Falling

2012 Not Starting Well

I haven't been posting - too sick or too hurt or too stressed or working too many hours that I shouldn't.  Members of my extended family have been ill, or have found out bad health news, or are just stressed too.  Hoping that their conditions will work out for the best, if mine worsens so be it.

I went to the A-Team (my headache specialist and the headache clinic) this month and they were as kind as always and had some more options for me to try. Every time I go in, my doctor takes the time to review my case and research to see if any new studies have been published before my appointment.  You would think all doctors do this, but in my recent experience I have found it a rarity, so I am pleased that Dr. Hannibal Smith and his team do this consistently.  He also wrote a letter for me to have with me when I do have to go to emergency rooms that gives some basic guidelines to the ER docs on how to treat my hemicrania continua during an extreme pain flair.  He also gave me some literature on HC to go with the letter.  I am hoping this will help both me and the ER docs.  There are so few hemicrania continua patients that the ER docs and nurses treat it as a migraine because that is the headache condition they see most often.

I fell really really hard last Friday down some stairs while I was mopping the floor.  Missed work, and my sister was kind enough to take me to the ER to be checked out.  My lower lip and chin are still numb from the fall - how I hit this I don't know but I broke several of my front teeth and knocked part of a filling and crumbled the side of a tooth in the back.  The docs thought I might have a mild concussion also - I threw up several times during the night while I waited to see if I should go to the ER.  I knocked ribs out of place and was able to crank those puppies back where they should be while I was still numb from hitting the floor.  I have a problem with my ribs going out dating back about 20 years to a fall on the ice.  I think once you injure yourself bad enough the old injury keeps popping up when you try new acrobatic tricks when falling.  I must be made of rubber and bounced pretty well since no bones were broken.

The pain from the fall has been really bad.  I don't seem to be bruised badly - there are a couple of spots that show bruises - but the pain seems to be coming from the pelvic region and my right hip and leg.  My incontinence issues have gotten worse yet again, perhaps from bruising the nerves?  I am going to have to start using protection at night if it doesn't clear up soon, as it is happening in my sleep since my fall.  My teeth hurt but I have a dentist appointment Friday to see what is going on there.  Maybe my major medical will cover part of the repairs - that would be a big WooHoo!!!

I see my PCP this morning to see what if anything can be done with the increased pain and incontinence.  Maybe it will calm down after a week or so.  I seem to only have the sensation of pain, and am not aware that I am having incontinent episodes.  I will just have to move forward and hope that this latest set back goes away after my body gets over the shock of the flying leap and the splatted landing.  Note to self - do not fall with a three gallon bucket full of dirty mop water again!!!  Not only did it through me off balance I had to lay there in that mess and then clean it up and finish mopping.  My feet are so numb I am not sure what made me fall - I suspect mop water sloshed out and I stepped in it.

I plan to go into work today after going to the PCP.   Not sure how I will be doing, but I need to make the effort, because it is not work's fault I am a clumsy oaf!  I also have an appointment Thursday with my urologist to see if I need to continue the intermittent catheterization.  I had a very bad UTI since starting the self-cathing but  this could have been from fecal incontinence or not being careful enough with the catheters.  Makes me cringe to think about it.

I am somewhat drugged - the pain has been horrid in my back and in my abdomen.  For some reason my liver and kidney hurts on the right side and my spleen on the left are terribly sore.  Just what I need, another part/piece deciding it doesn't like me and leading a revolt of the innards!!!  Maybe you can bruise your insides as well as the outside - maybe that's why the ER docs gave me literature on deep contusions??

I hope this post makes sense, as my mind hurts.  I'm going to have to retire from the circus and stop the acrobatic stunts while mopping.  This is the second time I have fallen at the same spot on the same stairs while mopping.  Maybe the root cause is mopping the floor.  Sounds good - I can quit mopping and won't every fall again!  When I win the lottery I can hire maid service to come in and mop and fall for me.  sigh.