Last week it felt like my improvement may have plateaued... now it feels like I may even be backsliding. The dizziness and confusion are back in spurts and I can take a three-hour nap at the word "Go!" any time of the day. Even the dull throb makes a cameo every once in a while, although I wouldn't quite call it pain.
My next appointment with Doctor Wolverine isn't until October 15. If the backslide doesn't stop, I'll have to call them for an earlier follow-up. Maybe NNA (the neurology place) can go to the bullpen and set me up with a different doctor - one who doesn't speak in riddles to a person whose main complaint is confusion and inability to think...
28 September 2007
24 September 2007
So Long Summer Of Suck
Let's all hope autumn works out really well - mainly because I'll be an even more miserable pain in the ass to be around if it doesn't, and Sally has to have caught her limit of me by now.
My recovery seems to have plateaued (how the hell do you spell that word anyway?) I'm largely functional in small doses, but physical activity still puts the sledgehammer to my brain. Basically the D-stuff at its current dosage holds he at the Caesar the Wrestling Bear level of functionality - just enough to get the job done, but nowhere near enough to be dangerous.
My hand weights mock me. Grumble...
My recovery seems to have plateaued (how the hell do you spell that word anyway?) I'm largely functional in small doses, but physical activity still puts the sledgehammer to my brain. Basically the D-stuff at its current dosage holds he at the Caesar the Wrestling Bear level of functionality - just enough to get the job done, but nowhere near enough to be dangerous.
My hand weights mock me. Grumble...
18 September 2007
Six Days On...
After six days of the D-stuff, the pain is no longer constant, the throbbing, disorientation and spot-seeing are way down, I only slur when I'm really tired, and the drooling is pretty much gone. Physical exertion brings it all back in spades, though.
So far, so not bad. We've got a few more weeks yet - next appointment with Doctor Wolverine is on October 15.
Here's hoping...
So far, so not bad. We've got a few more weeks yet - next appointment with Doctor Wolverine is on October 15.
Here's hoping...
13 September 2007
The Appointment
Sally and I went to the doctor appointment yesterday and described everything to three different levels of doctor people. Their expert conclusion: I have headaches. I'm so glad we paid them for that!
On the bright-ish side, all the tests show no physical damage to my brain. Of course, because those are the only empirical tests the doctor people had available to them, their theories were nearly as unmoored in hard science as mine, so they recommended a course of "treatment" hopefully based on experience in the headache-treating arena.
I'm on a very low dose of some D-word drug normally prescribed for depression (my dosage is 10mg, depression dosage is usually 150mg) for a month to see if it works. A month. If it works, yay. If not, I may be this retarded for four more weeks and no closer to an answer. If it sorta works, we tweak the dosage.
I appreciate the openness of the Main Doctor when he says he's not 100% sure that this D-stuff is The Answer. I appreciate the low-wattage trial dosage to reduce the chances of my trading one horrid headfuck for another. I also have never heard of headaches being a core problem rather than a symptom - but I don't get paid for hearing about nerve/head problems and presumably he does.
I'm no fan of being a pincushion for the pharmaceutical industry, but I'm less of a fan of being a moaning zombie, a danger to driving society, and a burden to my family. Since Doctor Man laid what few cards any of us have on the table, I'm willing to play.
More later.
On the bright-ish side, all the tests show no physical damage to my brain. Of course, because those are the only empirical tests the doctor people had available to them, their theories were nearly as unmoored in hard science as mine, so they recommended a course of "treatment" hopefully based on experience in the headache-treating arena.
I'm on a very low dose of some D-word drug normally prescribed for depression (my dosage is 10mg, depression dosage is usually 150mg) for a month to see if it works. A month. If it works, yay. If not, I may be this retarded for four more weeks and no closer to an answer. If it sorta works, we tweak the dosage.
I appreciate the openness of the Main Doctor when he says he's not 100% sure that this D-stuff is The Answer. I appreciate the low-wattage trial dosage to reduce the chances of my trading one horrid headfuck for another. I also have never heard of headaches being a core problem rather than a symptom - but I don't get paid for hearing about nerve/head problems and presumably he does.
I'm no fan of being a pincushion for the pharmaceutical industry, but I'm less of a fan of being a moaning zombie, a danger to driving society, and a burden to my family. Since Doctor Man laid what few cards any of us have on the table, I'm willing to play.
More later.
11 September 2007
Still Here, Still Afflicted
I haven't made the time to post for a while, since I've been either too busy or too dizzy for every friggin' minute of my life since my last post. Nothing has changed - no better and no worse. Take that as it is.
Tomorrow is my first appointment with my neurologist. As I told Bruce, if I don't get some sense of direction from tomorrow's appointment, I may just go Virginia Tech on a few K-Street health-insurance lobbying firms. My reasons are both cathartic and practical, since were I a prisoner, I'd have gotten answers about my head condition in less than two f#$%ing weeks.
Tomorrow is my first appointment with my neurologist. As I told Bruce, if I don't get some sense of direction from tomorrow's appointment, I may just go Virginia Tech on a few K-Street health-insurance lobbying firms. My reasons are both cathartic and practical, since were I a prisoner, I'd have gotten answers about my head condition in less than two f#$%ing weeks.
02 September 2007
What Is Wrong With You?
I'm confused and/or dizzy on and off. Any physical exertion above walking at grampa's pace reignites the stabbing headache (which makes me think there's some neuro-vascular connection). Occasionally (like right now) I see the haloes or spots that precede a migraine. I can't read a physical newspaper anymore because the multi-article layout prevents me from focusing on any one piece (on-line single-article news reading is still pretty much OK, so long as it doesn't make me think.) Thinking causes pain (could be blood-to-brain related like above), but well-learned / reflex and natural mental activities are still largely unaffected. My Wednesday night trivia skillz are still quite mad indeed - that's simple recall.
Other things that I had before the incident but have gotten worse since:
(a) I drop things. My hands sometimes don't do what I tell them to.
(b) Spaghetti legs. Sometimes my knees don't hold when I take a step forward.
(c) Slurring of speech.
(d) Confusion to the point of abject frustration, especially in getting words from my brain to my mouth.
(e) My desire for hot caffeinated beverages borders on the insatiable. It's almost to the point where I'll drink office coffee... almost.
(f) Drooling. Seriously. My involuntary saliva production has increased astronomically. I'm not proud, I'm just sayin'.
More as I recall them. Watch this space.
Other things that I had before the incident but have gotten worse since:
(a) I drop things. My hands sometimes don't do what I tell them to.
(b) Spaghetti legs. Sometimes my knees don't hold when I take a step forward.
(c) Slurring of speech.
(d) Confusion to the point of abject frustration, especially in getting words from my brain to my mouth.
(e) My desire for hot caffeinated beverages borders on the insatiable. It's almost to the point where I'll drink office coffee... almost.
(f) Drooling. Seriously. My involuntary saliva production has increased astronomically. I'm not proud, I'm just sayin'.
More as I recall them. Watch this space.
What The Hell Happened To You?
Monday morning 27 August 2007, I was doing my pushups when I felt a little twinge just above my left eyebrow. I was immediately overwhelmed with a stabbing pain in my head and nausea. The shower didn't get rid of it. I called off (and I simply don't call off from my new job - I like and respect these people too much) and made couch until my doctor's appointment.
Ever since, I've been confused and/or dizzy on and off. Any physical exertion above walking at grampa's pace reignites the stabbing headache (which makes me think there's some neuro-vascular connection). Occasionally (like right now) I see the haloes or spots that precede a migraine.
My primary physician isn't a head or nerve specialist, so she redirected me to a neurologist. The earliest any neurologist in my network can visit with me is September 12, so I have a good ten days to remain in this state without any answers. The suckery is beginning to mount, but there isn't a whole hell of a lot we can do about it. Eventually, we'll find workable threshholds of activity and try to stick to them - for now we walk blindly forward until we hit a wall, then stop.
Ever since, I've been confused and/or dizzy on and off. Any physical exertion above walking at grampa's pace reignites the stabbing headache (which makes me think there's some neuro-vascular connection). Occasionally (like right now) I see the haloes or spots that precede a migraine.
My primary physician isn't a head or nerve specialist, so she redirected me to a neurologist. The earliest any neurologist in my network can visit with me is September 12, so I have a good ten days to remain in this state without any answers. The suckery is beginning to mount, but there isn't a whole hell of a lot we can do about it. Eventually, we'll find workable threshholds of activity and try to stick to them - for now we walk blindly forward until we hit a wall, then stop.
Purpose of the Blog
Primarily, I'm putting this baby together so I only have to write the details once so all my friends and family are up to speed. My concentration and patience levels aren't too far above the carpet level right now, but I want all the people I care about to have an idea as to why I'm flakier than usual.
This little puppy has me probably more scared for myself than I have ever been in my life. I'm logging my thoughts, feelings, theories (and soliciting yours as well) while I'm still capable of using the English language in its written form to maximize the potential good and/or minimize potential trauma.
I truly don't know the extent of the damage done, but six days on I'm still nowhere near 50% of my "old" self. The last couple days have beed somewhat less bad, but the last couple days have been a weekend during which Sally has protected me from having to do much in the way of thinking, deciding, choosing or really doing anything. That vacation ends Tuesday - I'm fully aware that the worst of it could come right back then.
WARNINGS: This blog will not be nearly as fun / entertaining / snarky as my other stuff. Any amusement or enjoyment factor will be derived from natural sources - I'm going to be pretty straightforward here. Thus any criticism of quality of content or tactical writing flaws (spelling, punctuation, etc.) will be met with derision heretofore unexperienced by any living being in Earth's history not named Pauly Shore.
This little puppy has me probably more scared for myself than I have ever been in my life. I'm logging my thoughts, feelings, theories (and soliciting yours as well) while I'm still capable of using the English language in its written form to maximize the potential good and/or minimize potential trauma.
I truly don't know the extent of the damage done, but six days on I'm still nowhere near 50% of my "old" self. The last couple days have beed somewhat less bad, but the last couple days have been a weekend during which Sally has protected me from having to do much in the way of thinking, deciding, choosing or really doing anything. That vacation ends Tuesday - I'm fully aware that the worst of it could come right back then.
WARNINGS: This blog will not be nearly as fun / entertaining / snarky as my other stuff. Any amusement or enjoyment factor will be derived from natural sources - I'm going to be pretty straightforward here. Thus any criticism of quality of content or tactical writing flaws (spelling, punctuation, etc.) will be met with derision heretofore unexperienced by any living being in Earth's history not named Pauly Shore.
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