The Triumphant Return of IAS and NADM

In what was, in hindsight, an unusually clever and prescient call, I didn't go in to work today. I woke up with the same pretty-bad headache that I've had for the last week or so, but I powered through the morning kid-wrangling and dropoff with the assumption that it'd get better enough for me to go to work. But by the time I left Eli's school, the pain was getting so obviously bad that I choked a couple Tylenol down dry in the car (not wanting to wait til I got to work to get water). All the way through the San Rafael narrows commuter crawl, I told myself that as soon as the Tylenol kicked in I'd be ok, that I might as well keep going to work and I could always go home later, after I'd checked in. But after 10 minutes, nothing was getting better--it was getting worse. A wee voice in my head told me that the Tylenol probably weren't going to help, that this was getting to be above and beyond the usual headache. So I made the impulsive decision to turn around once I got off the freeway in San Rafael and headed back home. I'm really glad I did. (Note to self: listen to that wee voice from time to time, it might know what it's talking about.) I walked in the door, called my boss to tell him I was going to be in a few hours late, called Josh to tell him where I was, and called my mom to tell her I wasn't going to be able to have lunch with her today (and okay, admittedly, to get a little of that irreplaceable Mom Sympathy (tm)). Then I shucked my work clothes and changed into pajamas, turned off all the lights and shut all the blinds, and went to bed. The pain was so bad at this point that I just laid there in the dark for awhile feeling sorry for myself and crying. Then I put some earplugs in (they were mowing the grass in the school's field in back of our house, and I couldn't stand the sound of the big tractor mower) and tried to sleep.

I actually did manage to sleep for a couple hours, and then woke up around 12:30 or so (I'd told my boss I'd try to be in around noon, ha). After a few moments of lying still, thinking "oh yeah! I feel much better now", I sat up and it immediately became obvious that nothing much had changed. I got up, shuffled pitifully into the living room, checked my work email to make sure that nothing flammable was happening, and called my boss to tell him that I wasn't coming in at all today. He was very gracious and understanding, thankfully (see, it's a good thing that normally I tough it out, because on days like today when I really need the cred, I have it). I checked in with Josh and with my mom again, then called and left a message for the advice nurse at my OB/GYN's office. I ate lunch, drank a bunch of water and took some more Tylenol to see if that would help any. It didn't. I went back to bed in the dark bedroom and cried some more, but sadly I couldn't seem to get back to sleep. I stewed in my own morbid fantasies of brain tumors and aneurisms. I imagined what it would be like if this was actually my last day alive. Finally, I called my mom again, who encouraged me to try hot compresses and maybe some caffeine. I made myself some tea and sat on the couch with a hot compress and tried to read a little, but I didn't want to turn the light on too brightly and I didn't want to strain my eyes. I finally heard back from the advice nurse, whose long term solution was to give me the name of a neurologist to go see, and for the short term, said she'd call in a prescription for me for a pregnancy-safe kickass pain reliever. I called Josh and asked him to pick it up for me on the way home. Meanwhile, the caffeine and hot compress idea seemed to help somewhat, and I finished my book and even managed to watch a little TV. I also called the neurologist and made an appointment for next week. (Stay tuned for more exciting head pain stories, whee.)

By the time Josh got home with Eli, I was feeling much better and actually elected not to take the kickass pain reliever (being much afeared of the dire warnings of side effects on the label). And now, post-dinner and post-kid bedtime, here I am actually able to use the computer without squinting. But I am going to be smart, I swear, and rather than trying to push it and do more (like write up the Disneyland experience) I am going to take advantage of this relatively pain-free time and go to bed. At least I know that if it is this bad again, I have a medication option. And I'm (grudgingly, I admit I was stubborn about this, not wanting to admit to the possibility of yet another chronic health issue) going to hopefully start to get some better answers about this ongoing head pain crap from the neurologist. Ain't bodies wonderful? Igor! Bring me my disembodied brain jar!

Sigh....