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JAYNE WITH A WHY |
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Friday, March 01, 2019INSERT BRAIN HERE OR MAYBE NOT.......
Last year-ish, I noticed I was getting 'the shakes' in my left hand. Nothing hectic mind you, just kinda trembly, which made holding or carrying something such as a cup of coffee, just a little bit messy. I didn't pay an awful lot of attention to it.
Spadge did.
The nagging commenced.
The nagging was ignored.
Towards the latter half of last year, I noticed the shakes/trembling had got a little bit worse. It didn't really interfere with every day life, so I mostly carried on ignoring it.
And then I started dropping things, such as a piece of paper. I'd drop it without getting that "oh shit, I dropped it" sensation.
Oops.
And then I started losing my balance a bit. Again, nothing hectic, but more like I'm just a dingbat & figure I was born clumsy.
Spadge nagged some more.
A few family health issues came to a head (is that a pun?) last year. After our trip to the USA, followed a few weeks later by a coast-to-coast rally, it became blatantly obvious that Hubs could not cope any more. He couldn't walk more than 25m without stopping & resting as the pain in his legs was so bad. So, I took the bull by the horns & made a new (previously cancelled) appointment with a vascular surgeon for Hubs. We've known for ages that he HAD to have surgery for blocked arteries in his legs. This could only be done in Port Elizabeth, some 350km from home. It took heaps of arranging, but the date was set to see the surgeon.
Sometime around August last year, Mummy Shans, my daughterbylaw, got a really shitty flu virus & ended up seeing a neurologist in Port Elizabeth. (Although it took months, I'm pleased to say she's finally recovered.) I think it was around November time, I went into town & grabbed a cuppa with Spadge. I got the normal grilling & nagging about seeing a specialist about 'the shakes', which was met with the standard answer of it wasn't bad/can't afford it/blah blah blah etc.
Next thing I know he's on the blower to the neurologist that Mummy Shans saw & got an appointment to coincide with Hubs' appointment with the vascular surgeon. Ooh 'eck. I s'pose I could've cancelled, but that would've caused all manner of ructions & trust me, when Spadge throws a wobble, I don't particularly want to be on the receiving end.
So, the house & pet sitter was organized, Hubs took time off work, a really pukka Air BnB just 1km from the hospital was organized & off we trundled to Port Elizabeth. Two days later, Hubs is having major surgery. Four days later I'm seeing The Brain Doctor. To cut a long story short, an MRI was sorted just a few hours after my appointment. I had to go straight back to TBD for the results. I was fully expecting a witty conclusion, y'know, along the lines of "Ahh...there was a vacant space" or a little placard showing up on my scan saying 'Insert Brain Here'. What I wasn't expecting, was TBD to sit & pore over the freshly streamed images (via his iPad) of my sludge for several minutes. He remained quiet, but then said "I need to show you....." & proceeded to come & sit next to me, clutching his iPad.
"There's a thickening of the (insert big, complicated word) which is this white outline"
Means bugger all to me, although I confess that I was tempted to say I've simply got a thick 'ead.
TBD then went on to tell me there were 2 points of interest, namely a cluster of blotches at the base of my brain stem & then 2 blotches (1 on either side) on my brain. The right blotch was bigger than the left blotch. All of these blotches are blood clots, meaning I've had a series of small strokes.
My first reaction was bloody hell.
My second reaction was thank gawd I take rat poison (Warfarin) because without it, I assume the strokes would've cause a lot more damage. He pointed out that it didn't appear I had (early onset) Parkinsons Disease, but couldn't rule it out entirely. (Spadge was worried I might be in for Parkinsons) More testing would have to be done at a later date etc etc. In the meantime, take these pills, which should ease the tremors, but don't drive whilst taking them, as they make you dozy.
Blinding.
At the time of writing - some 3wks after seeing TBD - I still haven't taken the pills. All the time Hubs is home recuperating from his surgery, I can't afford to be dozy.
Last week, Hubs had to see our GP as his cut was infected. After sorting him out, the GP had a chat with us about TBD's report, which he said made interesting reading.
The fascinating bit, as far as I'm concerned, is that TBD reported that he'd told me my 'symptoms' weren't surprising, due to a "history" of hypertension & that I should;
Quit smoking
Stop taking Warfarin
Quit taking Premarin (HRT)
I spat my dummy. TBD never said a fucking word to me about any of those 3 things....not a single fucking word! My 'history' of hypertension is less than 5yrs long. I never knew having high blood pressure - due primarily to stress - would cause a thickening of whatever it is that lines my brain. I've handled a heap of shit in my life, but never had a problem with hypertension until 5yrs ago. Whether it's an age related thing, I honestly couldn't say, but obviously, something, somewhere in my internal working changed & I need medication for it.
As for quitting smoking, well, it ain't gonna happen. I know the health risks associated with smoking & having dealt with cancer related issues in the past, don't put it all down to smoking.
If I stop taking rat poison, my blood will thicken within a fortnight & it will either kill me or put me in a vegetative state for the rest of my days. So, until I'm offered an option, I'll stick to my Warfarin & my blood will stay thin enough to avoid any catastrophic consequences.
As for HRT, even Hubs mentioned to our GP "For Chrissakes, don't take her off it!" Without it, I am the absolute, complete & total Bitch From Hell. It is my little green sanity pill. Without it, I'll quite happily throw myself off a bridge.
I chatted with Spadge about what TBD saw. He wants me to go back for more testing, which I'm really not keen on, cannot afford & don't particularly feel the need for right now. Needless to say, my soon-to-be 38yr old baby boy isn't impressed with me.
Maybe if I quit the fags, ditch the HRT & stop the rat poison, I won't have hypertension.
In fact I know I won't, cos I'll be dead.
 
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