The brain scan was normal.
That is a good thing, as my baby is wont to say. He gave the verdict a very enthusiastic two thumbs up. I could only agree. The possibility of a tumour or expanding blood vessel had left me a bit shaken at the prognosis. But if it wasn’t either of those causes, it left the question of just what was wrong.
What I knew for certain, the pain I felt throughout the left side of my face was very wrong. Tender trigger points behind my ear, on the top of my head made something usually delightful as eating or a risk, and generally caused an increase in the pain level. On at least one occasion, just washing my hair did result in a trip to the ER for much stronger pain meds.
By now, it is a well-established fact that my body is incompatible with modern medicine. Chemicals are anathema to me, most of them that is. Either they do nothing at all or they cause the most god-awful side effects, allergic reactions known to medical science. If there is a 99.99% chance that a given medicine will be just the ticket, I fall into the 0.01% with truly disastrous side effects. Lucky, lucky me.
That’s what seems to have happened here. I had an infection. The doctor proscribed a gel to deal with it. Then things went slightly off the desired course of treatment. An ingredient in the gel, absorbed into my blood stream, caused the pseudo-trigeminal neuralgia.
Now don’t get me wrong; that is very good news. It really is. I was not at all happy with the diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia. That’s one bitch of a condition, and it only gets worse over time. But somehow, I still feel a bit irritated with it all.
All this pain has been some of the worst I’ve ever experienced, and that’s saying something. I have fibromyalgia; something always hurts. I have migraines, and they really hurt. This … well, this was a whole new realm of pain. Never before have I even come close to passing out because of pain. Had I not been so determined not to abandon (and purely upset) my baby in a strange city without direction or known destination, I probably would have just slipped into the darkness for a while.
As it is, there is still a lingering sensitivity that I’ve no idea how long it will last. Given the last allergic reaction and the time it took for it to metabolize out of my system, I probably have another week or so to go. I am relieved that the symptoms are abating. I can chew again without inducing purest agony and that is a good thing. But damn it! The cost of curing the infection seems just a bit too high this time round.
The doctor kindly wrote out the name of the gel ingredient he felt triggered the allergy. I have added it to my ever-growing list of “Drugs I Cannot Take.” It is a long list by this time. Heck, it includes whole classes of drugs. I heard my doctor mutter as he added this latest allergy to my chart, “I don’t know what to treat you with anymore.”
This summer, I think I’ll start an herb garden … just in case.
4 comments:
I'm surely glad you are on the road to recovery. It has been a rough go for you. You're a tough little gerbil.
kat... i have a daughter - believe it or not - who is allergic to most meds... it is frustrating and worrisome ....... fortunately so far she has figured out what she can and can not take.. mostly if she sticks to children's medicines she is fine.. go figure !!! and also fortunately - she has not developed anything more worrisome than colds and her asthma...
i am keeping my fingers crossed that this reaction is almost over and you will be right as rain soon...
i see HE is still using "gerbil" to refer to you...... (cheeky grin) it does paint a wonderful picture !!
morningstar (owned by Warren)
I'm so sorry that you've been in so much pain. So many of us so often take good health for granted. I hope things are back to normal very soon. An herb garden doesn't sound like such a bad idea. Have you pursued homeopathic treatments at all?
Buffalo: I won't lie; it has been very hard to get through this. You made it possible for me to do it with some grace and dignity. Thank you, for all you did.
Morningstar: The reaction is passing. I could even wash my hair today, no pain! And yes, I will always be his gerbil, and feel lucky to be so.
Anna: Thank you. Things are improving. Yes, I have tried homeopathic treatments and with some experimenting, I've found one or two things that help. The prolem can be that they help for only a time and then I have to find a new solution.
Thank you all for your good thoughts. I know they helped.
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