There are a few of you who don't know, but recently I have had some crazy awful symptoms. Painful headaches, numbness, whirring in my ears, and the most recent is some crazy visual impairments. I've been seeing doctors and optomotrists. My optomotrist is the only one that has taken me seriously and after my second visit finally referred me to a neurologist. That is where I went today and I got some answers.
I have Pseudotumor Cerebri (PTC). Basically I have the same symptoms as someone with a brain tumor, but without the tumor. Cool huh?
Within the first 5 minutes of describing my symptoms, the neurologist stopped me and then HE started describing my symptoms. It was weird but very reassuring. But since nothing is 100% without a few tests, I have some that need to be done ASAP.
Including: MRI, MRV, and if the MRI is clean then I need to have a spinal tap. Of course I hope the MRI is clean, but I don't really want a spinal tap...but it comes with the territory I guess I'll endure it.
He said that it was caused by the 2 acne medicines I was on-a topical cream and a pill. So I have been ordered off those, and I've been put on another pill that is going to decrease pressure on my brain. They (there were 2 residents in the appt. as well) told me that if for sure it is PTC, that the prognosis is really good and that most people respond really well to treatment. They said after I go off the bad medicine and start taking the new pill, it could be as little as a week to a few weeks until I am almost or completely better.
So please pray for me (or continue to pray for me) for everything to go well and that nothing is beyond repair. And that my body will respond to the medication and will go back to relatively if not completely back to normal..
3 comments:
Wow, Kari, that sounds crazy and scary. It is great that you've found doctor's that actually listen to you. Having an advocate makes as big of a difference in your emotional well being as it does in your physical well being. I hope that the tests go swiftly and that all of this gets resolved soon. Please keep us up to date on what is going on. If you guys need anything during this time please let us know.
I was just about to call you, and then read this! I'm glad the neurologist seems to know what it is, and that it can be treated. When will you have the MRI? You know what us Hairs say, thank goodness for good optometrists! What happens with PTC if it is left untreated? If you don't have the tumor, then what happens, do your symptoms just continue and get worse? We'll continue you to pray for you, and are so happy that you are finally finding doctors willing to listen.
So is this still stuff that you started going through around Christmas time? I didn't realize that it hadn't gotten better. Wow, that is scary. I'm glad you have found out what is going on though. I'm also glad that it sounds like things should get back to normal for you. We, too, will be praying for you and your family.
We love you.
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