Thanks for the concern, but I'm happy to report that according to my opthamologist, who I saw on Weds, my optic nerves are indeed not swollen. I DO have increased eye pressure though, which he cannot explain, but he said that could be a side effect of one of the many medications I'm on. He also cannot account for the major visual disturbances I've been having when I change from a sitting or laying position to a standing one and thinks it could be hypotension (or low blood pressure) but I'm not giving him too much credit for that as for the first time in MONTHS my blood pressure readings have actually been normal at every doctors appointment I've been to.
My Neuro and I had a long talk on Monday about all of my symptoms and he has a different take on my visual disturbances now, after talking with me. He feels that I could indeed have the Increased Intracranial Hypertension. As I pointed out to him, there have been multiple studies that show daily migraine patients who do not respond to any treatment and who do not have swollen optic nerves when tested for increased cerebral spinal fluid have a percentage who come back with pressures WAY above normal. Most of those people are morbidly obese, but not all of them.
Given my current position in life and my status in treatment, plus the numerous unexplained phenomenoa that are currently coinciding with my migraine disease, we're testing me with a spinal tap on Wednesday. I'm freakng out. A) I have no desire to go through a spinal tap, and B) I REALLY don't want to be diagnosed with this condition, but it IS going to eat at me until I know if I have it or not, because it's been eating at me already for weeks, so what will be will be.
Now if I could only get work to begin cooperating a little more with me. My new obsession is researching human resource law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family Medical Leave Act. I don't qualify for FMLA until November, but let me tell you - I'm getting ready to start sticking it to corporate America, beginning with the ADA. I'm not getting pushed around anymore, no way, no how.
-------------------- "You are anal twattypoo who has ruined my good mood" PsyLiam to TSN May 01,2006.
Registered: Mar 1999
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quote:Jason, I don't lie to anybody about anything. Besides, while I'm dealing with all this, I'm living with my mom and step-dad. Hard to keep much from them, especially when I need the help of one or another of them to change out my meds and stuff each day, seeing as I am minus one arm due to the new PICC.
Well, as long as you've got support- that's what's important.
Jay, let us know when everything's completed with the GK procedure- I'm rooting for ya! I could probably send you some crazy voodoo cure if you like or mabye some books on CD to listen to whaile you're healing up- Stephen King short stories are really good for this, I find.
LOA, I'm hoping your doc finds it's something easily managed like low blood pressure or some imbalance that can just fix things- at least you'd know what was causing the migranes.
I think we all need to make tinfoil hats and worry about aliens the government and drink some beers.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
Well, my central line was nice and convenient, and I kept it for over seven months before that damned persistent staph infection necessitated its removal.
On the other hand, I've known enough people who have had spinal taps to know it's no fun. I had to have five abdominal taps last fall because of the fluid buildup (couldn't breathe -- nowhere for my diaphragm to go), and that was funky enough. Make sure you have something comfortable for laying on your stomach for after. Something that keeps your back in a neutral or slightly stretched posture. A nicely padded massage table would work, but those are kinda pricey.
*raises a goblet* Here's to answers. Here's to solutions. Here's to healing. Here's to health.
--Jonah
-------------------- "That's what I like about these high school girls, I keep getting older, they stay the same age."
--David "Woody" Wooderson, Dazed and Confused
Registered: Feb 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Peregrinus: *raises a goblet* Here's to answers. Here's to solutions. Here's to healing. Here's to health.
Here's to sick time from work, insurance, painkillers and a cure.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
My son had a spinal tap as an infant to rule out Meningitis for a bad ear infection. They sent my wife and I to another part of the hospital to wait. I know that he was shrieking his head off because when we got back, he was very tired and covered in sweat. I know that really doesn't help your freaking out, LOA, but you triggered that memory. Even though it didn't happen to me, I don't want to go through that ever again.
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
Well, if anyone ever tries playing that (awful) movie This is Spinal Tap you can kick their ass over the experience.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
HA! I also cant stand Monty Python! Any of it! BWHAHAHAAH!!!
Now I'm one of those "social pinata's" you were speaking of earlier....
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
And I thought I was well on the road to Cantankerous Old Man-itude. Jason must be that disappearing/reappearing blip I keep seeing far up on the horizon.
-------------------- "The French have a saying: 'mise en place'—keep everything in its fucking place!"
Registered: Jun 2000
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Da_bang80
A few sectors short of an Empire
Member # 528
posted
"He also cannot account for the major visual disturbances I've been having when I change from a sitting or laying position to a standing one"
I don't know if it's the same as yours, but I get that once in a while. The first time it happened was on my first day of work, but I was standing when it happened. My vision went totally black and I almost fell over from the dizziness, and I couldn't remember where I was for a few seconds.
It was actually kind of scary
-------------------- Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I cannot accept. And the wisdom to hide the bodies of all the people I had to kill today because they pissed me off.
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