Friday, May 13, 2011

Blogger, Headaches and a Missing Baby Monitor

Today's post will be a little bit random. It's been a random sort of day and blogger being down for a day and a half has me (blogger addict that I apparently am) feeling a little bit off (blog-wise at least). Or maybe it was today's trip to the doctor...

No, no, the rumors that are apparently flying around town are not true (apparently three people have asked one of my best friends if I'm pregnant recently... It was not that kind of doctor's appointment.). Paul finally got worried enough about the migraines that he made another doctor's appointment for me (but not that long ago they said there was pretty much nothing we could do while I'm nursing!) and Nani watched both girls at the same time (the first time that's happened!) and we both went in to the clinic.

Then I went over my super-scary-to-me migraine symptoms with the nurse. Here's the rundown: Usually it starts with my speech slurring. I'll have a hard time saying certain sounds like "w." I'll feel kind of drunk and have a hard time thinking about pretty much anything. If Paul's around he'll usually ask me why I'm so quiet and when I respond that I can't think of anything he'll be tipped off the the fact that I am about to have a migraine and will let me know (the downside of not being able to think of pretty much anything is that I'm slow on the uptake realizing that the migraine is starting...). Then the right side of my face and hands go numb (if Paul isn't around this is when I realize on my own that I'm having a migraine). This is followed by the actual headache, nausea, and fun little sparks of light flashing in front of my eyes. Sometime hydrocordone (or however you spell it) works. Sometimes it doesn't.

This last time there was a new symptom and it was the one that caused Paul to demand a doctor's appointment. It was the far-off-I-can-hardly-hear-anything-and-I-might-just-pass-out symptom. It was pretty much exactly like what it sounds like as you begin to lose consciousness.

And I told the nurse all that and she wrote it down and said that a lot of the symptoms sounded like it could be a neck problem. Then the doctor listened to all the problems and said the same thing.

Related side note: In college I was pretty in to full contract sports. I played rugby and surfed and did tournament fighting (I'm a black belt in Shorin Ryu Karate). And I hurt my back and took the people in the SMC health clinic at their word when they said I was fine and kept playing for a little over a year before limping in to an orthopedic specialist and finding out that pretty much every full contact sport was a thing of the past and that I had a herniated (and probably ruptured) disk in my lower back (after four epidurals and lots of prayer it's pretty much as close to 100% as is possible).

But the thing that stood out as the doctor talked about neck injuries today was the words of this particular spinal specialist when he first talked with me about the injury. I was having shooting pain and numbness in my legs and so they did x-rays and MRIs of my lumbar spine. However, as I described what had happened he said: "That's strange. I would have thought that would have broken your neck."

Yup. Which is what has me a tad bit worried tonight after talking with the doctor today.

So they're sending me to get x-rays (on Monday morning) at the hospital. And I'm sure it's nothing. Okay. I hope it's nothing. I'm hoping it's just these crazy post baby hormones that have my head acting so out-of-control.

In other, much more light-hearted news I had this conversation today:

Me: "Paul, could you turn on the baby monitor?"
Sadie (in a gleeful voice): "I hid the baby monitor!"
Me: "Where did you hide it?"
Sadie: (silence)

and the sound heard from the backseat of the car yesterday:

"This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy had roast beef, and this little piggy had none and this little piggy went Wee Wee Wee all the way home!" as Sadie tickled a sleeping Mae's feet...


  1. So scary--I feel ya. I hate that numbness and aphasia--it makes you feel like you're having a stroke since that's what the warning signs of a stroke are. I hope they figure out something for you, and hopefully it has nothing to do with your neck! Prayers! Please post an update!

    St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us.
    St. Denis, pray for us.

  2. Prayers coming your way in hopes that all is easily fixable!

  3. I do hope everything will be okay and it's only a minor thing. Keep us updated.

  4. After your x-ray go to a chiropractor, even if you have degenerative changes there are many gentle techniques. Of course, I am biased, and do not promote drugs. You sound strong and aware of your body. Let me know if you have any questions.

