Two Week Mark

So this is the two week mark, although I think it seems like much, much longer than that. A lot has happened I guess. So since my last blog update, I had the MRI - which was about 3x longer than my first one since they were doing 4 studies total, including the one with the contrast dye (which sounds awesome..I really want to see look at that). When you already have a terrible headache, an MRI, noninvasive though it may be, is probably one of the most painful things there is. In my experience anyway. So that was terrible. But all the results were normal. No blockages or narrowing in the blood vessels in my head or neck or anything else abnormal.



On Friday (that would be March 11th - the day of the Japan earthquake/tsunami) I had the spinal tap, which was also not fun. BUT - and maybe this is my imagination, since they said my pressures were normal - once they took four vials of CSF from my back my headache felt better. Not cured, but better. It felt like less pressure to me. Anyway, after that I slept for a couple hours after that. I didn't get the spinal headache or have a backache from that at all - lucky me! We were waiting to see if the neurology team or the dr was going to come and discuss the results but the nurse finally came and told us that the dr said the preliminary results (the opening pressure and the fact that the CSF was clear) were normal and I could be discharged. So after two days in the hospital all we had were normal test results, a new medication (Cymbalta) 2x Topamax, and I was more sick than when I started. And about a dozen balloons. :)



The funny thing about the balloons was that about 8 people said some version of, "Whoa...is there a patient behind all those balloons?" while I was being transported out to the car. If there was a trophy for having the most balloons...I would win it. Too bad they don't give trophies in the hospital...



Saturday morning, Bucky passed away. It wasn't unexpected, since she had been mostly unresponsive for several days. Apparently my aunt had called my parents around 6 that morning and they had gone to be with her, so they were there when she died at 8. It was strange because I guess we all started grieving back at Thanksgiving when we thought she was going to die, and this was more like relief. So I didn't feel like crying at all until we got to the funeral home on Monday night, and I didn't cry until the funeral on Tuesday.

So it's been a very strange week. My parents were both off of work on Wednesday. Mom took me to the ophthamologist - Dr. Maynard wanted him to check my eyes. I think he made that appt when we were still hoping to rule out pseudotumor (which we did with the spinal tap, but it doesn't matter). Mom was hoping - like lots of others - that maybe I just need glasses, and then I would feel better! But no, I still have great vision, and he couldn't find any reason for my eyes to be causing headaches.

I was having lots of problems with Cymbalta so I stopped taking it on Wednesday. Topamax is my worst enemy, although I think I'm finally tolerating the 200mg dosage. I don't think it's what I need. I still have headaches. So I'm hoping he'll let me stop taking it.

I have an appt with the Vanderbilt Neurology Clinic on Wednesday, and Dr. Maynard on Friday. I want to go home soon. I hate missing out at BigHouse. I miss my friends. I want to be productive. All I do is watch movies and lay on the couch. It's lame. I've been studying Hebrews 12:1-13 and Romans 4:18-25. I want to be found faithful. I prayed for hardship (what was I thinking??) and I want to be proven worthy of my calling.

I really, really, REALLY don't want to be sick on my birthday!!! Because I'm REALLY selfish.
:( Ouch. Yeah, that's the truth. Thank you for praying. You don't have to pray for me to be healed. God's heard that prayer, so you can move on to more important things. Pray that lost people will soften their hearts. Pray that you will be a bold witness to the people He's called you to. Confess the sin in your life. Pray for Japan. Pray that God would use Christians to reach them in their time of need. Pray for foster children that need loving families. Those things are important. Headaches aren't important.