My turn for the health update. I have suffered migraines for six years to the point where I am on meds for them. I learned weather changes by 20 or more degrees a day would set one off. I learned air pressure of storms can be at times enough to drop me to my knees. I learned stress can make it worse. Over indulgence of caffeine or under indulgence can affect them. I found some things that would help temporarily. I have went through med adjustments and med changes but nothing really seemed to help. So I learned to push through the pain and nausea. I learned to push through the dizziness, blurry vision and so much more. During this time I have gone through three primary care physicians.
This year my second one that seemed to truthfully be listening and went to open a new clinic out of town, so my thought was here I go again trying to get this to make sense to someone new enough for them to help. As the second one was leaving she told me to go get my eyes checked (I needed glasses but still have problem). The third one listened to my concerns because by that point I was on something like day 18 or 21 of migraine straight. So she finds out I have never been sent to a neurologist (she wasn’t happy) and started the battle to get me in. First time it took three weeks to find out it would be 11 months before that office would see me (this was another branch of where I see my doctor.) My doctor was not having that and asked if instead of Springfield would I be willing to go to Bloomington. My reply was I will go where I need to, I need help. They called the next morning with an appointment out six weeks. This was a more acceptable turnaround time. While this was going on the doctor was also fighting for pre-authorization for a MRI CSF flow. I had that done and when I got my results I got some answers but a lot more questions. I was diagnosed with Idiopathic intracranial hypertension -IIH ( also known as pseudotumor cerebri. So research it was until I could get in to see my neurologist.)
I get to neurologist only to find out that he hadn’t seen my MRI but I could pull up the report on my chart but he wants to see imaging. He ordered more specialized bloodwork ( taking forever to get my results, still were not in as of a week later) two results came back “normal” but unknown on others. He is sending me to a neuro ophthalmologist (January- hard to get into) and is ordering a sleep study and then we will go from there.
Some days are better than others and I can function without much adjustment. Other times I am taking my max dose of meds for nausea and migraine and still miserable. There are times even with my glasses I am straining to see, things have almost a cloud effect and I see things floating almost around me. Not to mention the noise. I have very little energy at times and then all of this makes me feel overwhelmed and anxious.
Mike has been my rock through this and cries with me on the bad days and on the unknown days. I could never do this journey without him.