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Not Exactly and Introduction

Posted: Jul 11th, '08, 14:13
by Aphroditea
Hello! I am not exactly new here, but I will note that I love this place and have made a great many friends here. I look forward to making even more!

But, this post isn't a greeting, but an update. As many of my teafriends (or is that teafiends) know, I have been having some rather serious health problems of late. I wanted to let them all know how I was doing. MODS: Let me know if I need to take this post down - I was just looking for an easy way to do this that didn't involve me spending all day PMing folks.

If you don't know me and/or don't really care, please, feel free to skip this post. I will only mention tea a couple of times anyway ;)

To the meat of the matter:

I had a bad dizziness/vertigo episode on Tuesday night and passed out just for a split second, twice. So, we went to the ER. I was examined and given antiverts which didn't really work and was admitted to the hospital around 11pm.

My stay was okay, if lonely and sometimes frustrating. The food was only slightly better than to be expected and the one time I ordered iced tea the stuff was so fowl I could only drink two sips. I didn't bother with the hot tea option as I assume it would be the same stuff just heated up. So, I went THREE WHOLE DAYS without tea!!

One of the doctors on my rotation was a *bleep* of an internist who seemed to think nothing was wrong with me and that I shouldn't be there. We women often get these kind of doctors who think we are just whiney babies. His type is the reason Lupus went unnoticed and untreated for so bloody long. So, I won't spend any time talking about his ideas and comments because they aren't particularly worth repeating.

I did have a nuerologist assigned to me as well. His examination was more fruitful and enlightening. For one, I was told that when the ENT office had called to say there were no visible tumors they were referring to my inner ear (which is what THEY were concerned with). What I wasn't told was that due to my braces the back lower part of my brain was not well imaged. It was warped. The neurologist spoke with the radiologist who noted that it looked like I might have a congenital issue with part of my brain, but the images were too warped to make a positive diagnosis. What they THINK they can see are elongated cerebral tonsils. These are bits of the cerebrum which hang down along the cortex. If they are too long they can eventually become pinned between the cortex and the ring that holds the base of the skull to the spine. This causes stiffness in the neck (which I have) and prevents enough oxygen from getting to areas of the brain which relate to vision and stability.

They attempted a CT scan of the area - I have not heard back about that, but he was fairly certain we wouldn't really be able to see anything in that image - but it was worth a try.

The neurologist, who went personally to the lab to check on my blood work noted something that no one has told me before. My red blood cells are smaller than normal (about 2/3rds the size of normal cells). This means that the hemoglobin that is carried by those cells is often missing a type (alpha or beta). This is called Thalassemia and there are a wide range of group disorders associated with it. So, the neurologist is have another doctor look into that for me. This would not BE the issue, but could exacerbate the real issue.

There are a few other things on his list of possiblities, but he says they are low on the list and most likely NOT the case, but if/when all else fails we can go down those avenues.

My regular ENT has also sent me to an Otologist who specializes in vertigo and dizziness. He has his own ideas, as per his knowledge base. His best guess right now is that I am caught in a vicious cycle where at some point I either got dizzy enough to cause a migraine or vice versa, the migraines cause the dizziness to get worse and vice versa in a cyclic pattern. He has given me a cocktail of drugs to try out for awhile; prednisone ( :( ), zofran and valium. No antivert as it wasn't working anyway.

I have been told not to drive, so we have to learn to deal with our busy lives with just one driver. I am gonna look at bus routes and see if it is a possibility for me to be able to continue working and getting around when no other option is available.

In about 2.5 weeks I go in for more tests and an assessment of the cocktail to see if we tweak it, change it, leave it alone or what. In the meantime.....we wait....and drink tea!!!

Cheers!

Posted: Jul 11th, '08, 14:17
by Space Samurai
:cry:

Posted: Jul 11th, '08, 14:21
by RussianSoul
Sending good thoughts and positive energy your way, Aphroditea.

Hang on! And drink a lot of green tea, if nothing else - it won't hurt!

Posted: Jul 11th, '08, 14:29
by fencerdenoctum
Thoughts and prayers with you Aphroditea!


The Tea Sipping Swordsman,
Fencerdenoctum

Posted: Jul 11th, '08, 14:48
by Victoria
Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry to hear all this!
My thoughts and prayers are with you my dear,
hang in there!
Hugs to you,
Victoria

Posted: Jul 11th, '08, 16:18
by chamekke
Aphroditea,

I'm sorry to hear that you're going through all this (including the business with that bleeping internist!), but glad that you've told us what is up.

I will add you to my daily prayers if that's OK. Please let us know how you're doing in the meantime.

{{big hugs}}

chamekke

Posted: Jul 11th, '08, 18:25
by geeber1
Aphroditea,

I'm new to TeaChat, but wanted to add my thoughts and prayers to the other offered here.

Hope you are able to find a cause and a cure soon!

Vera

Posted: Jul 11th, '08, 19:27
by Chip
Keep your chin up, AphrodiTea...and drink tea. I hope and pray for your recovery beyond the coctail of drugs. But I hope for now you find relief.

Posted: Jul 11th, '08, 21:12
by Aphroditea
THANK YOU EVERYONE!!! You are the swellest buncha guys and gals!

TKY and Shou Mei for me today, keeping me in good spirits. Its good to have real tea again!

*hugs*

Posted: Jul 12th, '08, 00:02
by insanitylater
i don't pray but i hope you do get better soon

:D

Posted: Jul 12th, '08, 01:11
by hop_goblin
We are here for you as much as anyone can be online. :cry:

Posted: Jul 12th, '08, 01:58
by Salsero
Thanks for the update, Aphro. Situations like this make us realize how difficult medicine really is once you get past the easy answers. I am confident you and the doctors will find a diagnosis and successful treatment, but I fear it will require a persistent effort from you and from your practitioners.

Meanwhile, if we can help you cope in any way, please turn to your TeaChat buddies.

Now, the real business: any news on that teaboat yet?

Posted: Jul 12th, '08, 03:04
by omegapd
You'll be in my thoughts and prayers also. Take care.

EW

Posted: Jul 12th, '08, 03:37
by Ti
When I hear of dizziness I have to post this. This may have nothing to do with your problem, but anyway...

My mother used to have horrible vertigo episodes. (8-10 hrs on bathroom floor lying by toilet). She traced it to aspertame. She cut it completely out of her diet and never again did she experience vertigo.

Peace and happiness to all.

P.S.
Three days without tea? :shock:

Posted: Jul 12th, '08, 11:37
by Aphroditea
Salsero wrote: Now, the real business: any news on that teaboat yet?
Riva is still gone for another week and half. So, I will know when she gets back from Taiwan. In the meantime I did some shopping online and at local art stores for bowls. I opted for something simple and inexpensive because I think 1)I can do more with it and 2)I won't feel so awful if I chip it :)

http://www.taooftea.com/detail2130-Cha_ ... wl%29.html

I think I might go with this one, but I need to check on the size. I did find a gorgeous bowl that would work at a local shop, but it was $55 and I think I would be scared to actually use it!!

I am also hunting for a second yixing, aroma cup set (I found one that I like, but it doesn't come with the small cup tray, but I think I can work around that), I picked out two full sized gaiwans (one glass for blooming teas), and a chado set made out of verawood. Now, I just sit back and wait for my anniversary and then Yule! :D :D :D