My Super Hero Conversion

My secret is out. I'm not really having any medical issues. I'm just in the process of becoming the next to join the team of Avengers! My super hero name is yet to be determined.

But really, here's the update. I have to do this fast because tomorrow there will be even more!

This started on December 3, 2018. Intense, stabbing pain. I can lean over to put on shoes and feel like I'm having intense brain freeze. I can hardly sit up right. As it is, I only function because of the sweet, sweet calming effects of fancy pain killers. After two visits to Urgent Care, a day in the ER, a week of not being allowed to go to work, and then 3 more doctor visits, I was finally seen at Oregon Neurology Associates. We accomplished more in this first visit than in all of the other combined!

After going over all of the issues I've been experiencing I had a relatively simple overall check up. Reflexes were fast - like I do sports. Hallelujah - I can't really run right now, but my body disagrees! My eyes checked out great. Balance was pretty alright - ha!

To just try and see if it helps I was able to lay down for an hour with this crazy contraption stuck to my head. No joke, I had a backing with a magnet stuck on my forehead, then this thing (for lack of a better word) attached to that with the other end of the magnet. And then she turned it on.

Holy oh my gosh! That hour was one of the strangest, most intense hours of my life - aside from the whole giving birth thing I did 3 years ago. This device helps with migraines, and just in case I'm just suffering from migraines we did this to see if it would help. It hurt sooooooo bad, but I refrained from ripping it off, although she said I could if I felt I needed to. At times it felt like my brain was being split in two and ripped apart from itself. Nonstop vibration. My face was basically number. It was bizarre.  I could tough my forehead and my finger could feel it, my face couldn't. I was pretty happy when that hour ended.

And guess what still hurts!  Yeah, my head.

During that hour the PA came in and checked on me a few times. It was during one of her times away that we realized a symptom we forgot to tell her about.  My leaking nose! She was so excited and her face lit up when I told her about it. This could be cerebral fluid leaking from my nose. If we can collect it and have it tested then I could possibly avoid some pretty invasive testing to see if I have a CSF leak. 

Migraines have been ruled out - which isn't a surprise because I've known all along it's not a migraine or headache at all. Thoughts at this point are perhaps a brain aneurysm or a CSF leak.

So what now?

Well I've already gone and had some blood taken. Tonight I will try to collect samples from my leaking nose. I can't even figure out how that will work or how I will get enough, but I have my sterile supplies and I'm preparing to just lean over and let nature work. Also I have a very strong steroid prescription to take for 5 days. That came with a warning that I will be very emotional and for us all to just be prepared and know it is the drugs and it will end in 5 days. Great.

On the way home from the blood sucking stop my phone rang. It was from Eugene. Normally I ignore any call if it isn't in my contacts but I answered. Now I'm scheduled for an MRA and an MRV tomorrow afternoon! I'm so bummed I will have to miss hula lessons, but I am trusting my mom will get photos and videos for me to obsess over until I can go to next week's class.

I feel like I'm probably forgetting stuff. This was a long, intense morning. But it was full of really nice people that actually listened to me and didn't look at me like I'm crazy or just imagining stuff. And thankfully it was never suspected I was "just experiencing Meniere's Disease". Hallelujah!!

I guess I'll see you all tomorrow with reports on how the next step went. Oh yeah -- I got marked as URGENT status, hence why I am being seen again so soon. I don't have a follow up with a neurologist until the end of March, but I'm on the list if there is an unexpected opening. At least I'm finally moving toward diagnosis and treatment!!