I really don't see how my symptoms could be anything but a brain tumor. I try to keep telling myself that I think this a lot so I should wait until something is confirmed before getting so upset. But I can't.
- Started getting mild but regular headaches most days about three months ago. Assumed it was due to a neck injury.
- About three weeks ago started smelling things that weren't there, for a second at a time. Rotting things, marijuana, cleaning chemicals and overheated electronic smell. And, weirdly, root beer.
- The day after that started, I woke up with a godawful headache. I never get real, pounding, can't move headaches; haven't since I was a kid. It was worse when I tried to do things, especially if I had to bend over. Went back to bed, was woken up twice feeling like I was being jabbed with an awl on top of my head.
- Though it was a migraine (though I haven't had one since I stopped taking birth control, and those were aura only, no headache), but it never really stopped. Still have headaches most days in and across forehead to temples, though not as bad. Sometimes just middle of the forehead. Bone near left temple painful to touch on left. Occasional jaw/facial pain which I assume is from tension. Sometimes brief pain on top of head. Weird smells are ongoing, once or twice a day.
- Stumbling over sentences, stuttering and not able to think of the words I want.
- Dizzy whenever I stand up, sit down or move my eyes.
- Feeling of pressure behind/around right eye, occasionally pain. My eyes have been burning and red for months; allergy medication hasn't helped; the right one is worse.
- I feel like my vision has decreased, but not sure if that's real or perceived. Have to hold things closer to read them; get headaches/achy eyes when reading. Takes a bit for eyes to focus after opening them, or going from looking at something far away to something close up (or the other way around).
- Random twitches/jerks throughout body. Can be in a leg or on my torso; sometimes in my throat (it feels a bit like gagging but no force behind it.) Most common spot is a bit below my breastbone, but also left leg. Can be anywhere though. Usually solitary twitches, but occur often.
- My visual memory has deteriorated a lot in recent months. I figured it was a medication side effect. I can't remember what things look like. I mean, if you asked me what a chair looks like, I'd know, but if you showed me a picture and asked me to remember something about it, I'd forget it pretty fast. I took note of this a while ago because it made the surrealist horror comics I love a lot easier to read. The images used to be inescapable in my mind's eye; now it'll be faded in minutes.
- Zero memory of conversations I've had, could be that day or weeks ago. It's disturbing to have someone tell you things you said that you have no memory of saying; I used to have a great memory.
- Personality changes over the last 6-7 months or so. Irritable, increasing depression that medication doesn't touch. I get angry out of nowhere over stupid things, and can't fight the impulse to pick a fight if someone makes me mad. It reminds me of when I was put in menopause to treat endometriosis. I don't enjoy anything any more, and I don't care that I don't. My mood will randomly drop for no reason at all when I'm having a good day.
- I've been getting anxiety symptoms out of nowhere. No trigger. Just the panic sensation that lasts a while and goes away.
- This is a weird one I have to assume is in my head. But mentioning it for the sake of completion. I feel like I can't see, but I can. I feel like I'm reading blurry text, but when I look at it and actually think about it, things are pretty clear. It's usually text on a bright white background that's the worst, because all I can see is colored blotches and fuzzy little moving dots, making things appear hard to read. I've had what I guess is called visual snow (it's like there's a screen playing TV static at all times pulled over my eyes), but until recently it's been easy to ignore.
- This isn't new and I'm not sure how long it's been going on, but it's weird: if there's a droning, repetitive sound like music or a car alarm in the distance, the sound gets "stuck" in my ears and I can't tell if I still really hear it or if it's just me. Usually if it's not real, hearing another actual sound will knock it off. Didn't give it much thought until I read about people with seizures that involve "hearing" music that no one else can.
Probably other stuff I'm forgetting. Also nonstop severe gastro problems lately.
- Started getting mild but regular headaches most days about three months ago. Assumed it was due to a neck injury.
- About three weeks ago started smelling things that weren't there, for a second at a time. Rotting things, marijuana, cleaning chemicals and overheated electronic smell. And, weirdly, root beer.
- The day after that started, I woke up with a godawful headache. I never get real, pounding, can't move headaches; haven't since I was a kid. It was worse when I tried to do things, especially if I had to bend over. Went back to bed, was woken up twice feeling like I was being jabbed with an awl on top of my head.
- Though it was a migraine (though I haven't had one since I stopped taking birth control, and those were aura only, no headache), but it never really stopped. Still have headaches most days in and across forehead to temples, though not as bad. Sometimes just middle of the forehead. Bone near left temple painful to touch on left. Occasional jaw/facial pain which I assume is from tension. Sometimes brief pain on top of head. Weird smells are ongoing, once or twice a day.
- Stumbling over sentences, stuttering and not able to think of the words I want.
- Dizzy whenever I stand up, sit down or move my eyes.
- Feeling of pressure behind/around right eye, occasionally pain. My eyes have been burning and red for months; allergy medication hasn't helped; the right one is worse.
- I feel like my vision has decreased, but not sure if that's real or perceived. Have to hold things closer to read them; get headaches/achy eyes when reading. Takes a bit for eyes to focus after opening them, or going from looking at something far away to something close up (or the other way around).
- Random twitches/jerks throughout body. Can be in a leg or on my torso; sometimes in my throat (it feels a bit like gagging but no force behind it.) Most common spot is a bit below my breastbone, but also left leg. Can be anywhere though. Usually solitary twitches, but occur often.
- My visual memory has deteriorated a lot in recent months. I figured it was a medication side effect. I can't remember what things look like. I mean, if you asked me what a chair looks like, I'd know, but if you showed me a picture and asked me to remember something about it, I'd forget it pretty fast. I took note of this a while ago because it made the surrealist horror comics I love a lot easier to read. The images used to be inescapable in my mind's eye; now it'll be faded in minutes.
- Zero memory of conversations I've had, could be that day or weeks ago. It's disturbing to have someone tell you things you said that you have no memory of saying; I used to have a great memory.
- Personality changes over the last 6-7 months or so. Irritable, increasing depression that medication doesn't touch. I get angry out of nowhere over stupid things, and can't fight the impulse to pick a fight if someone makes me mad. It reminds me of when I was put in menopause to treat endometriosis. I don't enjoy anything any more, and I don't care that I don't. My mood will randomly drop for no reason at all when I'm having a good day.
- I've been getting anxiety symptoms out of nowhere. No trigger. Just the panic sensation that lasts a while and goes away.
- This is a weird one I have to assume is in my head. But mentioning it for the sake of completion. I feel like I can't see, but I can. I feel like I'm reading blurry text, but when I look at it and actually think about it, things are pretty clear. It's usually text on a bright white background that's the worst, because all I can see is colored blotches and fuzzy little moving dots, making things appear hard to read. I've had what I guess is called visual snow (it's like there's a screen playing TV static at all times pulled over my eyes), but until recently it's been easy to ignore.
- This isn't new and I'm not sure how long it's been going on, but it's weird: if there's a droning, repetitive sound like music or a car alarm in the distance, the sound gets "stuck" in my ears and I can't tell if I still really hear it or if it's just me. Usually if it's not real, hearing another actual sound will knock it off. Didn't give it much thought until I read about people with seizures that involve "hearing" music that no one else can.
Probably other stuff I'm forgetting. Also nonstop severe gastro problems lately.
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