(no subject)

[artyartie]

Thank you all for the thoughts and my apologies for the cryptic quality of the earlier message - and until Friday, I'm afraid any more definite news, good, bad or otherwise, won't be coming. But before that, I need to share what I haven't been sharing the last few weeks.

A while back, I noticed my lips and nose were numb and tingly - like the last bits of novacaine wearing off at the dentist. It was interesting, but nothing more than that. A curiosity as I pressed my finger against the slightly buzzing tip of my nose.

Then a few weeks ago, that curious sensation was in my right arm, leg, and the rest of my face. Not that horrible pins and needles feeling you get after a limb falls asleep, but still curious enough, and it would feel as if I had to give my hand a little shake, to see if the odd feeling would go away. It didn't, really, but it still wasn't affecting me much at all.

Two weeks ago, things started happening quickly. At work, I noticed sitting in my chair left my right leg warm and tingly, and it took a while for the sensation to subside. The tingling in my arm and face was still there - and still only on my right side. Now a bit worried, I called my doctor and made an appointment. Before the appointment, however, came Memorial Day and a trip downtown to an art festival. The day started out well - breakfast at Panera and a pleasant ride on the light rail, but once I was at the festival I felt dizzy, queasy and rather listing - like my left side could have gone on for hours while my right side wanted nothing more than to nap. I left the festival and got some lunch and then went home, exhausted. This was not a welcome development - two years ago, I had a five-month bout with absolutely draining fatigue, but this felt different. Decidingly more one-sided.

My appointment came and went, I had bloodwork drawn Friday, was scheduled for an MRI the next week - today, in fact. Friday was a rather enjoyable day, as I had dinner at my favorite Lebanese restauraunt, bought some used CDs and saw Star Wars again on the giant screen. I did notice, however, the tingling was starting to become a bit painful, which hit full-blown on the weekend. No matter how much Aleve or Tylenol I took, nothing helped, and though I managed to even get a few things done over the two days, I was filled with the urgent sense that something was really quite wrong.

Monday was much the same, as Tuesday, until I started making dinner. A felt a sharp twinge in my right leg, which I winced at and ignored - until another came a few seconds later. I was in the middle of making dinner and I could barely stand on two feet. Jen came in, saw me hobbling about with a spatula, and ordered me to sit and direct her in the making of dinner. So together, we got through the meal but the pain and spasms didn't let up the rest of the night - and Tuesday morning at work, they struck with a vengance. I couldn't walk without searing pain in my right leg 75 percent of the time, and my steps were slow and mincing. In a great deal of pain, not helped at all by six ibuprofen, I called my doctor to see if they could do anything - to which they merely replied "wait for the MRI tomorrow." I wanted to cry and tell them I as having trouble with walking, for God's sake, but I just agreed to call back after the test.

Tuesday was an extremely bad day.

Today, painwise, was mild compared to Tuesday - more a dull ache with hardly a twinge, though I'm still moving slow as molasses. And I'm noticing spasms in my upper right arm, that same tightness as in my leg. But until Friday, when the results of my MRI get to my doctor, I won't have anything more, anything conclusive, and even then, the results may be like my bloodwork - perfectly clear. There are some frightening possibilities, I admit, and while I want to know what my body is trying to say, part of me is worried about the content of that message.

Once I know anything more I'll certainly share - I had gone into deep 'don't worry anyone about this' mode, as I normally do, but now as the worry for myself starts to mount, I realize I need to reach out to people, realize that there are some amazing people out there, metaphorically within the reach of my fingertips.

Comments

[butterflydrming.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad that you said something, even if I can't do anything but keep you in my thoughts... which I do anyway, you know! I hope it's something simple and passing. Keep us updated, 'kay?

{hugsyouintensely}

[mayara13.livejournal.com]

Ditto!

[artyartie.livejournal.com]

*hugs tight* Here's for the simple and passing, too. Thank you for the thoughts (and again for the bath bomb), and I hope you're doing well, sweetie!