It's one day closer to...something, I guess. Since I didn't hear from the neurologist's office, I can only assume it will be January before I get seen by him. Oh, well. Not much I can do about that.
Headache's bad today. Not terrible, but bad. It's centered right on the top of my head and has been getting steadily worse since I got out of bed a couple hours ago. Nausea's been coming and going the last few days, but I've had very few dizzy spells recently. (I put off the BPPV physical therapy stuff for a bit...don't want to start doing something until I've met with the neurologist).
If only this headache didn't make it difficult to do most everything, I wouldn't feel so blah. Since cooking is a multi-step process, it's hard for me to maintain concentration long enough to cook a real meal. I'm doing laundry today....even though I know those "cycle's done" beeps are going to hurt (if I turn the sound off, I forget to go shuffle the laundry around).
Meanwhile, when I got out of the shower this morning, I noticed a strange discolored area on my left leg, just above my knee. I had noticed the same thing a few days ago, but thought it was just from resting my laptop there prior to noticing the mark. Now I don't know what to think of it. A picture is below, if you can see anything in the photo.
Good news is that Josh & Jenn will be here sometime on Christmas Eve!
That's all the thinking I can do for now. Love to all!
21 December 2008
Sunday So-So
Well, it's Sunday. Not much different from Saturday. Cold's better, headache's worse. After a short stretch of pain at the base of my skull last night, the main pain has relocated back to it's favorite spot - from just above my eyes to halfway back on my head. It feels like someone removed part of my brain and inserted a very heavy rock instead.
I have a feeling it's going to be another day where I just try to get through it without crying from the pain.
I have a feeling it's going to be another day where I just try to get through it without crying from the pain.
20 December 2008
Hooray, it's the weekend
Not that there's much difference in my days...except that I see more of Bobby on the weekends. The cold is still progressing through my system. I've ended up sleeping in the recliner the last couple of nights to try and keep the congestion from getting worse. At least it seems to be working. Between all the liquids and a hot shower this morning, it feels like the congestion is moving out.
However, the headache's been bad since yesterday. Today it feels like someone's hand is on the top of my head, pressing down hard - the pain is across the front of my head and back towards my ears, then meets in the middle of my head. It's going to be another day where it just plain hurts to concentrate. But, hey, it's Saturday so I shouldn't have to think, right?
Here's hoping I'm up to posting more later.
However, the headache's been bad since yesterday. Today it feels like someone's hand is on the top of my head, pressing down hard - the pain is across the front of my head and back towards my ears, then meets in the middle of my head. It's going to be another day where it just plain hurts to concentrate. But, hey, it's Saturday so I shouldn't have to think, right?
Here's hoping I'm up to posting more later.
19 December 2008
Blah
Between the cold and the headache, I just don't feel very well today. Throat hurts and I just have no energy. Blah. Headache is bad enough that even games are beyond me today. Oh, well. Wish I could fall asleep.
Friday morning
Howdy! My cold is now settled in - congested, but at least I have a bit more of a voice than I've had the last couple of days. I spent a couple hours this morning working on the journal my nurse suggested I complete. Nothing says "fun" more than trying to recall all the doctor visits, meds, tests, etc. for the last few months! I finally had to take a break from that because it was just making my headache worse. Speaking of headaches, mine seems to have settled in to the left front side of my head, towards the top, with a solid, constant pain. Since the neck pain's now gone, I've stopped taking the Percocet (it didn't do anything for the headache pain).
Ok, I'm starving. Time for some Cap'n Crunch. More later.
Ok, I'm starving. Time for some Cap'n Crunch. More later.
18 December 2008
Greatest guy!
I live with the greatest guy in the world! He read what I wrote about the cats' food and he went by the store and picked up "real" food for them on his way home from work Thursday. The cats are much happier and less whiny after getting this food...and he even remembered to get the indoor formula for our spoiled rotten kitties. Bobby, you're great!
Surviving
After breakfast, a nap and some facebooking I feel almost human. Except for the headache and stuffiness, that is. Congestion's not as bad (lots of liquids), but the headache has gotten worse and worse. It's just not a good day. Good thing I cooked ahead yesterday when the headache wasn't so bad. At least we'll have dinner with a minimum of pain tonight.
Cats were once again upset when they didn't get new food this morning. However, they decided to try and be nice to me today...both have spent substantial amounts of time in my lap! I'm thinking I better pick up kitty treats along with real food.
Matt's going to try and finish up one of my projects at work. Good luck Matt! I've emailed him info and am now awaiting his phone calls for clarification. The least I can do is make sure my co-workers are gainfully employed, right?
Well, time for my PB&J. Exciting life I lead, eh?
Great..now I have a cold
Wow. Just when I thought I had everything under control, now I seem to be getting a cold. Great. My throat was sore yesterday, but I was hoping it would go away. No such luck. It's even more sore today and now I'm getting all stopped up. Lovely. I'm starting to cough. Not a lot, but that's not the problem. Each cough = more headache pain. Yup. It literally hurts my head to cough. Fortunately I picked up the mega-size bag of cough drops at Sam's yesterday.
Oh, yeah. Sam's. Bobby and I went there yesterday afternoon as we were in need of cereal and Pop-Tarts. You know. 2 of the 4 basic food groups! We were worried about whether I could go trekking around the store, so I used the cool electric cart/chair things they have. What I learned from that is my not driving a car is a good choice! Once I figured out the controls it was no problem maneuvering the cart. However, trying to pay attention while things in my peripheral vision were "whizzing" by definitely did not help the headache/dizziness situation. By the time we were waiting in line, I had reached the end of my tolerance. I was just glad we only needed a few things.
In case you're wondering..........we completely forgot to get cat food while we were there. Oops. Cats are pissed off and not eating at all. Ever since I walked in to the kitchen and didn't have new food they've both literally turned their backs on me and are not acknowledging my presence.
And that time at the top of this post is not messed up. I got up shortly after Bobby left for work as I was having problems breathing due to the congestion. I had also gone to bed about 11:30, which is actually early for me! I also could tell I already needed to take some meds to see if they help the headache pain, which is pretty bad already. Thank God I can just go to sleep again later when I get tired. :-)
Ok. I'm off to eat some of that cereal and take some drugs. I'll check in later.
Love to all!
17 December 2008
Wednesday afternoon
I've spent the last few hours messing around with all the buttons and gadgets and widgets on this blog thing. I now know that I know just enough about HTML to confuse myself but not solve anything. Oh, well. I'm learning. Meanwhile, if you happen to log on twice in a short time span, you may notice things moving around a bit. Deal with it! I'll eventually decide to give up and leave it alone for a while.
Neck pain has stayed away all day (of course, I took drugs before it had a chance to show up!) and the headache has stayed in what has become my "normal mode" - constant but not debilitating pain.
I'm submitting this post via email, just to see if I got THOSE settings figured out.
Love to everyone!
Wednesday
Hey there!
Well, one thing about these headaches...I can just stay home and look at the snow. It's much prettier when you don't actually have to go outside. Of course, I'd much prefer to go outside to a neurologist appointment, but no such luck today.
Cats still appear to be on a hunger strike. Very weird. That food must taste pretty awful for them to decide not to eat at all. Oh, well. Their choice. Oh, but Pande now plays fetch with a Mountain Dew screw-off lid....with Bobby. It's just hilarious. She has left the lid on Bobby's chair, eagerly awaiting his return from work.
The headache is so-so today. However, I have a feeling it's just beginning to ramp up. I just took my first drugs of the day to try to head it off at the pass. Neck pain is minimal so far. No news yet from any medical practitioner.
Off to play on Facebook now!
Well, one thing about these headaches...I can just stay home and look at the snow. It's much prettier when you don't actually have to go outside. Of course, I'd much prefer to go outside to a neurologist appointment, but no such luck today.
Cats still appear to be on a hunger strike. Very weird. That food must taste pretty awful for them to decide not to eat at all. Oh, well. Their choice. Oh, but Pande now plays fetch with a Mountain Dew screw-off lid....with Bobby. It's just hilarious. She has left the lid on Bobby's chair, eagerly awaiting his return from work.
The headache is so-so today. However, I have a feeling it's just beginning to ramp up. I just took my first drugs of the day to try to head it off at the pass. Neck pain is minimal so far. No news yet from any medical practitioner.
Off to play on Facebook now!
16 December 2008
Recap - Part 2
(Email from 15 December 2008)
Hi, again.
Sorry I haven’t given any updates, but there really hasn’t been anything helpful until today. I’ve still been having headaches and dizziness and, as of this morning, nausea. So, here’s the update since the ENT visit last week (was it really just a few days ago?).
Thursday late afternoon/evening
Went to ER as headache pain was beyond bearing. My doctor was hoping they’d admit me and do some more tests in the hospital. The ER doc did not agree with that plan. She did some basic neurological tests, which I apparently passed. Again, all the standard vital signs were in the normal range (of course they were – after all, I take those pills daily for a reason!). She did decide to do a spinal tap to rule out meningitis and stuff. Good thing needles don’t bother me. Anyway, the spinal tap was just fine. Darn it. ER doc sent me home.
Friday
Spent all day waiting for my doctor to return my call to follow up on the ER visit. I spoke with the receptionist at 9:00 a.m. and she said she’d give him the message as soon as he finished with his patient.
Saturday
Oh, boy. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, it got worse. The headache that had been fairly localized (if in varying locations) all of a sudden changed. The pain started just above my eyes (basically the width of my eyes), went across the top of my head, down the back of my head and into my neck. I suddenly couldn’t move my neck (!) without pain. Joy. At Bobby’s
suggestion, I tried a heating pad, and that seemed to help. So I spent most of Saturday in the recliner with the heating pad at my neck. Except for a trip to Aldi with Bobby, since we really didn’t have food left in the house. ;-) That wore me out and I was happy to get back to my recliner and heating pad.
Sunday
Repeat of Saturday, minus the Aldi trip. Decided to try and go to work on Monday, with Bobby’s help.
Monday (today)
Got up, took a shower, put on work clothes (it’s been over a week!) and Bobby took me to work at 6:00 a.m. as I didn’t want to drive in case of dizzy spells/neck pain. No neck pain or dizziness initially. Yay! However, by 7:00 a.m. the pain was building in my head and had returned in my neck. And, for the first time, I had nausea. It just doesn’t get any better than this, does it? I went and talked to Linda (my boss, who had just got in to work) and explained that, no matter how badly I wanted to stay, there was no way I could work due to the pain and lack of concentration (no multi-tasking for me, that’s for sure). Gary (co-worker) drove me home about 8:00 a.m. So much for being able to work.
I left a voicemail message at my doctor’s office which was returned by the nurse fairly quickly. She had never heard anything about my ER visit on Thursday. If the girl who took the message actually passed it on, the nurse had never heard about it (which would be unusual..these nurses know everything). I explained what was going on and got an appointment for 10:30. I then texted Bobby and asked if he could leave work and take me to the apppointment, which he did.
Went to the doctor, who, while filling out paperwork for my FMLA leave (I’m officially off work until at least 31 December…I have no idea how much will be paid), put his nurses to work trying to get me a same-day MRI and/or neurologist appointment. By finagling the system, Kami got me a 12:30 appointment for the head MRI. The doctor also said he’d give me prescriptions for Percocet (to see if it helps the headaches) and Phenergan (for the nausea). Kami rushed us out
to go to the hospital to get the MRI. Said she’d follow up on the prescriptions.
Got to the MRI place and discovered Kami had forgotten to give me back my insurance card which she had borrowed while trying to make appointments! Fortunately (?) my info was in the system due to my very recent ER visit. Kami called while I was checking in and said she had faxed a copy of my card to the hospital, so everything worked out just fine. Had the MRI done and went home.
I had left a message for Kami, letting her know the MRI was complete so they could start trying to get the results. I also said I’d be by later to pick up my insurance card and the prescriptions. I called back an hour later and Kami said they still hadn’t heard from the radiologist. I decided to go get the card & prescriptions, anyway.
So, we go back to the doctor’s office and I went inside to grab the stuff. Bobby waited in the car. Kami spotted me in the waiting area and told me to hang on, the doctor wanted to talk with me. So, I spent more time in the waiting area (Bobby still outside – I thought it would only be a few minutes). Finally, between patients, Dr. Bernhardt called me in and said he had the results! I was so relieved! He went on to say that the MRI did not show any tumor/mass but that there were several 5-6 millimeter “spots” across both sides of my brain.
He explained that there were several possible causes, ranging from vasculitis (inflamed blood vessels) to an entire spectrum of autoimmune diseases (MS, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.). He had spoken with a neurologist who said he’d see me, but has no open appointments. They’ll be calling at the first cancellation (pray that it’s quickly). Meanwhile, the neurologist told Dr. Bernhardt to order a slew of blood tests (in addition to the ones we’d done over the past few weeks). I had the blood drawn and left. Bobby was still waiting in the car. :-)
We went and dropped off my prescriptions at a very busy Osco. We’ll pick them up in a little while.
I looked up info on vasculitis on the web and learned there are bunches of different types of vasculitis, all varying in severity/treatment/prognosis. I’m just so thrilled to have a direction to go with the testing and stuff that the diagnosis itself is not bothering me (yet). At least now I know possibilities and I know my job is safe (or at least as safe as any right now) thanks to FMLA. I may have no money in the near-term, but Bobby and I will figure it out. [BTW – Christmas won’t have many packages from Lori, except for a few things I had already ordered.]
Please pray that I get to the neurologist quickly. After that, we’ll have a better idea of what we’re up against. Mom will go to the neurologist with me…she can answer medical questions about autoimmune diseases in our family, which may help the doctor. Also, say a prayer of thanks that there was no tumor/mass - - - that’s what we had been dreading.
Hi, again.
Sorry I haven’t given any updates, but there really hasn’t been anything helpful until today. I’ve still been having headaches and dizziness and, as of this morning, nausea. So, here’s the update since the ENT visit last week (was it really just a few days ago?).
Thursday late afternoon/evening
Went to ER as headache pain was beyond bearing. My doctor was hoping they’d admit me and do some more tests in the hospital. The ER doc did not agree with that plan. She did some basic neurological tests, which I apparently passed. Again, all the standard vital signs were in the normal range (of course they were – after all, I take those pills daily for a reason!). She did decide to do a spinal tap to rule out meningitis and stuff. Good thing needles don’t bother me. Anyway, the spinal tap was just fine. Darn it. ER doc sent me home.
Friday
Spent all day waiting for my doctor to return my call to follow up on the ER visit. I spoke with the receptionist at 9:00 a.m. and she said she’d give him the message as soon as he finished with his patient.
Saturday
Oh, boy. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, it got worse. The headache that had been fairly localized (if in varying locations) all of a sudden changed. The pain started just above my eyes (basically the width of my eyes), went across the top of my head, down the back of my head and into my neck. I suddenly couldn’t move my neck (!) without pain. Joy. At Bobby’s
suggestion, I tried a heating pad, and that seemed to help. So I spent most of Saturday in the recliner with the heating pad at my neck. Except for a trip to Aldi with Bobby, since we really didn’t have food left in the house. ;-) That wore me out and I was happy to get back to my recliner and heating pad.
Sunday
Repeat of Saturday, minus the Aldi trip. Decided to try and go to work on Monday, with Bobby’s help.
Monday (today)
Got up, took a shower, put on work clothes (it’s been over a week!) and Bobby took me to work at 6:00 a.m. as I didn’t want to drive in case of dizzy spells/neck pain. No neck pain or dizziness initially. Yay! However, by 7:00 a.m. the pain was building in my head and had returned in my neck. And, for the first time, I had nausea. It just doesn’t get any better than this, does it? I went and talked to Linda (my boss, who had just got in to work) and explained that, no matter how badly I wanted to stay, there was no way I could work due to the pain and lack of concentration (no multi-tasking for me, that’s for sure). Gary (co-worker) drove me home about 8:00 a.m. So much for being able to work.
I left a voicemail message at my doctor’s office which was returned by the nurse fairly quickly. She had never heard anything about my ER visit on Thursday. If the girl who took the message actually passed it on, the nurse had never heard about it (which would be unusual..these nurses know everything). I explained what was going on and got an appointment for 10:30. I then texted Bobby and asked if he could leave work and take me to the apppointment, which he did.
Went to the doctor, who, while filling out paperwork for my FMLA leave (I’m officially off work until at least 31 December…I have no idea how much will be paid), put his nurses to work trying to get me a same-day MRI and/or neurologist appointment. By finagling the system, Kami got me a 12:30 appointment for the head MRI. The doctor also said he’d give me prescriptions for Percocet (to see if it helps the headaches) and Phenergan (for the nausea). Kami rushed us out
to go to the hospital to get the MRI. Said she’d follow up on the prescriptions.
Got to the MRI place and discovered Kami had forgotten to give me back my insurance card which she had borrowed while trying to make appointments! Fortunately (?) my info was in the system due to my very recent ER visit. Kami called while I was checking in and said she had faxed a copy of my card to the hospital, so everything worked out just fine. Had the MRI done and went home.
I had left a message for Kami, letting her know the MRI was complete so they could start trying to get the results. I also said I’d be by later to pick up my insurance card and the prescriptions. I called back an hour later and Kami said they still hadn’t heard from the radiologist. I decided to go get the card & prescriptions, anyway.
So, we go back to the doctor’s office and I went inside to grab the stuff. Bobby waited in the car. Kami spotted me in the waiting area and told me to hang on, the doctor wanted to talk with me. So, I spent more time in the waiting area (Bobby still outside – I thought it would only be a few minutes). Finally, between patients, Dr. Bernhardt called me in and said he had the results! I was so relieved! He went on to say that the MRI did not show any tumor/mass but that there were several 5-6 millimeter “spots” across both sides of my brain.
He explained that there were several possible causes, ranging from vasculitis (inflamed blood vessels) to an entire spectrum of autoimmune diseases (MS, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.). He had spoken with a neurologist who said he’d see me, but has no open appointments. They’ll be calling at the first cancellation (pray that it’s quickly). Meanwhile, the neurologist told Dr. Bernhardt to order a slew of blood tests (in addition to the ones we’d done over the past few weeks). I had the blood drawn and left. Bobby was still waiting in the car. :-)
We went and dropped off my prescriptions at a very busy Osco. We’ll pick them up in a little while.
I looked up info on vasculitis on the web and learned there are bunches of different types of vasculitis, all varying in severity/treatment/prognosis. I’m just so thrilled to have a direction to go with the testing and stuff that the diagnosis itself is not bothering me (yet). At least now I know possibilities and I know my job is safe (or at least as safe as any right now) thanks to FMLA. I may have no money in the near-term, but Bobby and I will figure it out. [BTW – Christmas won’t have many packages from Lori, except for a few things I had already ordered.]
Please pray that I get to the neurologist quickly. After that, we’ll have a better idea of what we’re up against. Mom will go to the neurologist with me…she can answer medical questions about autoimmune diseases in our family, which may help the doctor. Also, say a prayer of thanks that there was no tumor/mass - - - that’s what we had been dreading.
Recap - Part 1
(Posting of email I sent on 10 December 2008)
For those who may not have known, I've been having headaches for a month+...all the time for the last several weeks. For the last couple of weeks, I've also been having some dizziness problems off and on. My regular doctor couldn't discover the problem and a CT scan of my head showed no abnormalities.
So, today I saw an ENT. He said he's not a "headache guy" but he did tell me it appears I have "Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo" which apparently means my inner ear isn't regulating stuff properly so I get dizzy. He's going to try physical therapy to fix it (I envision little treadmills for my ears!), but he did say it usually corrects itself eventually. So, at least there appears to be a name for the dizziness. He thinks it may go back to a virus I contracted some time in the past and ventured a guess that the headache may be related to the same virus. He's also going to check with my doctor about some elevated bilirubin levels that have showed up in my past couple of blood tests (since June). They're just a little over the max number, but he's wondering if there's something possibly going on with my liver/gallbladder, also.
So, I still have headaches and dizzy spells, but I'm working on getting to the bottom of it. The problem is, I'm so dizzy that I am afraid to drive, and when the headache's bad, I can't concentrate at all, so work is almost impossible. Of course, I have no more paid leave for this calendar year, so I've missed a lot of work and it's all uncompensated. I am going to complete paperwork so I'm covered under FMLA so, hopefully, my job won't be at risk while I figure this out.
Other than that, things are going ok. Except that Bobby may starve to death - I have problems cooking due to the headache/dizziness and he's just going to waste away to nothing!
For those who may not have known, I've been having headaches for a month+...all the time for the last several weeks. For the last couple of weeks, I've also been having some dizziness problems off and on. My regular doctor couldn't discover the problem and a CT scan of my head showed no abnormalities.
So, today I saw an ENT. He said he's not a "headache guy" but he did tell me it appears I have "Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo" which apparently means my inner ear isn't regulating stuff properly so I get dizzy. He's going to try physical therapy to fix it (I envision little treadmills for my ears!), but he did say it usually corrects itself eventually. So, at least there appears to be a name for the dizziness. He thinks it may go back to a virus I contracted some time in the past and ventured a guess that the headache may be related to the same virus. He's also going to check with my doctor about some elevated bilirubin levels that have showed up in my past couple of blood tests (since June). They're just a little over the max number, but he's wondering if there's something possibly going on with my liver/gallbladder, also.
So, I still have headaches and dizzy spells, but I'm working on getting to the bottom of it. The problem is, I'm so dizzy that I am afraid to drive, and when the headache's bad, I can't concentrate at all, so work is almost impossible. Of course, I have no more paid leave for this calendar year, so I've missed a lot of work and it's all uncompensated. I am going to complete paperwork so I'm covered under FMLA so, hopefully, my job won't be at risk while I figure this out.
Other than that, things are going ok. Except that Bobby may starve to death - I have problems cooking due to the headache/dizziness and he's just going to waste away to nothing!
Health
Ok. Talked with someone at the neurologist's office today. Since I'm on an "urgent; cancellation" list, I'll be called if/when someone cancels an appointment. However, the office will be closed for the holidays after this Thursday. So, I may not get seen until January sometime. After talking with the nurse at my doctor's office, it's still the best option. Unless, of course, I have another really bad episode, go to the ER and end up being admitted. Then I'd see a neurologist right away. I'd rather avoid that, but it would make my wait shorter. Nothing is ever easy, simple or straightforward.
Meanwhile, drugs are helping neck pain and nausea, so I guess that's better than nothing. I'm off work at least 'til the end of the year awaiting diagnosis...I'm sure the medical absence will be extended if nothing's resolved by then. Goody, goody.
Cats are acting strangely. I think they don't like the Aldi food. First food I've ever seen them refuse to eat in 10 years. Weird. Have to get them different food next time we're in a store. Meanwhile, if Diablo ends up losing weight due to not eating, that's not a bad thing. PandeMonium, however, really doesn't have much spare fat. However, if they get hungry enough, I guess they'll eat, right?
First blog
Ok, folks. Here it is. Lori's attempt at blogging. Since I'm off work right now while we figure out what's going on with my head, I figured I might as well try something new. Blogging does not require me to multi-task or to think too hard so I should be able to cope with this. I can also stop any time I get sleepy or whatever from the meds.
I'll be posting a summary of what's been going on for me health-wise. Most of you already got all that info via email. I just want to put it on here so I know that people are aware of what's going on.
I'll probably also post stuff about the Kansas City Wizards, MLS and general soccer stuff. That only makes sense since I'm a soccer fan!
I also play around on Facebook. You may find me there playing some kind of game or just hanging out reading stuff. Yet another activity that does not force the user to use too many brain cells. :-)
That's all for now. I'm still figuring out how to do all this bloggy stuff, so expect things to change around frequently while I test different things.
Oh, yeah. If ads show up, it's because I figured if I'm going to do this, I may as well try to earn a few pennies a month. Why not? Please feel free to follow any or all links to things that interest you (I don't have much control over which ads appear).
I'll be posting a summary of what's been going on for me health-wise. Most of you already got all that info via email. I just want to put it on here so I know that people are aware of what's going on.
I'll probably also post stuff about the Kansas City Wizards, MLS and general soccer stuff. That only makes sense since I'm a soccer fan!
I also play around on Facebook. You may find me there playing some kind of game or just hanging out reading stuff. Yet another activity that does not force the user to use too many brain cells. :-)
That's all for now. I'm still figuring out how to do all this bloggy stuff, so expect things to change around frequently while I test different things.
Oh, yeah. If ads show up, it's because I figured if I'm going to do this, I may as well try to earn a few pennies a month. Why not? Please feel free to follow any or all links to things that interest you (I don't have much control over which ads appear).
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