It's been quite a week

Jojo61
Jojo61 Member Posts: 1,309 Member

Hi all!

As some of you know, we have been doing some renovations in the house. For quite a while now we have had no water in the kitchen, no stove, no oven. Every inch on the main floor has junk on it. Lots of stress! Work has been insane as we are very short staffed and we are headed into super busy season. In addition, my husband is going through long, drawn out legal battles with his ex-wife that is going to be the death of us - financially and emotionally - yet. In the last 10 months I have lost my mother, my husband lost his best friend and I was diagnosed with RCC and had my nephrectomy in December. My son is suffering a deep depression and has many other issues that need to be addressed.

On Monday morning I got up for work. As I walked to the bathroom I felt a little woozy. But it passed. I immediately thought of my girlfriend who just got over a bad flu that had her really dizzy. I figured that I might have caught that. I sat on the toilet and started feeling ill and woozy again. I called out to my husband and next thing I know I am being revived by my husband. I did a face plant on the floor and as a result got a black eye (luckily didn't break my nose) and a cut on my lip. He eventually managed to get me back to bed. He mentioned that I had lost control of my bladder while I was out. He said I was out for a few minutes. He got me ice for my eye. I was really out of it for a couple of hours, but remember no feeling in my left arm and maybe my right arm. I have fainted many times before, but never like this. My husband worked from home that day. I didn't go to work that day. My husband suggested the ambulance, but I thought that was silly. I would be fine.

I went to work the next day. Not feeling great, but certainly could manage. I told my friend at work about it. Her hubby is a firefighter. She talked to him and he urged me to immediately go to the doctor. Still, I was reluctant. It happened yesterday. I was doing okay. I joked about it and looked at the humorous side of it....I was buck naked when it happened so there were some very funny aspects to it! My friend kept pushing. I gave in and tried several times to reach my doctor (I swear the receptionist puts the lines on hold!) At lunch hour I got the voicemail and so I left a message about what happened. She immediately called me back. The doctor's office was closed til the next day. She gave me the name of another doctor to call. I got through there immediately and she told me to always call 911 if I ever lose consciousness. I went to see him and he said given my cancer history he would like to send me for a CT scan, but since that would take a couple of weeks he suggested I go to Emergency. He faxed them ahead of time. He begged me to not let this go. I had the kitchen guy coming and my hubby was out of town but I thought I should go. He said it was probably a TIA (mini stroke - but too late to determine if it was) or a brain mets. I went. They took me very seriously. Did blood work, and EKG and a CT scan. Everything came back good (thank goodness!!) But they were leaning towards a TIA (especially since my sister had a few about 4 years ago) They also thought that I might have had a seizure.So they want to send me for an EEG - which won't be until July!! When they did my nephrectomy,, they nicked a vein...not sure if this could have been caused by a bit of a blood clot that broke away from that??

Anyway I am still not 100%. I have dizzy spells occasionally, and I just don't feel great. I have been at work every day and unable to get a break other than go to the washroom. I feel ready to cry, scream and almost accept defeat. I am still fighting though! I know so many of you out there have battled so much and so graciously. I could use a boost of energy and hope from some of my friends here. :)

Hugs

Jojo

Comments

  • Srashedb
    Srashedb Member Posts: 482 Member
    So glad

    jojo:

    so glad your friend prevailed on you to call your doctor and that the tests were done; your brain checked out.

    a TIA may be the answer but never underestimate the power of stress on the body.

    you will be fine but, girl, you cannot do it all so take it as a wake up call and thank goodness you didn't break your nose. You could have been alone or driving.

    hope I managed to give you a boost and that you will take a few days to just chill.

    Sarah

  • Djinnie
    Djinnie Member Posts: 945 Member
    Quite a Week!

     

    Hey Jojo, 

    That was quite a week, I am glad to hear erred on the side of caution and went for a check up. You have had a bucket load of stress to deal with, some of which is still ongoing, and you are still recovering from major surgery. Your body sounds like its on overload, so it could be a mini stroke, it may be difficult to tell. I had one of those the first time I had cancer, my face froze and I couldn't speak, fortunately it left no identifiable signs of damage.

    With having so much on your plate, and being run ragged at work, it could also be your body reacting to severe stress. You may not be aware of it but you could be over breathing, just taking constant rapid short shallow breaths for long periods can cause hyperventilation. When stressed and concentrating it is easy to do without you being aware, it reduces the levels of carbon dioxide in the blood. You often feel unsteady and out of sorts, developing feelings of numbness in your arms, disorientation, dizziness and fainting. It can leave you feeling very out of sorts. It is not quite the same as panic attacks although the conditions can overlap. It might be worth paying attention to your breathing, sometimes there could be a propensity to sighing a lot. 

    You could definitely do with treating yourself to a destressing treatment. An aromatherapy massage, or sauna or both, if I lived closer I would be around with my massage table and oils. Understandably the commitment of work is causing the pressure to build, do you get the weekends off? Try to put everything else to one side this weekend and just concentrate on you, there is only so long your body can run on empty. Thinking of you:)

    Djinnie xx

  • aamdsi
    aamdsi Member Posts: 284
    Oh my!

    What a week!  I hope that all tests come back with good news, and come back sooner than July!

    in the meantime, put your feet up (if you can) and just breath.  Hopefully you are where you can do that outside with a glass of tea (or wine).

    hug to you.

    Laurie

  • Karen0074
    Karen0074 Member Posts: 64
    aamdsi said:

    Oh my!

    What a week!  I hope that all tests come back with good news, and come back sooner than July!

    in the meantime, put your feet up (if you can) and just breath.  Hopefully you are where you can do that outside with a glass of tea (or wine).

    hug to you.

    Laurie

    Oh JoJo how awful, I'm so

    Oh JoJo how awful, I'm so glad you had good results and are feeling a bit better. You need a time out, your life is a bit hectic at the moment. can you take some time off work, I know you are short staffed but your health is most important. Sounds like you have great support form your lovely husband And renovating a house, you are amazing xx

     

    karen

  • brea588
    brea588 Member Posts: 240
    Karen0074 said:

    Oh JoJo how awful, I'm so

    Oh JoJo how awful, I'm so glad you had good results and are feeling a bit better. You need a time out, your life is a bit hectic at the moment. can you take some time off work, I know you are short staffed but your health is most important. Sounds like you have great support form your lovely husband And renovating a house, you are amazing xx

     

    karen

    Jo Jo

    Please slow down,   all this old stuff on earth will be here when we leave.  Stop and smell the roses every now and then.  That house will get put back together.  Sounds like you under so much stress.  But please if you ever pass out again  go to er and get evaluated right then.  So dangerous to not go.  Hope you get to feeling much better soon.  My prayers are with you.

  • twinthings
    twinthings Member Posts: 409
    Oh Jojo, I don't ask myself

    Oh Jojo, I don't ask myself why you, I ask myself, why not you? 

    The amount of stress you have in your life is astrinomical.  And not just now but, a good long while now.  And it seems to be mounting.  Of all the stressors you have mentioned, and boy are there many, your son's depression and "many other issues" are bound to be taking the biggest toll on your health.   I don't know your son's circumstances but I do know what it means to be a mom and when our kids hurt, be it physically, mentally or emotionally, we hurt, maybe worse.  I am a firm believer that stress kills.  But, before it kills, it manifests itself in many, many ways, ie, dizziness, fainting, nausea, aches and pains and on and on. 

    However, being that a vein was nicked during surgery, maybe you have a slow internal bleed that's causing enough blood loss to account for the dizziness.  In which case, the horrendouse amount of stress your'e under may have nothing to do with what ails you.  You mentioned you have fainted many times before.  Any particular reason?  The fact that you felt "out of it" for a couple hours after you passed out makes me think it was a seizure of some kind.  I know you must be so scared!  I hate that you have to wait so long for answers.  It just seems like you should be bumped to the front of the line.  I mean, July?  Really?  I'm happy the other tests and ct all look good.  Did you get copies?  I'm surprised that your bloodwork wasn't more revealing.  I'd get those too.  Just to have a look for yourself. 

    Whatever you do, do not accept defeat.  Cry if you want to and scream bloody murder, but don't quit till you get answers.  These doctor's might not figure it out, but someone will.  I just wouldn't be too quick to chalk it up to stress.  Stress will exacerbate any other medical issues, of course, but it's best to rule out a medical etiology for your dizziness and fainting, in my opinion.

    In the meantime, JoJo, you gotta get away from it all.  You need to find an outlet that will lend, if only brief, retreats from your stress.  Too bad we don't live closer.  Coffee and Bailey's with a girlfriend is amazing therapy.

    I'll pray for you, sweet jojo.  I know your post was 4 days ago, and I'm late to the game so I'm hoping you are feeling somewhat better today.  If I can do anything at all, holla.  And most importantly, hang in there.  Your smile in your picture is so vibrant that I know the lady behind the smile must also be.  Don't lose yourself trying to help everyone else.  Of course our kids always come first but in this instance, you have to put their worries aside and focus on you because, you can't help your son if you are not well yourself.

    xoxo

    Sindy

  • Jan4you
    Jan4you Member Posts: 1,330 Member
    Oh dear, so sorry all this is

    Oh dear, so sorry all this is going on. Like the others, you must get this checked out ASAP! EEGs need to be promptly done, with possibly a 3 or 5 day video EEG. You could be seeping blood loss, dizziness and feeling whoosey, not good!

    DEMAND to be seen, tested and find out what this is all about so you can PREVENT something worse, or harming yourself from passing out. please?

    THEN come back and let us know how you are doing hon

    Go! get help now!!!

    Hugs, Jan