Stories

 My medical story

I don't know exactly where my medical history begins. When I was 5 or so I had my first migraine on the right side, and tubes were put in my ears, and things were fine. I was on the swim team, and I loved to swim but even then I had trouble with pain in my side when running. I also lacked the strength to pull myself up to trees and climb like many of the other kids my age. I got my first period when I was 10 and they became heavy and painful by the age of 12. My stomach was in constant pain during this time of month, and I couldn't function. I have dealt with some abuse as a child, when DSS became involved they discovered that I had a mouth full of cavities. I had gone from a healthy loving home with my grandparents to my father and he was abusive and neglectful. We had experienced some homelessness so I had cavities on the top and bottom rows of teeth. That is the only time I've ever had cavities in my life except one other.  I remember around 14, my father looking at me, and saying "there is something wrong with you" and I could feel it. However I was put into state custody and dealt with complications of  being an orphan. I became a ward of the court at 16.  At this time, I started to have a gland on my right neck swell up and people would make comments that my eyes looked funny.  It swelled up like a golf ball and so I saved up money and saw an ENT. He gave me antibiotics for three weeks, and then said he wanted to cut it out of my throat. I didn't have money for surgery nor felt it was the solution, just a symptom so once it went away I did not continue with care.

I started to get migraines around 19. I would wake up in the middle of the sign in a lot of pain. Went to the doctor out of pocket and was given Imitrex, and an SSRI2, The Imitrex worked and the antidepressant felt nice but after 6 months I didn't like some of the side effects so I stopped. 

I was labeled as ADHD, depresion. I had accomodations at community college. I had dropped out in 9th grade and was enrolled in college by 16 with my own apartment. It was difficult as I remember my first migraine that lasted all day, I missed the English One final exam. So it became something I had to manage and always looked for work that was independent.

 I did notice that after giving birth to my son, Age 23 that the migraines stayed away for a long time. When I was nursing my child I developed what I was told was hypoglycemia. I would wake up in the middle of the night and crave sugar. However I didn't have health insurance or a way to get any care. I also developed preeclampsia during pregnancy and was induced early. I had a lot of swelling, and rapid weight gain towards the end. About three weeks after giving birth, I became very tired, and couldn't function. I had not slept a full 8 hours and my body shut down, it felt like the flu, but no nasal congestion. I felt fine after getting sleep. 

I did seek help with the migraines and hypoglycemia from a city care program. They said I would need $5k for a MRI, and gave me a prescription for a muscle relaxer, caffeine and tylenol. 

The migraines slowly got worse over time....

I found that I was sluggish, and retaining weight even though I didn't eat a whole lot. 

The antibiotic that was prescribed was, and I took it for 6 months.

I was trying to work out like I used to. I was roller-skating in the park, having a good time, but then I got dizzy, vertigo, and I was overcome by the sickness I was desperately seeking to overcome. I feel down on top of my legs. I folded the way you would sit criss cross Usually with as many years I had a dedicated serious yoga practice, I should of been able to bend no problem, but my leg was so stiff from inflammation that it didn't bend. 

When I broke my leg, I did not make a sound, I looked around and saw no one, so I got up and walked to my car carefully, slowly, and went home and made sure it was broken. Then drove to the hospital. My left leg ankle was broken. When I got to the hospital I hobbled in on one foot, and checked in with someone and went and sat down and waited. 

It didn't hurt it was extremely swollen. I told them when they took x rays, that my leg didn't hurt at all, but my head was throbbing, and a terrible migraine was coming on.  When I was waiting for the cast, I had to turn off the lights in the room because my head hurt so much. I was starting to throw up. 
During that time I had to rest for two months, and I used my stimulus check to get by. I didn't have much support so I had to order food for my son and I, from a delivery app. I also noticed that the throbbing pain in my right side of my face correlated to my swollen ankles, and other inflammation in the body.  Once I stopped trying to exercise as the doctors were telling me, and I took serious rest and nourishment, I started to get better. I focused on resting, sleeping and eating as much as I could. I had night sweats,