Health Issues

I've had a lot of questions about my health problems from people, and honestly there are more questions than answers. There are so many symptoms that I could fill a page with just those. I have a family doctor that I found last summer (Dr. Cara Sumner in Manteo), and I love her. She is so caring. She's helping me try to figure some of it out.
In the beginning of course, everyone assumed that it was related to stress, and I'm sure some of it was and is stress-related. But, I had health problems long before my husband startled me by telling me he was leaving. I've had health problems off and on for years, and it's not always at the times of worst stress. So, as I told my doctor, I know some of it isn't stress. I've been in therapy since a week after Tom left. After the holidays, Dr. Sumner had me begin physical therapy for my back to try and relieve some of those symptoms.
The following symptoms (which I've had for years), worsened, despite the easing of my stress, and my continued therapy. I was getting better emotionally, but not physically, so Dr. Sumner was pursuing MRI's and sending me to a Neurologist for these:
Headaches
Nerve pain (left side of body mostly)
numbness (left side of body mostly)
Back pain
Leg pain
Carpal tunnel issues (despite surgery in one wrist)
Occasional blurred vision

There are and have been other vague symptoms but those were the worst. The MRI showed that I have "mild cerebellar tonsilar ectopia" which is a doctor term for very mild "Chiari Syndrome" which basically means that my brain is slipping down beneath the skull bones in the back of my head. It rests on my spinal cord and puts pressure on it. How much, I don't know. I haven't seen the neurologist since I got these results (a source of aggrevation to me). The other finding on MRI was called a probable "Thornwaldt Cyst." That means that there is what appears to be a cyst at the base of my nasal passage.

I took the initiative on my own to make an appointment with an ENT (Ear Nose and Throat doctor) in Chesapeake. I chose Dr. Wood, who did Emma's Adenoidectomy last year. He was GREAT! I highly recommend him.

I guess it was around March I guess it was, my symptoms began to change and increase. I began having these episodes of blurred vision, headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, loss of balance. I'd get pale and feel like I was going to pass out. I began having weird blood pressure and pulse rate changes. Like sinking to 80/50 when lying down, and just from standing up, it would go to 120/80 that quickly and my pulse rate would shoot to 130 and stay there a while... It was scary. If I exerted myself in any way, it exacerbated those symptoms.

So, I got had my B12 bloodwork tested, got a shot for having a B12 deficiency. Then, they gave me an EKG (which turned out good). Next, they sent me to a heart doctor. So, last week I had an echocardiogram (where they do an ultrasound of your heart) and I wore a heart monitor for 24 hours. Monday I will have a stress test, and then on Tuesday I see the Cardiologist for all those results.

Currently, I can't work my cleaning jobs like I should because of all these symptoms, so I sit at home a lot. That's driving me crazy. I have begun to get a cough with a hoarse throat that won't go away. The headache (which they won't give me pain medication that works to help it), has become unbearable sometimes.

That was a lot of information, but that's the background. Hopefully, I can keep future posts much, much shorter!! I wanted to type all this in, so that I can start typing shorter updates as they come for anyone who wants information updates.

God bless anyone who has the patience to read all this!!
Amy