Ok... many of the people who read my blog probably were unaware that I have been suffering for the last three days with what I thought was the mother of all migraines. My head hurt so badly that it honestly felt like my head was going to crack open. It felt better when I had a spinal fluid leak after my spinal tap several years ago than the head pain I've had in the last three days. The first day, Wednesday, around 1 pm, just before it started to rain heavily, my head started to throb. Jane kindly gave me a Advil Cold and Sinus and, before heading out to my SIL's Books, Cookies, and Conversation meeting (I didn't want to miss another one. My SIL is WAY too important for me to not be there for her), I downed two tylenol in an effort to control that evil throb. I am glad to say that it was a mild annoyance during the Book talk. But, on the way home, it started to kick up again. I took one of my "Vicodin" that I keep in reserve for the REALLY bad head pain migraines and went to bed. I woke up feeling better and felt that we really nailed that migraine before it took over. If only I had known...
The next evening, after a day of working in basement, in which I understand I was a little bit on the "grouchy" side (Ok... another word would fit better... this is a family blog), I noticed that I was getting a really odd rash. It didn't bother me toooooooo much, since I figured it was one of two things. It was either a heat rash or it was some kind of dermo-skin allergy rash. Around 9 pm, I started to feel "funny". Lightheaded, blurred vision, waves of warmth, neck stiffness. Immediately, I went downstairs to take my glucose reading (being hypoglycemic for 20 years, lightheaded is usually my first reaction). It was normal. I, on a whim, took my temp. I couldn't believe my thermometer! 101.6! No way could that be right. I, in general, felt fine. So, I borrowed Stephen's thermometer. 101.7! Hmmmm! Let's find a non-digital thermometer. So, I borrowed Jane's thermometer. As I sat there, I realized I couldn't read the clock. So, I counted to 300 and found Jane to read it for me. In Jane's defense, I don't think she understood HOW much pain I was in with my head. She is a very caring wonderful lady who would never let me unneedlessly suffer. Jane read it as 99.something. I breathe a sigh of relief and settle down to watch the ceiling start sprouting blurry grass.
As I prepared for bed, I grabbed my puke bucket (
Hyacinth) - a reference that British Comedy lovers will understand - and went to bed. No stomach awareness moments occurred that night, but the temp., according to Stephen's thermometer, was 102.8, at 3 am. I was getting worried.
The next morning, I was back to normal, temp wise, but still had a lingering headache. I thought that this was starting to get VERY annoying and, perhaps I should go to Urgent Care to get some pain meds. I decided, at that point, since I was schedule to see my family doctor on Saturday, wait it out. My fever was gone... I was fine, right?
AT quarter to 4, I took my temp. again. 101.8! YIKE! We started pushing fluids and gave me aspirin at 4. When we took the temp. right before dinner, after three bottles of water and two full strength aspirin, it was now 102.4! Jane was now looking a little worried. I asked when, if at all, we should start worrying about this temp. I never register a normal temp.! So, to me, this was starting to worry me... especially as my neck was getting MORE and more stiff. Jane told me to wait til Saturday, since I already had an appointment. My Stephen concurred. I wasn't totally sold on this, since I was still getting a little scared, since I start work on MONDAY. But, I trust my family, RIGHT?????
Before bed, my temp. was 102.7. At 3 am, it was over 103! Now, I am getting really freaked. The shower I had before bed and the icee weren't working!!!! And my neck was now feeling worse than my head. And, my head was no picnic. Believe me! FLASH forward to this morning.... at 9:10 am, I walk into the doctor's office. He sees me within 5 minutes of getting in the room and checks my rash that appeared several days earlier and that "mysterious bruise" I'd had for several weeks. Needless to say, my bruise kinda looked like a bullseye. But, with the neck stiffness, I got sent to the ER. L. Regional, here we come!
Before you ask... no, that isn't my bullseye. Mine is in a place that I really cannot show on the internet. But it looked like the very first inside ring level of the one above. Expect mine is perfectly round.
Ok.... back to my story! When we get to L. Regional, we get triaged immediately. They shove a mask on me, put me in a low pressure room, and pretty much quarantine the hospital room. They took an EKG, a chest x-ray, and several LARGE bottles of blood... three of them looking remarkably like large Tabasco bottles ( I was told they were specimen bottles for CBC) - they still were trying to rule out Meningitis. Then, they did a chest x-ray and told me to hang on to see if they were going to have to do a lumbar puncture. EEEEEEEK! Not another one! NEVER! But, I didn't say that. I just started praying VERY hard. Jane stayed with me and read from her Jasper Fforde book (Something Rotten - book 4 in the Thursday Next series). Something about Jane and Emergency Rooms makes her want to read to me and I LOVED every second of it.
In comes the chest xray. Then, after about 2 hours, the doctor comes back and says, "You don't have
meningitis. Tests won't be back on Lyme for three days... but..." I leave with a script for an antibiotic, a paper that might as well say, "SO you have Lyme Disease!" that details what it is, how it is treated, symptoms, and how you'll probably feel, and the normal 'if you feel worse' letter.
I want to know... WHY ME? Why three days before the start of my new job do I have to go and get diagnosed with something that may or may not (doctor danced around that one) reduce my headache to the point I can shove boxes on Monday. ACKKKKKK!
