Month of May

As most of you know and if you didn’t then here is the scoop…… I have been very ill over the past month with moderate to severe headaches, which has been followed by nausea and dizziness. Without going into GREAT detail, I feel like I have been a test subject for the past month; I have had blood drawn for tests, spinal tap, CTScan & MRI done.

Week 1: [April 25-May 1] ~ I remember telling a co-worker, it’s bad when I am so busy that I can’t make or take time to rest. I walked around work for an entire week with a mild to most day’s moderate headache. That weekend I spent the entire weekend in bed and loud noises or light just made the headache worse.

Week 2: [May 2-May 8] ~ Monday I attempted to take a shower, I took it but I had to sit down the whole time and I when I was done I was so weak I couldn’t make it out. I remember calling David to help me out and I remember taking one step out of the shower and then next thing I remember is waking up in the bedroom on the floor. I had passed out several times on David. I’m glad is calm and collected. I was taken to the ER where they did several tests and then sent me home with pain meds and no REAL explanation of what was going on and said I should be good to go to work the next day. Honestly what an imbecile! Wednesday I went to the doctor, not seeing my normal PCP, I saw another physician in the clinic. That doctor prescribed more meds and again NO explanation of what was going on. This whole time, my head is still pounding, having so much pressure it feels like it will explode, vomiting and nausea. However, this doctor had me get an MRI and more blood-work since the CTScan, spinal tap and blood-work had been done in the ER 2 days prior. MRI results came back, ‘better than normal’ whatever that mean! So all those tests ruled out, stroke (which they thought had happened because I was taking way too long to respond to questions, and when I did the answers were all jumbled up and my speech would slur) , meningitis, blood clots and aneurysms. I continued to have severe symptoms for over a week with no explanation or cause. Saturday David speaks with a friend of ours who is a nurse, and we both explain to her my ears are killing me, is it possible that an ear infection could cause this? Well, partially. And the answers is NO to the following, neither the doctor in the ER nor did the different doctor I saw at the clinic, not once, did they check my ears! Can you say LIVID!! & a whole week of work missed!

Weeks 3 & 4: [May 9-May22] ~ Monday I get in to see my regular PCP. A more thorough examination was done. Turned out I had double ear infections. However, that was not the cause of all my symptoms. My regular PCP suggested that I keep the appointment to the Neurologist that the other doctor in the clinic had made. More blood-work was done and different meds were prescribed to try to knock off the headache, nausea and dizziness. & I am allowed to work 5 hrs a day, although a few of my friends and family all say I should be staying at home to recoup, well most of you know me, I just can’t do that. It kills me to have to stay in bed for several hours, sit up for an hour or so just to have to lay down again to rest. The 5 hours I am at work, I have to lay my head down often to rest and gather my bearings. Getting up and moving around is the worst, the room begins to move, I can’t walk a straight line; but my family of co-workers are fantastic! They are working with me and helping me out until we can get to the bottom of these unknowns. Nothing like spending Mother's Day in bed surrounded by kids though!

Week 5: [May 23-May29] ~ I am able to WALK into the doctor’s office with much assistance. Compared to weeks 2-4 I had to use a wheelchair. After seeing my PCP for a follow-up appt, I was still encouraged to keep my neurology appointment. My speech is better but I still have trouble talking and getting all the words out that are in my head, and I am still jumbling up answers and information but not as bad. Getting from the bed to the bathroom at home is a much easier task as long as I have not been sitting up for too long.

Week 6: [May 30-June5] ~ Monday, I just couldn’t stand the feeling of being cooped up any longer at home. A dear friend picked me up and took me to get my hair done. This was a TEST for me, 1. To be able to make a car ride longer than 3 miles 1 way without getting sick. – Task accomplished. However, I was very dizzy and nauseous when we arrived to the salon. 2. To see if I could tolerate sitting up and having my head worked on. Well, I sort of passed the tests, however not without pain that is for sure. I slept for hours after getting home and my head still hurt when I got up that night.

Tuesday (today) I made it to my neurology appointment. I have to say that the doctor was very, very thorough! And I did break down during one part of the examination when I couldn’t even walk a straight line. All I could think about was, thank goodness I’m not driving at all because if I got pulled over I would have been considered a drunk. Well, until I took the breathalyzer, then that would have just confused the officer! Lol (I may be ill, but I haven’t lost my sense of humor!!) The doctor is checking several things and will not rule them out unless the tests come back normal. Today I had 7 tubes of blood drawn, so what is being looked for:

1. Thyroid problem (several different reasons)
2. Immune deficiency (because I get chronic bronchitis and ear infections)
3. Vitamin B deficiency
4. Possible neuropathy (apparently I have some feeling loss in my feet and hands)

So in a nutshell, I am living with a moderate headache that also gives me nausea each day, along with dizziness. I am taking 1 drug to treat the dizziness, because I told the doctor today I want to treat one symptom at a time to lower the risk of side effects (plus I hate taking meds unless I have to, and I know that this is a good time to do that, but I want one symptom treated at a time.) I’m working half days until the end of this week, and then I’m going to try a few full days and see what happens. I’m moving better every day at work, although I come home exhausted. I still can’t handle loud noises or extreme bright lights, and I talk low because I feel like I am yelling.

I go back to the PCP this week to confirm that I get to go back to work full-time next week. Keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer, as much as I enjoy coming home and napping in the afternoon, I am ready to get some MORE work done at the office!