Epic long post for an Epic trip to hospital.

Soooo the whole “wooo I haven’t had a seizure for a whole week” didn’t last very long. I went for a whole 9 days without a seizure only for an epic one to come along on Sunday evening.

So there I was just toodling along with my day trying to persuade myself to get some dissertation work done not long after finally settling down to actually get on with it then BOOM! I specifically remember getting up to leave my room and then the next thing I know I’m on the floor with a sickening headache and somewhat throbbing head. Great.

I’m getting used to how I feel after a seizure now. Usually there’s the overwhelming tiredness, dull headache, very achy muscles from where I have been tensing and convulsing and confusion for a short while. I devised a little routine that I talk myself through to try and regain awareness and send off the confusion.

Where am I?

What time is it?

What time was it?

What’s the last thing I can remember?

Have I hurt anything?

One of the first things I noticed is that it took an unusually long time for me to figure exactly what was going on. And that the headache wasn’t the usual dull fog, it was truly PAINFUL, sharp and focused. I also immediately felt a subtle sicky feeling. My medicine still makes me feel nauseous but never so late into the day. Oh and one of the deciding factors of “this isn’t normal” was the distinct swelling building on the side of my head where I now figure I’d hit my desk on the way down..

Trying to string a sentence together was fun...

So obviously as much I didn’t want to go... A+E it was. Thinking of the old “better to be safe than sorry” routine. This time I had the far less embarrassing journey via taxi rather than ambulance :) by the time I got there I felt more than just a little nauseous but I think I just thought “meh its probably just the way the taxi was driven”. So into Minors I went making sure I told them I was specifically there because I had hit my head NOT because I had had a seizure. I was seen surprisingly sharpish and here was me thinking ooo awesome they’ll check me over, tell me the usual “if anything gets worse come straight back” speech, then I can just go home get a good night’s sleep. WRONG. They did the usual ‘obs’ and found that my blood pressure was high and I was “tacky” which I later found out meant tachycardic. Which I suppose I’ve since learnt isn’t so good when you’ve just smacked your head... and I was sent straight into majors. 

By this time I could not stop shaking, my head felt like it was going to explode and I really did feel very sick. URGH. I think the best way to explain it is to say it felt very similar to a really bad hangover. You know the kind where you will do anything not to move in fear of keeling over...

Anyway yes so I had YET ANOTHER ecg, various neurological tests including trying balance on one leg with my eyes closed and my arms out... that must have looked HILARIOUS especially with the distinct lack of balance I have anyway and the fact I couldn’t stop shaking. And yeah all sorts of other tests for neuro stuff and general observation.  (BP, temperature, Pulse rate etc) 

OH and then there was the blood test...

Now to say the least one might say I am very used to these lovely tests.. .and most of the time they can run the test without any particular effort despite me having notoriously hidden veins... Needle in = Blood out. But oh no not on this occasion. My veins were nonexistent to say the least the poor doctor had one hell of a job trying to get any blood from me. Its safe to say I now look like a pin cushion! Seriously she tried the usual place (inner elbow) found a vein stuck the needle in and NOTHING as she said “It’s like they see the needle and shy away”. Urgh so out the needle came and then she tried to find a vein on the back of my left hand again eventually  after slapping my hand, rubbing my hand and arm, turning my hand blue and forming a fist out popped a vein and once again she stuck the needle in (oh em gee painful) and again NOTHING. No matter how much encouragement my veins did not want to cooperate. The final attempt was made on the back of my right hand again very painful :/ EVENTUALLY she managed to get the blood to trickle into the needle slowly and awfully painfully! My doctor definitely deserves a medal for her effort!!  It’s funny though I have no idea why they even needed to do blood tests for a head injury... maybe it was something to do with my obs... or maybe not... I’m no doctor so I guess I’ll never know. 

Medicine and painkillers a go go!! 

So yes needless to say Monday and most of Tuesday(until I could bare it no more) was spent lying down trying to sum up the courage to stand up for more than a couple of minutes without falling over, not helped by having the room spinning every time I raised my head.. I CANT STAND DOING NOTHING!!!!! Honestly its one of my worst habits I get bored SO easily it’s quite ridiculous.  Spending time ‘taking it easy’ is one of my worst nightmares!!  

I think it’s safe to say I’m getting more and more used to hospitals... well I say used to but I suppose I mean realising just how much I really don’t like them!(Obvisouly I'm truly greatful for them helping me to get better)

It’s now Wednesday and after finally getting out and about for uni ‘events’ today (soooo very needed) I still have a headache but the beautiful thing known as Paracetamol can now control it WOOOOOOOO! Hopefully it will disappear completely in a couple of days along with my lovely bruises which Thank God aren’t anywhere near as noticeable as last time (Thanks to my hair..) :) 

Anyway end of that incredibly long rant :D

 Time to start counting the days of “no TC seizures” up again let hope for longer this time :D!