Headache and need relief

[Scared1234]

I totally disagree with you being angry at yourself for making the appointment. It’s good and appropriate that you trust medical professionals. Now, you will I am certain get the all looks great from the eye doc and....you will have a wonderful Christmas! Otherwise, how pleasurable would it be with you worrying obsessively? I know from experience that family, especially kids can sense when a parent isn’t “all present”.

And sorry, but the cat story is magical thinking. Just this morning, one of our cats decided to come lay on my lap. He needed to be close to me. He hasn’t done that since he was a kitty over a year ago. I just enjoyed it and petted him. Should I think he sensed something sinister? Of course not. Cats are creatures of the moment, doing what they want to do for reasons that are sometimes beyond our understanding.

Let us know after the appointment and then....drop this and enjoy your family. The more you obsess over any symptom, the more you’ll notice it and focus on it. There’s a term for it, explained well by Jim Folk...”hyper focusing”.

Oh by the way, the tumor you fear with the ear, acoustic neuroma has an incidence of 1-100,000 and is always benign and correctable.

I am waiting on one last test, that I completely think I failed on my right eye with peripheral vision. He didn’t dilate my eyes, but said everything he saw looked okay but he wanted to do this oculus test and wants me to wait around so he can look over my other eye. So I’m still nervous!

I totally disagree with you being angry at yourself for making the appointment. It’s good and appropriate that you trust medical professionals. Now, you will I am certain get the all looks great from the eye doc and....you will have a wonderful Christmas! Otherwise, how pleasurable would it be with you worrying obsessively? I know from experience that family, especially kids can sense when a parent isn’t “all present”.

And sorry, but the cat story is magical thinking. Just this morning, one of our cats decided to come lay on my lap. He needed to be close to me. He hasn’t done that since he was a kitty over a year ago. I just enjoyed it and petted him. Should I think he sensed something sinister? Of course not. Cats are creatures of the moment, doing what they want to do for reasons that are sometimes beyond our understanding.

Let us know after the appointment and then....drop this and enjoy your family. The more you obsess over any symptom, the more you’ll notice it and focus on it. There’s a term for it, explained well by Jim Folk...”hyper focusing”.

Oh by the way, the tumor you fear with the ear, acoustic neuroma has an incidence of 1-100,000 and is always benign and correctable.

I failed my field vision test, which is a sign of brain tumor in the eye I was worried about. So it’s not great news right now. I am waiting on my eyes to dilate and then he will take a look at them farther bud said it could definitely be related to something neurological.

 

[Scared1234]

So it wasn’t great news and now I’m even more scared than before. He did a picture of my eye and my right eye optic nerve is more pale. He said everything else looks fine. The pupils responded well to light, they reacted fine, my color test was fine. When he did the dilation and looked in my eye, he said it looked less pale than on the photo. He wants to see my back in 6 weeks to see if anything has improved and to do a nerve test that he said he couldn’t do today because my insurance only covers one test a day. He never mentioned optic pressure or intercranial pressure but I’m wondering if that’s the same thing as a pale optic nerve. I do not feel any better than I did before I went and I am pretty sure this is serious and not related to anxiety. I am so worried this could be my last Christmas with my family, if this is a brain tumor. I specifically asked him if this could be a tumor and he said that’s not what he was thinking but he also didn’t want to tell me worse case scenario and ruin my holidays. I’m freaked out and wishing I hadn’t even gone in now. It would have been better to wait until after Christmas.

 

[Scared1234]

I know I shouldn’t have looked up causes of pale optic nerve but I can’t ever help myself because I like to be informed. Apparently lesions on the brain are the number 1 reason. This is such an awful, helpless feeling. I go back and forth on wanting to know RIGHT now and wanting to wait until after Christmas.

 

[Phillies Phan]

One thing to consider; just consider. You could go to the ER. Let them know the history of your symptoms and the details from your eye doctor visit today. I’m relatively certain they would give you a CT. Yes it would be anxiety provoking and likely you’d be there many hours, especially with the COVID situation. But, more than likely you’ll know for certain by the time you go to sleep tonight that you do not have a BT.

Waiting 6 weeks is fine if you think you can handle it. Wish I could give you a hug. Virtually, I am.

Bob

 

[Scared1234]

One thing to consider; just consider. You could go to the ER. Let them know the history of your symptoms and the details from your eye doctor visit today. I’m relatively certain they would give you a CT. Yes it would be anxiety provoking and likely you’d be there many hours, especially with the COVID situation. But, more than likely you’ll know for certain by the time you go to sleep tonight that you do not have a BT.

Waiting 6 weeks is fine if you think you can handle it. Wish I could give you a hug. Virtually, I am.

Bob

I just don’t think it’s going to show no brain tumor at this point. I have done a ton of reading (yes, I know, stay off Google) and it seems like this is very consistent with a brain tumor, especially with the headaches, twitching, the failed visual test and then the pale optic nerve. I made an appt with my PCP but it’s not until next Thursday. She’s always impossible to get an appt with so I’m shocked she got me in so quickly. Said she would do labs and then send me to neuro. I have considered the ER route after Christmas, but not sure if I should do that or not…

 

[Scared1234]

I sent the eye report to my chiropractor and even though he’s closed, he messaged me back and said he would call me tomorrow. I don’t think it’s good news that he is going to call me on his day off. In Christmas Eve. I have been having really worrisome symptoms tonight too. I keep having this left arm heaviness off and on. As well as the twitching. I just don’t see how this isn’t something bad this time. Oh how I wish it was just health anxiety!!

 

[Scared1234]

Ugh! Every time I fall asleep, I end up waking up shaking. It’s freaking me out that it’s seizures.

 

[Phillies Phan]

When I’m stressed (I’m currently going through my own HA episode), I wake up during the night with my heart racing and I twitch in various places all this due to stress/fight or flight/adrenaline and cortisol. Other board members mention perceived heaviness in limbs which were investigated and nothing found as its anxiety.

Your chiropractor is calling you because he knows you’re stressed out, you’re a valuable patient to him, and he seems like a caring guy. No scary reason.

 

[Gooze17]

I just don’t think it’s going to show no brain tumor at this point. I have done a ton of reading (yes, I know, stay off Google) and it seems like this is very consistent with a brain tumor, especially with the headaches, twitching, the failed visual test and then the pale optic nerve. I made an appt with my PCP but it’s not until next Thursday. She’s always impossible to get an appt with so I’m shocked she got me in so quickly. Said she would do labs and then send me to neuro. I have considered the ER route after Christmas, but not sure if I should do that or not…

Of course you don’t, that’s the anxiety, no rationality it just simply must be the worst case scenario

I sent the eye report to my chiropractor and even though he’s closed, he messaged me back and said he would call me tomorrow. I don’t think it’s good news that he is going to call me on his day off. In Christmas Eve. I have been having really worrisome symptoms tonight too. I keep having this left arm heaviness off and on. As well as the twitching. I just don’t see how this isn’t something bad this time. Oh how I wish it was just health anxiety!!

It most likely is. Everything you’ve described is a symptom of health anxiety

 

[Scared1234]

When I’m stressed (I’m currently going through my own HA episode), I wake up during the night with my heart racing and I twitch in various places all this due to stress/fight or flight/adrenaline and cortisol. Other board members mention perceived heaviness in limbs which were investigated and nothing found as its anxiety.

Your chiropractor is calling you because he knows you’re stressed out, you’re a valuable patient to him, and he seems like a caring guy. No scary reason.

I woke up with the head pains today. Feels like someone is pushing on my head in 2-3 spots. What worries me is the eye dr said it’s more likely to be a brain tumor if you have worse pain in the AM. The thing is, it’s not that bad of a pain. At first, I thought I woke up with the pain because I was thinking about it in my sleep and it was the first thing I thought of when waking up. I didn’t realize it was bad to have it first thing in the AM. I am definitely struggling today. I know I need to eat, and I can’t. Last night, while cleaning, I started coughing and thought I was going to puke. I didn’t eat much yesterday either. I know the not eating is in relation to the anxiety, but still doesn’t make it any easier. I’m not sleeping well at night and I continue to wake up shaking and then I’m tired when I do get up.

Of course you don’t, that’s the anxiety, no rationality it just simply must be the worst case scenario

It most likely is. Everything you’ve described is a symptom of health anxiety

I thought I was only experiencing HA until the eye dr gave me reason to believe this is bad—failing the field vision test in one eye and having that optic nerve more pale in color.

 

[Scared1234]

I am definitely having a LOT more pressure in my head, near my left ear. But yet it’s my right eye that is having issues

 

[Scared1234]

So my chiropractor called me. He is definitely concerned now due to the symptoms I am
Having, in addition to what the eye dr found. So, unfortunately, this is not just a flare up of anxiety. I wish it was.

 

[Scared1234]

Ugh. And now I feel like my gag reflex is super easy to trigger. I had a little cough (due to a smell) and I thought I was going to throw up. I have also had no appetite today, even though I forced myself to eat. I also feel like my throat is being squeezed (which has happened to me before, during high levels of anxiety). I have always been so worried about cancer, I never had a BT fear though. Now that I do, I’m pretty sure it’s a valid concern. My nursing friend said it doesn’t sound good and I have too many symptoms to write off as anxiety. I am so overwhelmed right now. And I just want to go back to how I was a few months ago!

 

[Scared1234]

Ugh. And now I feel like my gag reflex is super easy to trigger. I had a little cough (due to a smell) and I thought I was going to throw up. I have also had no appetite today, even though I forced myself to eat. I also feel like my throat is being squeezed (which has happened to me before, during high levels of anxiety). I have always been so worried about cancer, I never had a BT fear though. Now that I do, I’m pretty sure it’s a valid concern. My nursing friend said it doesn’t sound good and I have too many symptoms to write off as anxiety. I am so overwhelmed right now. And I just want to go back to how I was a few months ago!

I woke up today, expecting to feel better and I don’t. I’m really struggling to see out of that right eye now and it’s making me especially dizzy and nauseous. I woke up with head pains, which the dr said is common with brain tumors. I am also having issues with vision up close, which had not happened before. The effects of dialation should be well worn off by now so it’s not from that. Everything is blurry, almost double vision when it’s up close. I am trying really hard to just enjoy the day, but it’s hard when you feel like this and keep thinking about how this might be your last Christmas with your family. There’s never a good time for bad things to happen but I really wish it wasn’t at Christmas time.

 

[Scared1234]

And in addition, I read that anxiety/depression are actually symptoms of a brain tumor and they normally get overlook in patients with documented anxiety. I wish I could just wake up and feel back to normal and have no cancer in me!

 

[Gooze17]

Probably won’t happen until you get a scan unfortunately. I know with my HA I’ll find a million things to reinforce my self diagnosis and be absolutely convinced it’s what I have until I’m proven wrong

 

[Jonathan123]

In the UK we have Chiropractors and Osteopaths, Osteopathy is a much gentler form of treatment. Their creed is 'Structure governs function' and it's true. If any part of your body is out of alignment then aches and pains will follow. This applies especially to the neck muscles. Tension there and an out of line vertebra can cause much pain and headaches. In anxiety we often tend to walk about with our head down. This is not good for the spine because it can become a habit and permanent. Head up and walk upright. No 'poor me' attitude which can lead to all sorts of malfunctions. 'Poor me in this state' can only lead to despair.

 

[Scared1234]

Probably won’t happen until you get a scan unfortunately. I know with my HA I’ll find a million things to reinforce my self diagnosis and be absolutely convinced it’s what I have until I’m proven wrong

Normally I’m all about just getting a scan and knowing I’m okay. Unfortunately this time, I am very reluctant because I am certain this is going to show a brain tumor. This is the first time I haven’t had an inkling of hope that I would get good news. Even my family member that is a nurse thinks there is a huge possibility of this being a brain tumor and said I should just go to the ER. She said they would scan me and probably go ahead and admit me and do a neuro consult. That is how certain she is this is bad. I also read a story about a lady that was diagnosed after having head pains (not headaches) and a trip to the eye doctor. This is exactly what I am feeling—pains, not headache. I just don’t know if I’m ready to go to the ER and hear this news. Every time I look at my family, I just want to protect them and tell them I’m so sorry for what is about to come. They don’t deserve this, at all!

 

[Scared1234]

Here is what I suggest, not because I think anything serious is wrong, but because it’s similar to what I have done when I’ve had BT fears..of which I’ve had many over the years.

See your doctor, or even a walk in and ask for a basic neuro exam. Takes under 5 minutes. You will no doubt pass that. Then go see an optometrist and get a dilated exam, if you haven’t had one in over say 6 months. They can see the optic nerve and other serious things if they exist. After you are told that the eye exam showed nothing of concern, then you’re good to go. You won’t need imaging..protocol would be no need with a clear neuro and dilated exam.

And the fact that I didn’t get a good report from the eye doctor is what makes me really convinced this is a brain tumor. There’s not many other things it could be (like in the past with some of my HA fears). I also read that anxiety is a symptom of brain tumor, which doesn’t make me feel good because maybe I’ve had this tumor for years now.

 

[Iugrad91]

Brain tumors aren’t always terminal. There are benign tumors as well. My neighbor had a malignant one and it was removed and he is fine now, after 5yrs or so. If the doctor is concerned then get it checked out asap. You’ll have your answers then and a path forward. Right now you’re just spinning your wheels and thinking the worst.