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Entry tags:
re: my brains
(Still not tired of that subject line.)
I saw the neurologist today, who - like the ENT who referred me to him - listened thoughtfully to my description of my symptoms and gave every appearance of taking me entirely seriously, which hasn't been entirely unusual in my experience, but I know it's nothing like universal, so I feel like it's worth noting here. When I started pointing to the right-hand side of the base of my skull, he got a knowing look on his face and started nodding (but didn't interrupt me, hurrah!). He let me get all the way through my apparently irrelevant family history (the MRI showed no vascular excitement of the sort that's likely to be what my grandmother had or any other) and my assurance that although I had consulted Dr. Internet, I try very hard not to be that patient who's heard of something and decides that must be what she has.
He's sending me for another battery of tests - an MRI on my neck this time (without contrast, which pleases me, because any day I don't have to get a needle in my arm is a good day; I don't know why I hate the things so much, but I do), and an ultrasound of my carotid artery (and presumably other veins and arteries in the area of interest), and an ENG, which I forget what it stands for but is designed to make you feel dizzy so they can see what that looks like for themselves. (It does not stand for electronauseogram, but I might just start thinking of it that way, is what I might do.) The preparation for that is the most annoying - three days of ear drops beforehand, and three days of not wearing my contacts (I'll have to stick a note on the bathroom mirror or I'll forget), and I'm not allowed to have coffee that morning, or to wear any makeup, or a couple of other things as well. So that's going to be just delightful. But if it sheds light on what's going on up in my head, of course I'll suck it up and deal.
Neuro thinks it's (out of control) muscle tension and arthritis in my neck. He was unsurprised to hear that switching to a contour pillow has helped a bit but not enough. The fact that I'm still getting headaches along with the vertigo and other diversions led him to prescribe a mittful of steroids as well, so I've got yet another bottle of pills - which should help even if the headaches are merely coincidental and due to TMJ, which I personally haven't ruled out (since I can't reliably tell what's ear and what's jaw any more on that side).
I saw the neurologist today, who - like the ENT who referred me to him - listened thoughtfully to my description of my symptoms and gave every appearance of taking me entirely seriously, which hasn't been entirely unusual in my experience, but I know it's nothing like universal, so I feel like it's worth noting here. When I started pointing to the right-hand side of the base of my skull, he got a knowing look on his face and started nodding (but didn't interrupt me, hurrah!). He let me get all the way through my apparently irrelevant family history (the MRI showed no vascular excitement of the sort that's likely to be what my grandmother had or any other) and my assurance that although I had consulted Dr. Internet, I try very hard not to be that patient who's heard of something and decides that must be what she has.
He's sending me for another battery of tests - an MRI on my neck this time (without contrast, which pleases me, because any day I don't have to get a needle in my arm is a good day; I don't know why I hate the things so much, but I do), and an ultrasound of my carotid artery (and presumably other veins and arteries in the area of interest), and an ENG, which I forget what it stands for but is designed to make you feel dizzy so they can see what that looks like for themselves. (It does not stand for electronauseogram, but I might just start thinking of it that way, is what I might do.) The preparation for that is the most annoying - three days of ear drops beforehand, and three days of not wearing my contacts (I'll have to stick a note on the bathroom mirror or I'll forget), and I'm not allowed to have coffee that morning, or to wear any makeup, or a couple of other things as well. So that's going to be just delightful. But if it sheds light on what's going on up in my head, of course I'll suck it up and deal.
Neuro thinks it's (out of control) muscle tension and arthritis in my neck. He was unsurprised to hear that switching to a contour pillow has helped a bit but not enough. The fact that I'm still getting headaches along with the vertigo and other diversions led him to prescribe a mittful of steroids as well, so I've got yet another bottle of pills - which should help even if the headaches are merely coincidental and due to TMJ, which I personally haven't ruled out (since I can't reliably tell what's ear and what's jaw any more on that side).