It's been a while since I last wrote. While my symptoms have gotten better and changed somewhat, my brain is still broken, but better than it was thanks to a small dose of Amitriptyline and Topamax. I still have vertigo and visual symptoms as well as migraines, which are triggered by quite an assortment of things, including fluorescent lights, loud noises, certain smells, being too hot, having a cold, certain foods, hormonal changes, and very much by anxiety and stress. I am off of short term disability and trying to find a job that I am able to do somewhere that can accommodate all of my health issues. I think that optimally the best option is to find a part time job that I can perform mostly at home, but that still has structure and stability, which I very much want and need.
I have found multiple coping mechanisms to help with either not getting symptoms or minimizing symptoms, including migraine glasses, battery operated fans, 3 different pairs of ear plugs that filter sound at 3 different levels, but still allow for conversations, rose colored Irlen overlays, an Irlen overlay app for my phone, F.Lux for my laptop, and 2 good purses/crossbody bags with multiple pockets for organizing all of my coping mechanisms so that I can carry them around with me wherever I go. I don't feel as intelligent as I used to. I have some cognitive issues, especially when I have vertigo and/or a migraine. Sometimes I have difficulty speaking. I can't get words out, can't think of a word, or I stumble over words that I'm trying to say. Sometimes when I'm typing or writing, I put wrong letters in places within words. I finally realized that my blurry vision is double vision, thanks to adult coloring books. It never occurred to me that it was that because I had double vision back when I had my visual convergence issues, but it was seeing two complete versions of my entire field of vision, not two of each single thing that I was looking at within my field of vision.
I have one more test coming up on the 15th, a brain MRA, which is an MRI of the blood vessels in my brain. This is happening due to a trip to the emergency room back in January, where I thought I was having a stroke because I had 3 quick succession episodes of intense vertigo followed by the left side of my face going numb accompanied by an instant level 8 migraine and difficulty speaking. They did blood work, an EKG, and a CT Scan when I was in the ER and all were normal, just like every other test throughout this ordeal. Hopefully the MRA will be normal and rule out any potential issues with the blood vessels in my brain, which will give me peace of mind.
Slowly but surely, I am learning to live with my broken brain.
I have found multiple coping mechanisms to help with either not getting symptoms or minimizing symptoms, including migraine glasses, battery operated fans, 3 different pairs of ear plugs that filter sound at 3 different levels, but still allow for conversations, rose colored Irlen overlays, an Irlen overlay app for my phone, F.Lux for my laptop, and 2 good purses/crossbody bags with multiple pockets for organizing all of my coping mechanisms so that I can carry them around with me wherever I go. I don't feel as intelligent as I used to. I have some cognitive issues, especially when I have vertigo and/or a migraine. Sometimes I have difficulty speaking. I can't get words out, can't think of a word, or I stumble over words that I'm trying to say. Sometimes when I'm typing or writing, I put wrong letters in places within words. I finally realized that my blurry vision is double vision, thanks to adult coloring books. It never occurred to me that it was that because I had double vision back when I had my visual convergence issues, but it was seeing two complete versions of my entire field of vision, not two of each single thing that I was looking at within my field of vision.
I have one more test coming up on the 15th, a brain MRA, which is an MRI of the blood vessels in my brain. This is happening due to a trip to the emergency room back in January, where I thought I was having a stroke because I had 3 quick succession episodes of intense vertigo followed by the left side of my face going numb accompanied by an instant level 8 migraine and difficulty speaking. They did blood work, an EKG, and a CT Scan when I was in the ER and all were normal, just like every other test throughout this ordeal. Hopefully the MRA will be normal and rule out any potential issues with the blood vessels in my brain, which will give me peace of mind.
Slowly but surely, I am learning to live with my broken brain.