Just needed to be heard for a little while

Pyxis

Way-hay WaSsie!
Glad you're ok!
I think we'd forgotten you had tandem hospital appointments!

Really glad the voices don't like the sea! Maybe they're afraid of drowning! Told you Cynthia could come in handy!:D

Would listening to sea 'music' have the same effect?

whitewing

Waves_and_Smiles wrote: »

Don't worry, I didn't freak out after my trip but I do have a new and shiny diagnosis! Back in a bit!

The mistress of suspense today....

Waves_and_Smiles

Back with coffee! I now have an appointment pending to see a neurologist. What I have thought was migraine and/or psychosis headaches for all this time seem to be cluster headaches. I was woken up an hour after sleeping by an unbelievable pain in my head, it felt like a screwdriver boring into my skull in time to my pulse. So I took my usual pain meds and laid back down and it got worse and worse. WaSp woke up and said my eye was bloodshot and drooping and so was the corner of my mouth. That was something of a panic. The pain meds did nothing at all, I have a high pain threshold but it was too much even for me. It would ease for 30 minutes and then stab me in the head again for another 15, it was soooo painful.

We went to A&E and they wired me up to a heart monitor, my blood pressure was through the roof so that was checked every 30 minutes. There was then a 4 hour wait for a neurologist to arrive, by this time I was being sick with pain as I am with my worse 'migraines'.

He asked a lot of questions about my migraines, more so than anyone has before and told me it wasn't migraine and it's likely I don't have psychosis headaches either. Cluster headaches are even worse pain than migraine apparently and are linked to endocrine disorders. The hypothalamus sends chemicals to the brain (no one is sure why) to widen all the blood vessels, hence the unbelievable pain. It can be triggered by some food, stress, physical exercise (hence why it happened after my seaside trip) and sometimes just happen randomly. He told the nurse to give me an injection of something called Imigran and it eased within 15 minutes, in 30 it was gone entirely which proved his diagnosis.

I now have a nasal spray of Imigran to use as soon as I get any pain to tighten the blood vessels when they open in future and I am waiting for an appointment with the neurologist to arrive who will try to work on prevention.

So that was different, 13 medications now...

Pyxis

Goodness, WaS!

And we just thought you were sleeping off the seaside experience!

But, every cloud...........!
At least you don't now have to suffer those headaches any more!

And if voices don't like the seaside, you will have to move there! Toute suite!

Waves_and_Smiles

I will! I couldn't believe that they shut up!

Another interesting fact about Cluster headaches is they are worse if you lie down. I have done that with every previous headache and it was totally the wrong thing to do. Sitting upright or even standing can help far more. It is such a relief not to be in pain, hopefully I have the correct medication now so the days of long headaches are hopefully in the past.

From a psychological/medical point of view it is interesting how everything is linked. One of the first things I was asked was if I have any autoimmune disorders or thyroid problems. It seems one condition triggers another and then it all tumbles like a house of cards. I really would like to study this one day, it is fascinating (would be more so if it wasn't happening to me but still...).

Pyxis

Yes, and similarly, one can't help wondering if finding the right catalyst would lead to the untangling of all your linked auto-immune problems!
If only one could find it!
Still, the breakthrough the seaside trip made was startling, to say the least!

How's Sir Pugliet? Does he still have sand between his toes?

Waves_and_Smiles

He is actually sandy! he sat with me on the beach, he must have been digging when I wasn't looking!

I have wondered that about endocrine/auto immune disorders, too. If they are all connected then if you could fix one would it fix the rest of the symptoms? I think I am going to have to find some kind of relevant course to study when my bioethics is over, I still question why Schizophrenia appeared at the same time that they did.

Pyxis

I think you're right. It's too much of a coincidence.

Well, I'm well and truly in love with sloths now! Unfortunately there aren't any 'sloth experiences' in this country. There might be some in the States or South America. I might do a penguin experience. We'll see!
Did you see my post about the Tapir experience?

Waves_and_Smiles

I did and I want to go! I adore Tapir's, I fell in love with them when I learnt that they like rolling over to have their tummies tickled! They are such an old species, but are very curious about humans and not afraid at all. I would love to go to that experience!

Everyone should love sloth's, they are really so cute! They have cuddly sloth's on Amazon, I may have checked...

In other news I just helped a huge spider up into the corner of the room. It fell off the wall 5 times trying to get there and I felt sorry for it. It's possibly drunk...

oystercatcher

There are sloths at London Zoo

Not sure when this link is dated from but I thought I remembered seeing some there.


http://www.zsl.org/videos/zoo-babies/surprise-sloth-baby-at-zsl-london-zoo