And yes, that even includes the week I was laid flat because of a migrane of doom. At least I knew what was going on, then.
Week before finals, everything is due, and what happens?
ER visit on Sunday night: during a hot shower, the muscles in my arms and legs seized up into "claws" that I couldn't use. The ER nurse wants blood tests and a CAT scan. ER doctor (after 3 hours of me sitting around) decides it was nothing but a tension headache, gives me painkillers for the headache and neck pain and an anti-nausea drug to make sure I keep them down (since one was a tylenol derivative, and I haven't been able to keep those down for years).
Monday: I don't go to class, I hurt too much. Change my chiropractic appointment to earlier in the day, get seen. We discuss "next steps" -- he has theories, but no proof, but does confirm the ER doc being an idiot. Chiropractor works his magic and the headache finally goes away, as does to sharp neck pain. All that remains is the stiff, dull muscular ache. Later that day I get an appointment for the student health center. That doc has her own theories, but also confirms ER doc being an idiot. Both of them (chiropractor and SHC doc) tell me to only fill the painkiller perscription out if I think I'll need it. Turns out, I'm starting to run a fever -- oh, right, I was down with a cold a week ago. Guess what the word of the day is: relapse!
Wednesday: after having blood drawn on Tuesday, I get the results on Wednesday... and the funniest doctors orders in my life: eat salty foods like chips and pretzels, your sodium level is down (and of course make sure to drink lots of water). I still have a fever of 99.
So, I've missed the entire week of class, and I'm only stumbling into school today, right now, because my idiot stat teacher decided on the final being today. I have no hope of passing the class (my own fault, not a result of this, not really), but I'll take it anyway.
Speaking of the final, I need to go take it now. I will continue this rant when I get back from class.
Well that was the worst week of my life
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UGH!
I'd hug you but you'd probably break
Jeez, I hope the final is all you have to do today, go home and sleep.
I'd hug you but you'd probably break
Jeez, I hope the final is all you have to do today, go home and sleep. Author of Repurposed
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StarFyre
- Ancient Dragon
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Well, apparently I heard wrong and there shall be no final, just the test that was on Monday that I missed. Oh well, guess I'm failing without a doubt. I really can't bring myself to care. And arguing that I was sick these past weeks will only give me an Incomplete, which will let me retake the last test... not enough to save me, I think. Now, my OTHER classes, such as the Computer Securities class, my teacher offered me an Incomplete, so I can take the final later on, and that's worth it, because I've done pretty well in the class so far.
The fever broke yesterday, and I've been starting to feel better, but my chiropractor told me to not go to class today. Stupid me, I thought, pftah, I'll be fine, right? My left leg is finally letting me walk (I had a limp for the entire week, because my left leg felt all... unstable, is the best word I have for it. Like I couldn't trust my weight to it, because something might give -- not precisely a weakness, just a 'wrongness' in how it felt when I put weight on it), I can move relatively well without pain, and my neck isn't too bad, right? Right?
Well, only if I stay in the house. My knee almost gave out, and my neck aches. Blarg.
And the real problem is that my body is tired, but my mind is too active to fall asleep. And I'm out of books to read.
I've been doing bits of art, but there's only so long I can my hands from shaking or my arms from hurting.
Sigh.
The fever broke yesterday, and I've been starting to feel better, but my chiropractor told me to not go to class today. Stupid me, I thought, pftah, I'll be fine, right? My left leg is finally letting me walk (I had a limp for the entire week, because my left leg felt all... unstable, is the best word I have for it. Like I couldn't trust my weight to it, because something might give -- not precisely a weakness, just a 'wrongness' in how it felt when I put weight on it), I can move relatively well without pain, and my neck isn't too bad, right? Right?
Well, only if I stay in the house. My knee almost gave out, and my neck aches. Blarg.
And the real problem is that my body is tired, but my mind is too active to fall asleep. And I'm out of books to read.
I've been doing bits of art, but there's only so long I can my hands from shaking or my arms from hurting.
Sigh.
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StarFyre
- Ancient Dragon
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The current working theory relies on a couple of pieces of information:
Firstly: The top vertebra it my spine, good ol' C1, is slightly off-kilter and slightly rotated. For the past three months I've been visiting the chiropractor in order to correct this problem, and for the most part it's been getting better.
Secondly: The week before this happened, I was down with some sort of viral infection, probably a cold of some variety or another. I brushed it off and went back to school two days after I was knocked on my ass by it.
So, what they think happened was this:
Of course, I didn't get over the viral infection. Only two days is not enough time, but because I had things to do, and felt well enough, I went off to do them. They think the infection, combined with very hot water on my neck at that specific point of weakness, C1, caused some swelling that caused nerves to be pinched. It doesn't help that I have low sodium levels, which also messes with the nervous system. Now, I haven't had any MRIs or CAT scans or any other expensive tests done, so I can't permanently rule out several other (very, very major) issues, but I'm not showing any physical symptoms of those other problems -- no weakness, no tingling, no loss of sensation, I didn't see floaters in front of my eyes during the episode, and it only really touched my lower extremities (so below the elbows and knees, I had almost full control of upper arms and upper legs), and never touched my torso in any way. No inability to breath (beyond panic), no abnormal heart pattern that I could feel (in fact, it was racing, a nice, solid oh-hell-what's-happening?! racing).
((So, guys, if you eat home-cooked meals all the time? I'm not saying dump salt like there's no tomorrow, but make sure there's enough. I know for a fact that, through no intention of my own, my sodium levels are down because the food I eat is being home cooked. Unfortunately for me ( 0.o;; strange thing to say... ), I don't eat fast food more than maybe once or twice a week, I don't eat pickles, chips, or half a dozen other things that are high in salt because I usually don't like the flavor. I wonder how much of my life I've been sodium-deficient... that would explain my strange habit of just dumping a small pile of salt on my hand and eating it 0.o;; ))
Firstly: The top vertebra it my spine, good ol' C1, is slightly off-kilter and slightly rotated. For the past three months I've been visiting the chiropractor in order to correct this problem, and for the most part it's been getting better.
Secondly: The week before this happened, I was down with some sort of viral infection, probably a cold of some variety or another. I brushed it off and went back to school two days after I was knocked on my ass by it.
So, what they think happened was this:
Of course, I didn't get over the viral infection. Only two days is not enough time, but because I had things to do, and felt well enough, I went off to do them. They think the infection, combined with very hot water on my neck at that specific point of weakness, C1, caused some swelling that caused nerves to be pinched. It doesn't help that I have low sodium levels, which also messes with the nervous system. Now, I haven't had any MRIs or CAT scans or any other expensive tests done, so I can't permanently rule out several other (very, very major) issues, but I'm not showing any physical symptoms of those other problems -- no weakness, no tingling, no loss of sensation, I didn't see floaters in front of my eyes during the episode, and it only really touched my lower extremities (so below the elbows and knees, I had almost full control of upper arms and upper legs), and never touched my torso in any way. No inability to breath (beyond panic), no abnormal heart pattern that I could feel (in fact, it was racing, a nice, solid oh-hell-what's-happening?! racing).
((So, guys, if you eat home-cooked meals all the time? I'm not saying dump salt like there's no tomorrow, but make sure there's enough. I know for a fact that, through no intention of my own, my sodium levels are down because the food I eat is being home cooked. Unfortunately for me ( 0.o;; strange thing to say... ), I don't eat fast food more than maybe once or twice a week, I don't eat pickles, chips, or half a dozen other things that are high in salt because I usually don't like the flavor. I wonder how much of my life I've been sodium-deficient... that would explain my strange habit of just dumping a small pile of salt on my hand and eating it 0.o;; ))
I was thinking that same thing about your spine. The swelling with the hot water is definitely something to think on: get a cold pack on your neck, even if it's awful. Takes the swelling down.
Takes the swelling down.Author of Repurposed
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StarFyre
- Ancient Dragon
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Small update on this:
After a month or two of pretty much "Yeah, everything's going pretty well." I have to miss classes and run to the chiropractor today because I'm in *that much pain*
Chiropractor is worried. He wants MRI of the head done, to make absolutely bloody sure that he's not missing anything, because these spikes seem to come without rhyme or reason, and while they're getting generally farther apart, that's not good enough for him to feel comfortable.
So, he's going to call the student health center and start the ball rolling on discussing what's going on and what the two of them can do together. We'll see what happens -- I do have standing orders to return to the chiropractor tomorrow if the headache and neck pain aren't gone by then, of course.
At the moment, no one's saying anything about what could be wrong, because no one knows what *could* be wrong. Any number of things *could* be wrong, and any combination of things *could* be causing this. None of these things or combinations are good, though.
I'll keep y'all updated as best as possible.
After a month or two of pretty much "Yeah, everything's going pretty well." I have to miss classes and run to the chiropractor today because I'm in *that much pain*
Chiropractor is worried. He wants MRI of the head done, to make absolutely bloody sure that he's not missing anything, because these spikes seem to come without rhyme or reason, and while they're getting generally farther apart, that's not good enough for him to feel comfortable.
So, he's going to call the student health center and start the ball rolling on discussing what's going on and what the two of them can do together. We'll see what happens -- I do have standing orders to return to the chiropractor tomorrow if the headache and neck pain aren't gone by then, of course.
At the moment, no one's saying anything about what could be wrong, because no one knows what *could* be wrong. Any number of things *could* be wrong, and any combination of things *could* be causing this. None of these things or combinations are good, though.
I'll keep y'all updated as best as possible.
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StarFyre
- Ancient Dragon
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There are two absolute worse cases, because I'm not sure which is worse-worse than the other.
First: There could be some sort of cancer or pre-cancer in my h-e-d. I think this is a bit far fetched, because the only symptom I show is headaches - not enough to point conclusively to cancer of the brain.
Second, and much more realistic: Through the many falls that I've taken during my life, I already know that C1, the top vertebra in the spine, has become misaligned. What else has been affected? For all I know, there might be some sort of swelling that never went away completely, and basically fluctuates between "mostly gone" and "swollen enough to put pressure on things"
Worst case scenario, I have to have some sort of surgery. Which will probably keep me from graduating this semester. Can't afford that, but I can't really afford to keel over either, so eeeehhh...
Best case scenario, C1 is much looser than previously thought, and all my efforts to build those muscles back up have only made it more likely that the headache from C1 pushing on the nerves is also accompanied by pain at C1, because it's now actively fighting muscle tissue. No idea what they'll do in that case, but really that's the best I can hope for.
First: There could be some sort of cancer or pre-cancer in my h-e-d. I think this is a bit far fetched, because the only symptom I show is headaches - not enough to point conclusively to cancer of the brain.
Second, and much more realistic: Through the many falls that I've taken during my life, I already know that C1, the top vertebra in the spine, has become misaligned. What else has been affected? For all I know, there might be some sort of swelling that never went away completely, and basically fluctuates between "mostly gone" and "swollen enough to put pressure on things"
Worst case scenario, I have to have some sort of surgery. Which will probably keep me from graduating this semester. Can't afford that, but I can't really afford to keel over either, so eeeehhh...
Best case scenario, C1 is much looser than previously thought, and all my efforts to build those muscles back up have only made it more likely that the headache from C1 pushing on the nerves is also accompanied by pain at C1, because it's now actively fighting muscle tissue. No idea what they'll do in that case, but really that's the best I can hope for.
