A trip to the GP results in me being referred for an EMG (Electromyograph). So I'm gonna be in for an electrifying time woohoo! I'll be buzzin' when I come out (I know, I know that was bad lol). This will be on January 10th. My GP said he wants another MRI ordering. I said I'd had one done only about 4 months earlier but he said we'll have another one of my brain and spine this time. Maybe the trapped nerve is in my neck and that's why he want's another one doing? A referral to a Neurologist is also being arranged but this will take a little longer. I thought I'd simply leave the Docs with some magic tablets to stop this trapped nerve in it's tracks but nope. Seems an awful waste of the Hospital's time for a trapped nerve. Geesh.
After oranising a surprise birthday party for hubby on January 8th, I was literally shattered. Now given the fact I'm usually like the Duracell Bunny on speed I was starting to get pretty peed off with my distinct lack of energy. My gym class mates don't call me "Tigger" for nothing but now I feel more like a hungover slug! I never suffer from headaches but this one's a corker! I only had ONE glass of red wine at the party too! Maybe it's just the hustle and bustle of Christmas, New Year etc. The party was a great success but people are beginning to notice I'm not quite my usual eself. I spent the evening making "shocking" (sorry lol) and "hair raising" (oh dear lol) jokes about having my trapped nerve electricuted in two days time. I was miffed I couldn't join in with the new Xbox Kinect games everyone was enjoying though! I'm usually the one dragging everyone on it whether they like it or not hehe!
Went for my EMG which was nowhere near as painful as I'd anticipated. In fact I hardly felt a thing so that was good! Yay! :)
Three days later my lips, tongue and face (left side only) went completely numb. It literally felt like I'd been anaesthetised at the dentist! I figured this must be some kind of after effect from being electricuted a couple of days ago and phoned hubby to tell him. He said I should definitely phone my GP. I said I would but in actual fact I waited a good 3 hours until phoning the GP because I was sure it would just subside on it's own. It didn't.
My GP was not at the surgery so I saw a different one who did some lil' tests on me (reflexes, light shone in my eyes etc). However it was when he pricked my left leg, foot and FACE with a pin and I couldn't feel it whatsoever things started to become even more weird. You see, unbeknown to me, my EMG results were already back (they usually take a couple of weeks) and the GP said they were abnormal on both sides. I smiled and slurred "oh no, my right side feels just fine." (couldn't speak properly due to the tongue numbness), but he assured me it wasn't as my nerves are not conducting properly on either side apparently.
He then arranged for my MRI to be made even sooner.
Two days later I got a call from the person who books the MRI tests. He said I could've had it the next day (wow.... that IS quick!) if it was a simple routine scan but since it would be in the mobile MRI unit (as I had been marked as "urgent") he'd have to book me 3x 20 minute slots as I would be having an hour long scan. So it is settled I'll have my full spinal/brain scan a week on Saturday.
I cannot belieeeeeve it! My scan is today and I am absolutely FULL of cold! Probably the worst one I've ever had! Everyone around me has already had it and I was bragging I'd escaped it's clutches so I guess it serves me right lol! Trouble is, my eyes are literally streaming and I can't stop flippin' sneeeeeeezing! How on earth I'm gonna manage to lie still for a full hour is the six million dollar question indeed! Hayelp! Hayelp!
I've drugged myself up on Beechams, Sinex and cough medicine in a last bid to stave off the sneezles! I arrive a little early but they're already waiting for me so I go through a few things with the two radiographers and explain I'm muchos likely to sneeze etc. They say it's fine and not to worry but I really don't want to bugger their schedule up by having to redo half the scan. I ask them how long my results will take to come back and am told an average of 4 weeks.
I've brought Rihanna along with me for the ride this time. Not literally silly! Just her CD to try and drown out the banging and clattering of the scanner. Now for any of you that have had an MRI you'll be able to relate! For those of you who have not, it's erm, an "experience" lol. Quite impossible to describe in words but there is nothing louder or more bizarre sounding than the rather aggressive sounding noises this things spews out! So Riri can transport me (via the headphones) to somewhere nice methinks whilst I try to forget about the gruesome looking cage my head has been placed in before the scanner pulls me into it's deep abyss.
I get the overwhelming urge to laugh out loud whilst about half way through my scan. I'm listening to one of my fave tracks; "Man Down" on the CD and at that precise moment the scanner takes on a different noise, akin to that of a very loud machine gun! Haha! Riri is singing away about being shot and here I am in a white tunnel, unable to move a muscle as it emulates noises like I'm in the middle of some type of crossfire! Hehe!
The Radiographer is lovely and talks to me regularly to tell me how well I'm doing. Trouble is I can't respond for fear of starting a coughing fit or sneezing (which is NOT something I would like to experience with this strange cage inches away from my face) - eew!
So! The scan finally comes to an end. They didn't need to redo any of it as I managed to stay nice and still throughout. I wonder where the other radiographer went as I'm asked to sit down for a moment in the little room where he controls everything from. Hard to believe we're actually inside an articulated lorry, ain't technology marvellous eh? He says he likes my CD and is thinking of buying it apparently. I had no idea he could hear it too haha! We got to chatting about Rihanna and the tattoo on my foot and I coudln't help thinking how nice this guy was. He then got up to help me out (there are a few steps up to the mobile unit and due to the Paresthesia - this is the posh "technical" name for my wangy left side by the way - I'm very unsteady) and casually slipped in "Hope everything goes well for you, your results should be back within a week". A week? Hang on a minute? They definitely said four weeks before I went into the scanner. Strange? Oh well, maybe they liked my CD or my tattoo soooooo much that they decided to fast track me hehe.
Four days later I had a dreadful experience whilst asleep in the middle of the night. I was fast asleep and literally jolted awake with a start! As if someone had shocked me out of my sleep! I remember sitting up and trying to look at the clock to see what time it was, only I couldn't see! Everything was kind of pixellated and the ringing in my ears was so severe it blocked out my hearing completley. This lasted (I'm guessing) around 2 minutes but seemed a lot longer. My vision slowly came back and I just sat there dazed and confused for a while before attempting to nod back off. Putting it once again down to some kind of reaction to the MRI I decided not to wake hubby as he had to be up at 4am for work and by now I could see it was 2.30am.
Must phone Doctor's in the morning as that was NOT something I want to experience again!
And this brings me to the fateful day this whole Blog is in relation to.....
No comments:
Post a Comment