I ended up in the emergency room today. I really didn’t want to make a big deal of it, even more so, I didn’t want to admit how scared I was. I’ve been fighting a migraine since three am yesterday. While not fun it’s not the worst or longest one I’ve had. When I was pregnant for Mad I experienced one for fifteen straight days and remained hospitalized the entire time while they ran test after test on me trying to figure out the cause. After a MRI they had decided I had an aneurism rupture in my brain. Thankfully they were able to rule that out after a spinal tap. The only relief of the dreadful endless headache was giving birth to my precious premature baby girl. The headache was instantly gone and I didn’t experience another one like it until nineteen days before I gave birth to Bitty. Same thing, no real understanding of why I had it and the only cure was giving birth to our fourth premature miracle. Thankfully with that pregnancy I was allowed to stay home on bed rest. The last week before they induced me I refused all form of medication to prevent her from having to stay in NICU for an extended amount of time. It was a brutal week, but so worth it for my lil one.
Needless to say. This headache business is no fun. I had an unusual amount of salt intake (I don’t cook with salt at all) on Sunday and just chalked it up to that. I cook so healthy at home that eating that Chinese food and then even pizza that evening with friends was more than my body is used to anymore. Yesterday was no fun. Sunlight made me queezy. Sound wasn’t all that pleasant. But life could be worse and it didn’t prevent me from making it to our girls two different events. Besides after rocking the migraines I did while pregnant, shouldn’t this be a walk in the park? Okay, so not quite, but you get the point.
So this morning I wake up and yep it’s still lingering. Only I had a very sharp pain on the right side of my head that rushed across my right side of face and it all instantly went numb for a few minutes and then started tingling. Scared me a good bit knowing our family history and that my Granny had an aneurism rupture in her brain and my Maw-Maw had one rupture in her stomach. But almost a quick as it all came on the pain, numbness, and tingling let up. So I messaged Matt at work and he was instantly worried. I really didn’t want to make a big deal of it, but then it happened again as we were discussing it. Damn it! So I called a doctor and told the receptionist what happened and she casually booked me an appointment for this afternoon. When it happened a third time I was getting uneasy with it and feeling unsure about waiting all day. I didn’t want to make Matt have to rush home, and Lord knows I did not want to go to the hospital. So I called a nurse at my other doctor and she said I absolutely needed to get to the hospital right away and should be worried, even beyond the family history. Ugh! That was not what I wanted to hear. So being me, I asked my neighbor to drop me off at the hospital. I really didn’t want to worry anyone. So my son went with me while my mom stayed home with my little ladies. They rushed me back and as soon as the doctor ordered a cat scan I really got scared. And that’s when I called Matt and admitted that I was there and apologized for trying to protect him from worrying by not telling him. Let’s face it, anyone that knows me knows I would have been livid if the shoe had been on the other foot. I absolutely should not have tried to keep it from him regardless of my desire to protect him. He’s my husband and the first person that should have been in the know. I was beyond relieved that he was on his way. Especially since I had to have a cat scan. I am so claustrophobic and no matter how open that big machine is it still gives me anxiety to have to go through it. Thankfully it was quick and painless, which didn’t prevent the tears. I was relieved to get it over with. And even more so when the results were back and they were good!
The doctor said he believes my concerns were accurate. He thinks the unusual for me amount of salt intake triggered the migraine. And that he feels the numbness and tingling is a type of side affect of the migraine. He sent me home with meds and said if it continues beyond a few days I need to see a neurologist. I came home and slept off the meds they gave me that made me groggy beyond words. Unfortunately when I woke up the headache is still here as is the numbness and tingling in my face that is slowly working it’s working it’s way across my face. So it looks like a waiting game until my body decides to let it go. As I continue to drink a ton of water. It’s no fun, obviously, but I am beyond thankful that it is nothing serious.
As I waited in the hospital scared beyond measure I posted an unspoken prayer request on a social media. I can’t even begin to tell you the comfort it brought to have so many family and friends offering up kind, uplifting, and encouraging words when they didn’t even know what was going on. A perfect example of God’s love and will. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for giving me the strength I needed as I anxiously waited to find out what was wrong with me. As a wife and mama of four I often put myself and needs on the back burner so to speak. I knew instantly this wasn’t something to ignore. I’m glad that for once I didn’t decide to be stubborn!
On a better note, I want to wish my beautiful sister a very happy birthday! She has only been gone a few days and we already miss her like crazy! I’m just thankful we got to celebrate her birthday with her while she was here for her visit a few days early.
