As i have alluded to I had a major health scare about three weeks ago, I was admitted to hospital just before and again during Easter. I was training and had just started it, when I got what was the worse headache I have ever had in the front of my head. It was like an explosion. Suffice to say I could not stand and my balance was all screwed up. So I went off to hospital and was admitted for CT scans and a lumbar puncture (which was horrible, where they put a huge needle in your spine). The doctors thought I may have had a brain aneurysm and needed to test me for all and sundry to make sure was not going to drop dead.
I was let out of hospital the next day but went straight back in two days later as one in 100 people have adverse reactions to the lumbar puncture. Including inability to stand, ultra sensitivity to light, hideous nausea and the most horrible headaches ever. So I was admitted to the Neurology ward for three days. They had to do an small procedure (with another huge needle) on my back to fix the problem but then I had to do heaps of other tests including one with radioactive iodine which felt like I had pissed myself.
It was so scary but I did not realise how much until I got out and just was devastated due to the stress and worry. It was not pretty.
The neurology ward was just horrific, I was directly opposite a guy who was a vegetable and had half his skull missing. He use to wail and moan like some animal into the middle of the night. At that point they did not know what was wrong with me so I was terrified I would end up like him.
They finally figured out it was some type of reaction to stress and over exercise, causing all the blood to rush to my head and cause what my neurologist called a “thunderclap” headache and the reason I had been turned into a human pin cushion is that the symptoms I had matched a sub orbital aneurysm (AKA possible killer bleed).
So after all that scariness it was a rather simple explanation, but it has taken me ages to recover. I lost about 6-8 kgs, had panda eyes and was quite shell shocked and emotional for a while. Its only now I can exercise again and am feeling better. I went back to work too early as i had these events to finish, but i was very slow and unable to respond very fast to people and questions. It was weird, like I was wrapped in cotton wool.
So it was a really traumatising time, very lonely as well, but feel interestingly Zen afterwards now. On the bright side i was overwhelmed by the support I got from co workers and friends alike. So that is really it for me, I am just glad to be ok.
