Earlier this year, I became very ill very quickly. My symptoms began as back pain, which I disregarded because my current job was physically demanding at times. The pain was so specific and so intense that after about a week of home remedies and attempting to rest, I gave in to see what was the first of a few doctors. I was told I strained a muscle, was given several heavy medications and sent on my way. Through the course of those medications, other symptoms began to appear and escalate quickly. I was feeling pain in another targeted area of my back, I had a headache that was impossibly stubborn, my ears were pulsating so loudly that I couldn't hear most of my surroundings, I was vomiting or otherwise nauseous, I couldn't keep the shades open and finally, I began to black out and lose my vision entirely for seconds at a time. Upon my third visit to the E.R. in 3 days (and many, many tests later), I was taken back for a spinal tap. They diagnosed my condition based upon the pressure of the fluid within my spinal column, as well as several other factors. After removing 25 milliliters of spinal fluid, I was on strict bed rest and immediately prescribed drug to aid my recovery. My vision was heavily damaged and I had blind spots that covered my entire peripheral vision. There was a large risk of me losing my vision permanently.
I was diagnosed with what is called psuedotumor cerebri and was a textbook example.
"Pseudotumor cerebri signs and symptoms may include:
- Moderate to severe headaches that may originate behind your eyes and worsen with eye movement
- Ringing in the ears that pulses in time with your heartbeat (pulsatile tinnitus)
- Nausea, vomiting or dizziness
- Blurred or dimmed vision
- Brief episodes of blindness, lasting only a few seconds and affecting one or both eyes (visual obscurations)
- Difficulty seeing to the side
- Double vision (diplopia)
- Seeing light flashes (photopsia)
- Neck, shoulder or back pain
The exact cause of pseudotumor cerebri in most individuals is unknown, but it may be linked to an excess amount of cerebrospinal fluid within the bony confines of your skull.
Your brain and spinal cord are surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid, which acts like a cushion to protect these vital tissues from injury. This fluid is produced in the brain and eventually is absorbed into the bloodstream. The increased intracranial pressure of pseudotumor cerebri may be a result of a problem in this absorption process.
In general, your intracranial pressure increases when the contents of your skull exceed its capacity. For example, a brain tumor generally increases your intracranial pressure because there's no room for the tumor. The same thing happens if your brain swells or if you have too much cerebrospinal fluid." *
My brain was reacting as if I had a brain tumor. Thus, necessary tests were completed to prove otherwise. (*A moment of praise*)
$700 per bottle later (containing less than a one month supply), the drug immediately prescribed to me was a diuretic used for glaucoma. It is designed to reduce the production of fluid/aid in resolving fluid retention. I was very sick and my fingers and toes went completely numb constantly.
I've since been to MANY eye exams. Very routinely. I have completed full scale tests that I honestly didn't even know existed. And now I've done each of them...several times. I've had the placement of a spinal fluid shunt threatened two times, as my symptoms were not improving as well as they should have been.
I'm writing this post because this all happened to me at the end of January 2015. After an exam several weeks ago, I was told my condition has gone into remission and have begun the process of weaning off of my medication. I am now wearing corrective lenses that not only fine tune my vision, but also cut out a type of light that I've grown overly sensitive to. I was able to sit with my neuro-ophthalmologist and compare my results from eleven months ago. No swelling is present on my optic nerve and my blind spots have decreased dramatically.
I am healing.
I cannot express how grateful I am. My mom, whom was ironically diagnosed with the same "idiopathic" condition at my age, has literally carried my through this journey as I could not carry myself. Steven has cradled me and sat in waiting rooms longer than any person should ever have to.
I am so blessed.
I now begin a journey that includes panic attacks at any sign of a headache.
So it goes. :)
*http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pseudotumor-cerebri/basics/causes/con-20028792
