Current Symptoms

I'm not doing very well. This is going to be a short update because it gives me a headache if I concentrate. Part of the purpose of this blog is to write down substantial changes in my symptoms for future reference, so here it is.

Thursday night, at a concert, I felt a sizable event inside my head. It's hard to describe, but it was like one of my "brain shocks" from before, but without any pain. Rather, half my head went completely numb, melting away, as if the left side of my brain vanished for a few seconds. My left ear could not hear anything and I felt the left side of my head just melt. It was so unnerving I froze, waiting for it to pass. It went away after ten seconds or so. It wasn't my imagination; my colleague next to me asked if everything was okay (even though I thought I had been disguising any problem.)

Friday (yesterday) started out okay, but by the time the afternoon rolled around my head pounded. The deaf-ear-left-brain-melting sensation occurred at least ten or fifteen more times. I don't know what caused them. I did nothing but rest all afternoon and evening. By the time I went to bed, another old symptom showed up: my scalp turned very sensitive to the touch. It tingled like a box of Pop Rocks sprinkled under the skin. I wanted to touch or scratch the top of my head, but it hurt to do so. It was like touching an open wound. The last time my scalp felt this way was the fall of 2009, right before they discovered my tumor. I'm not trying to sound the alarms here; I'm just trying to write down what I feel right now with as much accuracy as I can.

I fell fast asleep yesterday evening and slept straight through the night, which is uncommon for me. This morning—Saturday—my scalp is again extremely sensitive. I have a wool cap on because my head gets cold, but the occasional scratch of the wool against the crown of my head hurts. When getting Noah's morning pills, I had the worst "brain melt" yet (that's probably the term I will use). I had to steady myself for a few seconds because I thought I was about to pass out. No pain, just ... OhhhhhNooooooooooooooStoppppppPleasssssse ... and then it passed.

No, I am not going to drive a car today.

As I sit here and collect my thoughts, it just feels like a ton of pressure in my head. Too much pressure, and it hurts to stare at this screen anymore. Sorry for the typos or whatever. I'm going to put on an ice pack to see if it helps. I'm seeing my primary care doctor on Monday. My last MRI was six months ago. Peace out, friends and loved ones. I try to put on a good face when I can, but parts of this journey scare me.