The thorn in my side

In December I became very sick just days before my husband was scheduled to have reconstructive knee surgery. I knew I had to get better because the surgery would leave him bed ridden for the next month. I went to the Dr and was told I had 'pharyngitis'. It was a nasty, viscous virus. So as much as I hate to take prescription medicine I took it reluctantly and within 24 hours felt like a new person which was just in the nick of time since the next day was the surgery and I'd have a toddler and a husband to wait on hand and foot and a house to take care of. I had to be on my best game. About 3 weeks later I started to feel a little dizzy...I brushed it off for a few weeks...then it started to get much worse...then my chest started to hurt a little, AND THEN I was having an odd pain in my head. I kept telling my mom and my husband about these things- they kept saying I was fine. Every day I got a little more dizzy, my chest hurt a little more and then finally the pressure/pain in my head became really intense. 'I really think something is wrong with me' so that night I went to the Dr after work. They took x rays and ran tests to determine that I had 2 problems BOTH a result from the pharyngitis I had had in December. First of all I had a lot of fluid in my ears causing the pressure and the dizziness. Also, I had costochondritis which means that the cartilage between my ribs was inflamed. The Dr prescribed steroids 4x/day for 12 days....I was NOT happy about this and very apprehensive to take prednisone for so long but the pain in my chest was becoming unbearable. Ok, so fine I took the steroids, I hated them and enjoyed a huge sigh of relief when my course was complete.

Well....the first day off them I had a raging migraine, I wasn't really surprised....then it lingered for 2 days, again not really surprised since prednisone is such a strong drug and I had expected not to feel totally normal afterwards... but then, 3 days...4 days...5 days...ok something is wrong, who has a headache for 5 straight days? I called the Dr office, a nurse got on the phone and said to me "you need to come in, I've looked at your chart and it says that if you are experiencing a headache you need to be re evaluated". Over a year ago I actually had to have an MRI to check on my headaches so this made me a little nervous. I rushed over right to the urgent care after work. The Dr wasn't too worried about the headache and like myself assumed it was probably just related to being off the steroid. And explained that steroids decrease inflamation, a migraine is your blood vessels swelling up so I felt fine for the 12 days on the steroid but removing them caused the blood vessels to swell back up. Ok....fine. He said it'll go away and gave me a shot of Torredall to help with pain. I have been treated a few times for migraines now and normally they go away within 30 minutes when I'm given the 'good stuff' but not this time....the headache continued.

Well...6 days...7 days....8 days.....9 days...10 days...I cannot live like this. I went back to the Dr. and for 2 hours we discussed all sorts of possibilities causing the headaches and possible 'natural' ways to work to break it and find relief. Before I left there was one more thing I wanted to ask him.... "I've been working everyday for the past 10 days and normally I just work a little on the weekends....AND I've been having some major...MAJOR problems with a co-worker...I know stress can cause a headache but do you think it's possible it could cause a 10 day long headache?" Without hesitation he quickly replied "Absolutely. Especially with you since you are so prone to migraines and headaches, stress is a trigger and combined with the steroid that could easily be the cause." I told him I was done with this unusual schedule on Sunday, he confidently said that he thought I would start to feel better on Monday. And I cannot believe it.....but I did. That was over a week ago and I basically feel normal again. I just hope it lasts! Any chance I can send this person my bills for sending me to the urgent care twice in one week?