A new year and a new plan

It's 2011, and it's time for a new cycling plan. Yes, where the hell have I been?  Well, a lot of personal upheavel, and then I got really sick w/ a maddening headache.

Let's talk headaches.  Dec 6, i came down with the worst headache of my life.  It felt like a bomb had gone off inside, and there was no relief from the pressure. I've never felt anything like this.  I took tylenol PM and went to bed. I slept nearly the whole next day. Sounds like a migraine, right? Only, I've never had one in my life.  By Wednesday, I was at a new doc's office, seeking help. Her diagnoses..Migraine.  A few pills later, and im back at work. The headache raged on.  And On. And on until i ended up in the hospital ER seeking relief. One CT scan later, i'm sent home after 5 hours of being told they've found nothing wrong and an RX for pks. But now it's 1 am and no pharmacy is open. I found a few pks from a previous surgery, took one and passed out.  Now the fun begins.

Neurology. What not an exact science is that.  After numerous mobility exams, a contrast MRI, and a bazillion different, and quite expensive rx's later, i still have a headache.  The doc's choices are stick me in a hospital for 4 days and infuse me horrific drugs, or, outpatient me with hardcore migraine meds that make my hands go numb and seriously constrict blood flow to my extremities, AND an anti-depressent.

Let me be the first to say, that if you need any of that medication, then by all means, take it. And i understand that an anti-depressent, as well as anti-seizure meds can be used to break a chronic headache. However, when i asked the doc what was causing this, he had no idea.  My biggest concern was putting me on a drug, that could induce suicidal tendencies right before he takes his 2 week cruise over christmas. And i'm single and live alone. Yeah. Right. I might be a statistic, but that's not one i could come back from easily.

The whole time, i'd been complaining about my right eye having blurry vision.  He just assumed this was part of the migraine. I think that's totally understandable. But the mere fact, that i had put 3 lasik surgeries on my medical history, maybe should have clued him in.

I suffered through xmas on a coctail of advil and tylenol pm and sinus pills. And btwn xmas and new years, i went to my opthomologist. Within minutes, they knew EXACTLY what was wrong.  A growth had formed under the corneal flap. Apparently, the more you lift the flap, the odds are you will get a growth. What no one ever told me was, that there is about a 3-4 month window after lasik that can happen. WTF!

The following wed, i was back in surgery. I am now recovering. Somedays, it' hurts. Yes, having your cornea scraped hurts like a mofo. Imagine a hot fiery poker in your eye. "Use drops". So the headaches, as it turns out, was from my brain trying to handle eyesight failing in one eye.

Tada! Dismount!

BEFORE a doc tells you to go on some sort of mind/personality altering drug..GET a second opinion. It makes me sick to think where i would be right now, if i had.  All the neuro had to say was "when was the last time you had your eyes checked?" Not "gee sharon" in a very condescending tone "we don't know what causes 90% of the headaches, we just treat the symptoms, and hope it doesnt come back".
hrm.

Now, i have to use to my reading glasses to compensate for fluctuating vision until my eye heals, but the headaches have all but evaporated.  Thank you eye doc!

Get your eyes checked!