Well, I am happy to be sitting here with a cup of coffee (Just One I promise) after the week I just had.

It all started last week - I had the first one of "The worst headaches of my life"

It only lasted a few minutes but it scared the crap out of me. Two days later I had another one which lasted about 20 minutes. I was convinced something had burst in my brain so the following morning I headed over too the ER.

They did a CT scan and some other tests and all was fine but my blood pressure was high. I was released happy to know I didn't have an aneurysm.

Things seemed ok for a couple more days until BOOM - the headache was back and it was there to stay.

Dread brought me to the ER again. Poor guy had to drive a vomiting woman - he was so good. There, I had another CT scan (which was OK) and a spinal tap which showed a little blood.

That is when things got scary. I was loaded onto an ambulance - which was really HOT and MISERABLE and was brought to the Neurology ICU at a hospital in Portland. All the while my headache was BAD - pain medicine didn't work and

I opened my eyes in the ICU to find a whole slew of Doctors and Nurses around my bed.

I was poked with needle upon needle looking for veins and loaded up with three IV's. Meanwhile, every 15 minutes I had doctors and nurses questioning me. It is a teaching hospital - picture a scene in Grey's Anatomy.



I had the headache and 15 minute checks throughout the night. They worked hard to lower my high blood pressure - quite an ordeal - lots op meds and some unfavorable reactions to some of them.

By the morning my blood pressure was too low and the headache had finally subsided after 20 grueling hours. - so next they had to bring it back up which meant keeping me awake.

I then had an Angiogram I wont go into details but it is a highly invasive test. The results were good - MY Brain is OK!

After laying flat for six hours to recover from the Angiogram I was released!
I have been home for four days .
The first day I had a crazy rash and all sorts of bruising.

I wasn't able to shower until yesterday - It sure felt good after 5 days of sponge bathing.

Now I'm taking my Meds and avoiding heavy lifting - per doctors orders.

I'm still having sinus headaches but as bad as they feel they are NOTHING like the headache that brought me to the ER.
Now I need to stay headache free and attempt to avoid heavy lifting while packing for our move in just two weeks!!!
So I am happy to say

Oh my honey, you certainly have been put thru the wringer. (as my mom used to say) I am so happy that things all checked out alright and that everything is A-ok. Do as the doctors say and no lifting! Let Dread get some of his big strong buddies to help out and you supervise from the couch or chair!

OMG!! This sounds awful! I'm so happy that you didn't have an aneurysm~~ that killer headache was the symptom when a friend of ours had an aneurysm. So your headache must have been from the elevated BP huh? ANYWAY~~ so glad you are on the mend now!! Wish I was there to help you move

OMG that is scary. Glad you didn't hesitate and got right to the ER. Please listen to the doctors and not over do it. Have you suffered from headaches a lot? I've been blessed to have very-very few (knock wood) but when I get one I'm a big baby.

big hug......

Yikes! What a week! Glad everything's okay - this must have been scary as hell!

Take 'er easy bye ,there's always tomorrow !!! Glad things turned out !!!

Wow, glad you are feeling better and certainly hope you continue to feel okay.

Thanks everybody - your well wished mean a lot.

Writing a little story and illustrating it with our emoticons was very therapeutic for me - I had to release some of my pent up emotions and it helped.

I love that we have this board when we need it.

I'm doing much better and am knee deep in packing!

Thanks again.

What an awful experience! Glad you are feeling better!