3.11.2012

MORE FUN THAN ONE FALL DESERVES

Two days after I fell, I started with an off and on again headache.  I thought it was due to the incision healing and went with the flow.  After the sutures were removed, the headache continued and evolved to a point that it never left.  My head hurt constantly...sometimes only a little bit and sometimes more, but it never completely ever went away, not even with OTC pain meds.

A week after my sutures were taken out, I placed a call to my doctor about the headaches and his recommendation was that I get a CT scan (to be sure that there was no inner cranial bleeding from the fall), I spent 4 hours in the Emergency Department (mostly waiting since the actual CT scan took 5 minutes) and got a CT scan of my head.  Then I waited another hour and 10 minutes for the radiologist to read the scan and for me to be discharged.  The good news was that there was no bleeding. 

The bad news is that I had received a concussion in the fall and was suffering from a "Post Concussion Syndrome" headache.  My recent depressed feelings and anxiety  over going back out on my 4 mile walk (mentioned in my last post and which began at the same time as the headache) are also symptoms of PCS.  Learning that made me feel less crazy.

I opted to not take any prescription pain meds (I am allergic to several, did not want to stay home from work due to taking a narcotic and didn't want to wait in the pharmacy for another hour) and instead to simply take OTC meds. The ER doc said my symptoms could last another 2 weeks and to be cautious not to do anything that might cause me to bang my head again...meaning, no power walking. 

Friday was the same...my head hurt all day long.  Saturday morning, I awoke with a headache, popped two Excedrin...and I realized two hours later, the pain was completely gone.  And it has not returned. 

I am cautiously optimistic...but hopeful that I am symptom free. 

I really want to get back to my weekend walks! 

1 comment:

Laura said...

Take it easy, girl! Those concussions just take awhile to get over it seems. Sounds like a good time for you to take a break from the physical routine and work on your writing! ;)