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It wasn’t just a headache

Venous sinus thrombosis

By Lina Published 4 years ago 9 min read
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I’m hoping this could help at least one person out there who could be unsure of what is going on with them or that think they’re not normal. I did both.

Everyone gets headaches so I didn’t think much of mine when they first started. If it got bad enough I’d take some ibuprofen and it’d go away. Not a big deal. Definitely not a reason to go to the doctor. Until I also started getting pain in my shoulder. Whatever it’s probably just out of place. Off to the chiropractor I went. Didn’t really help though so off to the doctor now because I can barely move it without intense pain and it’s probably what’s giving me headaches. At least that’s what the chiropractic thinks. Now physical therapy and muscle relaxers. After a few months my shoulder is better but still getting headaches and now my neck feels stiff. I’ll be ok though I probably just slept wrong.

After about a month more of this I noticed I’m a little dizzy and stumble back sometimes. Probably just me though I am clumsy. Bending over makes it worse and I really stumble then. Oh I’m just super clumsy lately.

These headaches are really starting to hurt now. I’m probably taking way more ibuprofen then I should be. Especially just to get through my third shift work day. However I’m definitely noticing more stumbling and the pain is constant. Something isn’t right. Maybe I just need rest though so I put vacation days in for the rest of the week. Another doctor appointment to see what’s going on. Just to be safe.

The doctor isn’t sure but he’s worried so mri needs scheduled and some blood work today. For some reason my veins pick now to be complete pain in the butts! The poor nurses struggle at finding a vein. After 3 pokes they get one in my hand but whoa why do I feel faint? That’s never happened before.

The next day the hospital calls to schedule my mri. It’s a week away but I’m feeling better at the time and think it was just all in my head anyway so I can wait. The doctor office calls next. I’m severely anemic and need to get on iron pills ASAP. She sounded freaked out but I just laugh it off because it’s not the first time I was anemic I’ll get through it.

I have no idea why they’re so bad at night. It’s bad enough I’m crying from the pain. Saturday morning comes and my head is still achey but I just push through it. My daughter has a basketball game this morning and I can’t miss it for a headache. It’s getting more painful but I’m managing. My boss is also at the game watching his granddaughter. He asks what’s going on if I’m ok. I say I’m ok and I’ll be back to work Monday. I don’t want to waste more vacation days on this. On the inside though I’m thinking no I’m not ok but I have no answers.

After the game everyone wants to go shopping. I don’t want to disappoint anyone so I take more ibuprofen and my boyfriend gets me a neck massager for that pain that won’t stop. Unfortunately it didn’t help. A few stores into shopping I have to let them go in and do their thing while I sit in the car. My head is throbbing and I don’t think I should take another ibuprofen but I’m very close to it. All right 10 minutes later I caved. That was like ibuprofen 8.

We get home and I sit on the couch. I can’t take the pain I’m bawling it hurts so bad. The boyfriend demands I let him take me to the er. I allow it because this is the worst pain of my life.

Dr. Green orders a ct scan and they give me the migraine cocktail to help with the pain. The ct scan shows something abnormal but they can’t tell what. I tell her I have an mri soon and she says make sure I go it’s ultra important! She even called the next day to say it was important again.

Day time brings a little relief to the constant pain in my head. However nighttime brings the horrible pain back. I definitely lied to my boss. I can’t go back a bawling mess to work.

I have to get fmla for work for now and I own a small pharmacy from trial and error pain relief.

Crying my eyes out every night from this pain. I can’t sleep because of it. Ice on the back of my neck brings little relief but not enough. The doctor prescribes a narcotic painkiller this time. I wish I could say it was the answer to my prayers but it didn’t even put a dent in the pain I was feeling.

Another night of pain brought on vomiting. It came out of nowhere and my son was talking to me at the time. Freaked him out he rushed to tell on me and I was whisked away to another er trip. The migraine cocktail is the only relief I’ve had so no arguing there.

Sleepless nights have made me super tired. I sleep in this morning trying to catch up. Trying to get dressed I keep fumbling with my bra clasp but finally get it. They can be a pain sometimes it’s whatever. Putting my shirt on I notice I’m a dummy and put it on backwards. Silly me. Take it off try again and seriously I did it again. Ok I’m just gonna take my arms out and turn it but I can’t seem to figure that out. I give up and call my boyfriend upstairs to help me. I can tell he’s confused why I can’t do it but I laugh it off like I’m just not coordinated today.

Leaving the room and heading downstairs about 2 steps in and I can’t move my left leg or arm. I’m confused why I can’t move them. My boyfriend comes back up to help me but he’s just as confused. I’m really starting to freak out now I had to use my right hand to move my left off the banister. I’m trying to move my leg don to the next step but it won’t go. I laugh about it now but my boyfriend says just move your leg! At this point I’m crying because what’s going on with me and yell back I can’t! I’ve never had a panic attack but this is when my stomach starts having like muscle spasms and I’m breathing pretty heavy. Oh and crying. I’m still not sure if that was a panic attack but my stomach kept having spasms hours later. Now my kids are out of their room wondering what’s happening and he decides to just carry me down the stairs. I’m set on a chair and that’s when I’m not really seeing what’s happening but I can still hear. I could talk fine up to that point but I don’t think I really tried to talk again. I remember my boyfriend calling my parents to come back to the house because he needed to take me to the hospital and then he called his aunt who is a nurse. I know I heard him breakdown crying at one point. My parents came in freaking out and I really couldn’t hold up my head so it was just kind of hanging down on my shoulder. My dad said I was out of it and to call the ambulance but I could hear him so I wasn’t out of it and I was facing our fish tank I could see them but just couldn’t move really.

The ambulance got there and by then I could move my head again. I was also talking too. Moving my leg though it was like a zombie shuffle to the cot but hey I could move it that much at least! They wouldn’t take me to my preferred hospital only the one I was already sketchy about. Just a lot of bad stories. On the way they asked me all kinds of questions and to smile and I did it all.

At the hospital they asked me more questions and to smile again and I passed that. They gave me medicine for the headache and drew blood. Not quite sure what was going on though. After a long time they had me get up to try to walk. I got up and could move but going out the door clumsy me hit my shoulder on the door frame. I walked with the nurse down the hall and back fine though. My boyfriends aunt did argue with doctor because my hemoglobin was very low but I already knew that. We also mentioned I needed to get out before 2 or I’d miss my mri. They decided I was good to go and released me but I missed my mri. Thankfully my doctor who was super concerned had a emergency one set up for the next day.

I forgot to mention I got up that day having to pee because morning ya know. Well that didn’t happen until I was released from the hospital. So as soon as I was allowed to walk out I said bathroom! When walking into the bathroom though I walked into the door frame again. Weird.

Getting to leave finally I was also starving so we stopped at a fast food place. I went to put my drink in the cup holder but couldn’t get it right. I had to really concentrate to get it in there. I also walked into the car door getting in.

At home I kept running into things but didn’t think much of it.

Next morning I went in to get the mri. Still running into doors and sitting on the arm rests of chairs before I got it right. It was scheduled stat so I just waited next door at my doctors office for the results. My doctor wasn’t in that day so another came out and called us back. They found a blood clot she said. I need to go back next door and they’ll take me to the main hospital. Boyfriend was freaking out and I was trying to make light of it because that’s just me. I ended having my second ambulance ride ever to the hospital and spent a couple days in icu and 5 more on the neurology floor. My amazing boyfriend stayed with me the entire time and canceled his Vegas guys trip he was supposed to leave on that day.

It was definitely a scary time in my life and scarier knowing I had a stroke on the stairs. No one could believe the hospital just let me leave like that. I hope this reaches someone that could be questioning what’s going on with them. You’re not crazy or being a baby. Don’t be like me and think that just go to the doctor and see. Better safe then sorry.

humanity
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