Are you loopy, too?
Then there's a pair of us - don't tell!
They'd banish us, you know.
How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring blog!
(With many, many, many apologies to Emily Dickinson)
OK - all silliness aside here...
I've had a bit of a medical scare this week, and now I've got nothing but time to dwell upon it for the next couple of days. I thought that maybe getting some of this out on paper might help me to get it not-so-much in my head, if that makes any sense.
However - if you stopped by hoping the knitting, or the cooking, or the Schecky's poeming was going to be featured - well, you might want to check back another day. Today's prospects are not so good.
The important stuff. I'm going to be fine. I should be fine. This is probably not going to turn out to be much of anything... Just wanted to get that out of the way for those of you sweet peas who worry.
Long story short - I've had crushing headaches and vertigo for a week now. Not fun. It started off mild, but persistent, but by the weekend it was on and off. So I chose to ignore it. Anyhow, I'd decided that it was probably something sinus-y, and that if I ignored it, or willed it to get better, it would go away.
But then it started being more on than off. And when the dizziness struck, it struck hard. And personally, if I'm going to be stuck with a terrible case of the room spins? I'd like to have earned it the fun way - too many margaritas! Not just getting hit with it out of the blue...
It reached a point yesterday where the headache and nausea were persistent and bad. And I was driving - WITH SCHECKY IN THE CAR - and all of a sudden, the world turned absolutely upside down. It scared me silly. I didn't lose control of the car, but I realized that it could have just as easily gone the other way. I headed immediately to a doctor's office.
Oh yeah - side note? I'm a freak. I don't like to go to the doctor. I'm not anti-doctor, by any means. At the slightest sign of sniffle, I take Schecky. I am religious about going to the dentist, the dermatologist, the OB/GYN as many times as year as you're supposed to go. It's just the plain old regular doctor that I'm not a fan of. Don't know why, I just don't. I seem to have this misguided notion that I can cure anything that's wrong with me by sheer. force. of. will!
Anyhow - this doctor was wonderful - explained to me all the possible causes of vertigo, etc. - while reassuring me that I probably didn't have any of the scary ones. Until he started ruling out the not-scary ones. No sinus infection, no middle ear infection, etc.
So we moved on the the scary causes - like tumors. Or metabolic disorders (never have I had to give so many tubes of blood) So there was some scary waiting time as test results trickled back in. Then, the nurse noticed that by blood pressure and heart rate were all wonky. When I laid down it was normal. Like textbook normal. Ditto if I sat up. But when I stood up? It plummeted. Apparently a small drop is normal, but they were really worried about mine. Enough so that I got hooked up to an EKG machine, and that tests were immediately run to determine that I wasn't having a stroke, or a heart attack. (Or that I hadn't already had one, and just didn't know it!)
I was trying to be all brave - but on the inside I was really scared. Holy crap! I'm 38 years old. I know, I know - bad things happen to 38 year-olds. Even heart attacks and strokes. But I'm not supposed to be one of those 38 year-olds, you know???
This is getting too long, so let me wind it up. I've not had a heart attack, or a stroke. YAY! They are baffled as to what is causing my heart rate and blood pressure to drop - and it's something I've got to keep an eye on. Best guess? That the wicked-ass inner ear infection they suspect is causing the vertigo has really done a number on me, and that my whole system is stressed. Hopefully, when the inner ear infection gets cleared up - the rest should follow. Frustratingly, though - the inner ear infection is a virus, so it has just got to finish running its course.
In the meantime, though, I have some very, very, very sweet anti-vertigo medicine. It basically deals with the vertigo by knocking you out. Which isn't bad. And, before the knocking out occurs - I feel very dreamy, very floaty. I love everybody. Which is definitely not bad. I'm kind of loving my meds...
I'm forbidden from driving a car. For the next few days - I am not supposed to do anything except lie around and sleep. My doctor even ordered Bubba to wait on me hand and foot. And, as embarrassing as it is to have to call your husband in the middle of the day and say "Can you come get me?", like you're some 13 year old calling Mom after you got stuck at the mall - let me just say that when your husband comes into the doctor's office and sees you hooked up to an EKG machine??? He'll pretty much agree to do anything the doctor says!
(And poor Bubba was already freaked out before he saw that. He found out that I had gone to the doctor's only when he called my cell to ask a question about "when's dinner" and Schecky answered it and informed him that "Mommy can't come to the phone right now because we're at the doctor's office and they're taking all her blood!" He absolutely freaked, because he KNOWS I never go to the doctor. Poor Bubba, that call aged him 5 years...)
So - good drugs and bed rest are all that's on my plate for the upcoming few days. I like it when the meds make me floaty (and not care that the room is going round and round and round) but I like it better when they knock me out.
Because then I stop thinking about all the scary stuff.
Like having to think about your own mortality.
And how healthy you really are.
And how things can turn out so differently...
Anyhow - the siren song of the little yellow pill is calling, and I am going to succumb to it. And if you've made it this far - my apologies for all teh rambling...
Did I mention that one of the major side effects of my medicine is "inability to think clearly"???? It's listed right on the patient info insert...
*I started to use a word that don't mean nothin', like looptid.
27 comments:
Oh, honey! Be at one with the floaty place and know that we're thinking of you and sending positive vibes to your corner of the universe.
((((((Hugs!))))))
i'm glad you're safely on the ground and look forward to the resolution/confirmation that you are a boring patient and the world is only spinning as it should.
Good lord woman! You keep your ass in bed and get better!!! Thank goodness for floaty pills :)
Oh my gawd! I hope this all clears up really quickly. Sending stable thoughts.
Well, as long as it's nothing reeeeeally bad ('cause dizziness is bad enough)-- this is a great opportunity to get some rest. Maybe Schecky could read you some bedtime stories. Maybe he could even guest blog for you to keep us informed! ;-) Get Well Soon!!!
oh my! please take it easy and i hope all will be well. That is super scarey, and vertigo can't be fun...altho a great movie. :D
I sang on Doowhutchalike, and if ya missed it, I'm the one who said just grab 'em in the biscuits....
meh. so sorry you are going through this. so glad it's just an inner ear infection.
reminds me of the time the doctors said i had a brain anyerism and couldn't find it. i had a lot of the same symptoms. turned out i was subluxated. dumbfucks.
Oh my, I hope this thing passes quickly. I have had 2 really bad periods of vertigo and they are truly awful.
Float, float my sweet cookie friend until the infection is all gone!
My opinion is, (you know I'm a nurse so it's a qualified opinion) all that knowledge you've got crammed in that head of yours is just stretching around trying to make room. It's all those smarts making you dizzy.
Seriously though, rest and feel better soon! Great big hugs and kisses coming your way!!
Wow, floaty and lying in bed - sounds like where I was a couple months ago, altho for a different reason. Poor Bubba, my husband would totally freak out. What a wierd thing - I'm so gla d they don't think it's serious. Scary for you though, while they were tying to figure it out!
You take care!
Glad to hear that's it's nothing serious. And a great excuse to be waited on hand and foot!
Yikes! I thought it had been awfully quiet lately from BFC-land.
I went through something sort of similar a few years back. I kept having dizzy spells and I was scared to drive my little babies around. They told me it was an inner ear infection too. Let me just tell you, you DO NOT MESS WITH THE INNER EAR! That *&%$ will MESS YOU UP. But it got better and I haven't had any problems since.
Please take it easy. I'm sure Bubba and Schecky as well as your doctors will be keeping a close eye on you. And so will we! Here's lots of healing hugs from this direction!
First, I felt very connected to today's post because my nickname is LOOPY!!!! lol Only family calls me that...and not because I am 'loopy'...it morphed out of my father calling me "Honda loopty loop" for most of my childhood years (not sure how he came up with it...whatever) into just "loopy".
And I was tickled to death to find what I **think** is the genesis of your tagline...I saw the Emerald nut commercial with Robert Goulet two nights ago!! I had never seen it and I do watch a fair amount of t.v. How had I never seen it before??? lol Too funny!!!!!
HOly crap! That's way scary. I'm so sorry and do hope that it's just a weird ear thing that will be going away very soon and until then, enjoy sleepy, druggie land. Bigs hugs coming your way.
I hope it's all cleared up really quickly & you are back to yourself!!!
Holy cow -- how terrifying! I hope you are feeling better and seriously on the mend. Sending you healing, stabilizing thoughts and hugs. . . .
Oh man, health problems really suck.
Although I have yet to achieve inner peace (so who am I to recommend it?), the more I read about the connection between state of mind and health, the more I believe it has a real and strong effect.
So enjoy the hell out of those floaty drugs! It sounds like they're putting you in a good mental place.
I hope you are feeling better!
Oh sweetie! I hope you feel better very soon!
I have only had vertigo once in my life, and it was absolutely horrible so I can't imagine how you feel! Keep taking those pills and get better soon:)
Oh my gosh!!!! You poor thing!! Go lay down, rest, eat ice cream stat!
We love you! hope all turns out well!!
Oh LLA! I hope you are feeling better soon. Thank goodness for floaty pills and great husbands! :)
Oh my gosh, that is scary! But, I'm glad that you are OK.
When I was in the hospital after giving birth, I had to be given a sedative that sort of put me in a semi-concicous state--very pleasant, I can assure you. The next time that I saw the anesthesologist(however its spelled), I declared to him (still feeling loopy), "You are the one who gave me the floaty juice!" :)
LLA, what a scare! I hope they figure this all out quickly. In the meantime, I hope you are waited on hand and foot and get some much needed rest. I am thinking of you my friend!
Thank God you made it to the doctor's office okay.
The few episode of vertigo I've had, I couldn't even stand up!
How on earth you managed to drive is beyond me.
Please take care of yourself and enjoy those floaty pills.
I love them :)
oh,hon. Feel better soon!
how awful! you've had such sickness this year. wow. they better find out what's wrong with you quick like, otherwise... well, it won't be good for "them."
and yes, you are too young to have these problems!
and if you're still coming home the 1st week of July then i can meet you; we're not going anywhere after all. boo hoo on that! but hurray on seeing you!
Hello, I have been reading the blog and I can relate. Iam going through some scary virtigo issues. Same thing head ache and such. I have went to the Dr and she said I had some ear stuff going on. How long did it take for you ear to clear up? I am actually on Anitbotics now. I so hope I don't havea brain tumor either.
Cocosmoothy@aol.com
Post a Comment