Let me amend that statement.
I had truly hoped my body was done with that.
My body is so very bad at knowing what I would want for my special day.
In 2007, for my 49th birthday, I was given gall bladder eviction.
Nice, right?
Then, in 2008, for my 50th birthday, I had a summer of medical tests and specialist visits, trying to identify my body's "special" gift for me.
Oh, my! Lactose intolerance? Truly?
Truly.
After that, I told my body that it could give me no more birthday gifts.
I suppose I must have forgotten to add "ever" to that request.
This year, for my birthday 60+1, it has bequeathed upon me one I'd never heard of before.
Opthalmogic migraine.
I cannot hardly even say it without my tongue feeling twisted.
Sunday is when I was given that diagnosis at the emergency room.
Today, my primary care doctor at the VA Clinic told me she has these, too.
Of course, an opthalmologist consult will be needed to decide if anything more serious is going on with either my retinas or opthalmic blood vessels or nerves.
I already know I have vitreous detachment in both eyes. More commonly referred to as "floaters", I have mobile bits in my field of vision at all times. It's nothing new, as I was diagnosed with them around two decades ago.
How can I be sure it was so long in my past?
Mama was still alive and I vividly recall discussing it with her.
She's been gone for eighteen years.
Sigh.
So... about this latest 'gift' from my body.
I was writing a post-dated blog post last Sunday morning and had been at it about twenty minutes or so.
I was almost done... and justthatfast, I could not read the line I'd just written!
Not only was the text blurry and very small, but a sunshower effect was all around it.
I blinked my eyes several times - no effect.
I closed my eyes for a few minutes to rest them - still no change.
I panicked.
Was I having a stroke???
I knew my maternal grandmother had started having minor strokes when she was my age.
Within twenty minutes, my right temple began having a sharp pain.
I called the VA After Hours hotline.
When the nurse on duty heard my symptoms, she told me to immediately call 911 and get to the hospital.
Of course, that's what I did.
I was half scared to death already and that cinched it for me.
The paramedics thought I might be having a migraine.
My vision had returned to normal, except for a slight blurriness.
The headache had proceeded toward the back of my head, still on the right side.
At Memorial Hospital, Dr. Sanjay Iyer thought I was also having a migraine, but requested an EKG and a chest X-Ray, since my blood pressure had jetted upward.
After I was there two hours, a nurse came by with discharge papers and asked if I felt that I had been treated for what my initial ailment had been.
I told her emphatically that I had not.
I had been brought to the emergency room because I thought I was having a stroke.
No one had addressed that issue.
Next thing I knew, I was having three tubes of blood taken and two of urine.
Then, I was taken for a CT scan (but with the headrest backward).
Another two hours passed during this time.
Not the first time that song has come to soothe me.
I had just been told they were awaiting test results.
Within the next thirty minutes, the doctor told me all looked well and I was dismissed, with a prescription for migraine pain and a strong recommendation to see an opthalmologist.
It was then that I contacted my brothers and sisters-in-law.
Smitty and Mary rode to my rescue and took me safely home, where I stayed in.
Sharon, the nurse at the VA Clinic, also called to see how I was doing and to follow up after my call to the VA Hotline on Sunday.
I was at Wash Plus, taking care of winter bedding, spending a restful time with Nami close at hand.
The back of my head felt as if I had been hit, and I still felt a bit tired and mildly confused.
Doing laundry helped me focus.
Today, as good fortune had it, was my six-month check-up with my doc, Ms. Susan Barker.
She and I went through Sunday's events.
Her office has twice requested my CT scan from Memorial Hospital, but they have not received them.
The VA will not allow me to see an opthalmologist until that arrives.
I will check in at week's end to see if she has them yet.
Meanwhile, I have renewed my car tag - a birthday60+1 gift toe me, not from my body.
I also bought a new shower caddy and shower rod to spruce up the bathroom a bit, so that qualifies as another birthday60+1 gift to me, not from my body.
(smile)
Now, I'm going to get in some walking at Savannah Mall.
Soon enough, I'll be dining at Texas Roadhouse with Kevin - thank God, it's Tuesday! - and I may tell him about all of this.
We have "Long Shot" as the night's movie, and I'm definitely looking forward to that.
Thank God, it's Tuesday.
1 comment:
I did relent and share with him my tale of Sunday at the emergency room at Memorial Hospital.
He admonished me for not calling him while I was there.
(Smitty and Mary had done so, too.)
The movie was much fun and I may well see it again.
Time with Kevin, as always, was definitely good for my peace of mind, but especially so close to this scare in my life.
i thank You, God.
Timing is everything.
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