Totally Random Diagnosis...

[miraclesrule]

So I have had a sore throat for a few days, and on Monday initially thought it was from all the screaming at the Charger Game (we lost in the last 2 seconds). But then on Tuesday I started with a really much more sore throat on the right side and then began having that sinus pressure feeling where you get shooting pains behind the ear on the right side and pressure behind the right eye. Since I am getting ready to fly to Vegas for the weekend, I didn't want to end up over there in pain without medication for what I thought was certain to be an ear infection so I made an appt. with an ENT specialist.

To my surprise, he told me my throat, my ears, and my sinuses looked perfect.

We talked about my symptoms again and he started pressing around my muscles and the base of my skull and then tells me that I have "occipital neuralgia" and he wants to give me a nerve block injection at the base of my skull

Yeah, I think I will take a pass on that one Doc. He said, "Well, it's your pain" This doctor knows that I deal in medical all day, so he told me to "google it" and if it gets too bad the needle will be waiting. He said my throat is a separate issue and it is a vocal cord strain or reflux. Huh? I don't have reflux....do I?

He also thinks I could use speech therapy to prevent myself from straining my vocal cords. Huh? At first I thought he was smoking some serious cukoo stuff....

I know that I can just never seem to have a common cold and I always end up with the most random rare condition, but this one caught me by surprise. So, I just got back from the massage therapist after plunking down $100 of my own cash so that I can address this tree trunk of a neck that I have right now, which is more likely the problem. It doesn't feel like a headache, it really feels like an ear infection. I had TMJ once, but it doesn't hurt that bad. That one had me rocking back and forth in agony before that was diagnosed. I totally thought I had an ear infection that time too.

ETA: I rarely, rarely get headaches, so the stuff I am reading on line seems like a stretch. I don't have a history of headaches at all. (Unless it's a hangover and even those are rare)

Have any of you been diagnosed with random disorders or conditions that left you saying wtf?...or wth? (for you pg-rated folks?

 

[Dee*Jay]

Oh you poor thing! I'm sorry to hear you're in pain; hopefully they gave you some good drugs!

I have indeed had a WTF diagnosis... A few months ago I started to get a pain in the area below and to the right of my belly button. This started on a Friday around noon, it got progressively worse, and by Saturday I was moaning in agony. The HH finally MADE me go to the emergency room. (Please don't ask why I spent 24 hours curled in the fetal postion waiting to die before seeking medical attention. It's just my way.) They did ALL SORTS of tests, including a radioactive dye MRI (which was just a whole sh!t load of NOT FUN) and after hours of being poked and proded and radioactivated they released saying they had no idea what was wrong. No digestive problems, nothing wrong with my ovaries, appendix looked fine, gallbladder just peachy. BUT they gave me a prescription for antiobiotics. Antibiotics for WHAT??? I asked. If you don't know what's wrong with me how can you give me drugs to fix it? But out the door I was shoved and that was the end of that. A few days later the HH was cleaning up the kitchen counter and he came across my release paperwork and said, oh, so you had a urinary tract infection? I was like WTF are you talking about?! He said, look, it's right here--and you signed it. Let me tell you guys and gals, I would have signed ANYTHING at that point to get out of there. Tuburculous? Absolutely! Bubonic plague? Must be it! Pregnant with 9 headed alien babies? No doubt -- give me a pen!

I asked one of my clients who is a pharmacist about this whole experience and he said that for insurance purposes they need to assign you some sort of diagnosis so I guess I was the lucky winner of a randomly drawn ticket for a UTI. Teriffic.

WTF indeed!

 

[Linda W]

Janice, I can totally totally sympathize with you on the occipital neuralgia. I too, suffer from that.

I have had that for the last 18 years. I call it the pain that feels like a tons of bricks is resting on top of my head.

Mine is caused from neurapathy problem I have. One time I had it for a month straight. Honestly, I wanted to die. I take pain pills for it. The next time, I may take the pain shot in the head. There is a surgery for it, but it is risky.

Google it and a lot of explanations will pop it. Mine makes me dizzy as can be.

How are you feeling now sweetheart???

Love and hugs to you,
Linda

 

[miraclesrule]

OMG Dee Jay, you are too funny!!! 9-headed alien baby. Bahahahahaha.... No, I didn''t get any meds because I don''t like muscle relaxers at all. I had to take some before I had my shoulder surgery. But you''re right, they need some kind of diagnosis.

Maybe a good ear pop on the plane to Vegas will cure it. Until and unless Advil no longer helps, then I don''t plan on taking anything. Maybe it is just muscle tension, but wierd. It''s the burred vision with my right eye that was starting to really make me paranoid. Oh well, nothing reading glasses won''t help with. Bizarro...

The body...such a mystery....

 

[Linda W]

Here you go, this is a great article on it.


http://www.painmanagementrounds.org/crus/painmgt_07.pdf

 

[miraclesrule]

Linda: I just have that pressure feeling, and sort of like my ear needs to pop really bad feeling and my throat is sore and a little hoarse, but not in pain really. I will get a wierd shooting pain up behind my right ear maybe...4 times a day, but that''s about it. Nothing super painful. But I have a high pain tolerance level, so it''s hard to say.

Oh well, I''ll just have to roll with it, and see if it gets worse. I may try some physical therapy next week if I think it will help. I am getting ready to call the guy who did my postop rehab on my shoulder. I have to call him in 15 minutes. He may be able to give me more insight.

It sucks that you have had to live with it for so long and with such severe pain. I hope that doesn''t happen to me. Blech.
I knew I shouldn''t have gone back to work after my daughter''s wedding.

 

[Linda W]

Janice, sometimes your head will get numb and tingly too, mine does. It is all part of the ON. That is the name of it, that is the diagnosis.


Linda

 

[Linda W]

Now I wonder if your shoulder has anything to do with it???

 

[FrekeChild]

Um. I have hypothyroidism. How was it diagnosed? Because my hair was falling out and I'm always cold.

The weird ones though were: Mono which is relatively normal, but after that I got a whole series of colds/flu/sinus infections and was pretty much constantly sick. Until I got viral meningitis. Which included a 5 day hospital stay, a D in Geometry and a spinal tap. They were actually scared I was going to die there for a bit because a woman had died the week before from bacterial meningitis, which had made news. And I've been pretty messed up since then with colds/bugs/flu/sinus infections, etc.

But I think the weirdest one was when I was little-about 6, and my parents were getting their wood floors refinished. I managed to get strep throat, 2 ear infections and pneumonia--but only in one lung. Mmmmmhmmmmm.... Most miserable two weeks of SUMMER in my life.

Maybe that's why I don't like summer.

And people wonder why I don't like going to the doctor's unless I have to.

Miracles...I'm sorry you're sicky. I hope you feel better soon! (And FF and I are going to Vegas Dec 17-20! WOHOO!)

ETA: fixing horrendous typos/punctuation/grammar issues

 

[miraclesrule]

Yeah Linda, the more I read about it, the more I think....ehhhhh, I don't know if that's what I have. But then again, it could totally be tension related and I know that it is the same side as my shoulder and I do have to sit at a computer all day and I do cradle the phone in between my neck and my shoulder most of the day, so it's possible.

That was a good article by the way. I just read it. I think I will go the heat, physical therapy and massage route for now. Not a fan of meds or nerve blocks, although I didn't hesitate to get them with my shoulder when my pain reached the level where I was downing Vicodin like candy. But I haven't needed that since my surgery in 2005.

I do have some serious muscle knots on my right side traps and shoulder. Sheesh, maybe that AARP card did come in the nick of time.

 

[justjulia]

I''m not an md, but if it were me, I would want a MRI to rule out anything else pressing on nerves in my head. Vocal cord swelling from over use could make you haorse for a while. Pain and blurriness ...have they ruled out a mild internal bleed.... like a mini stroke? Again, I''m not an md, but I don''t think I''d let it go without a closer look.

 

[miraclesrule]

Freke: Jeez, that must have been so scary for you and your family. Spinal Tap....YIKES!!! I am glad you survived it. That stuff is no picnic.

My daughter had cat scratch fever when she was little and the doctor freaked at the size of the swollen lymph node under her arm and had me rushed to the hospital with her. I was freaking out. Turns out she has cat scratch fever. Random.


justjulia: I am sort of leaning that way. I have a call into my orthopedist who I have know for over 30 years from when I first started my career and used to have him as a guest speaker when I was teaching medical managment of workers compensation claims. He is an excellent physician and he will probably tell me to get an MRI to rule out anything more serious. It''s the sleep factor. Then I will proceed the physical therapy route. I just talked to the physical therapist and he said that he has special training in craniosacral work, and he certainly was the best physical therapist I dealt with personally. I send a lot of post-op patients to him as well and he''s like a miracle worker.

I am also being very mindful now. I keep noticing that I am not relaxed and holding my shoulders up around my ears instead of relaxing them. Sheesh, I need to remember how to relax.

 

[Skippy123]

Hope you feel better soon!

 

[Kaleigh]

No advice, just hoping you feel better soon. I hope there is a specialist in your area that can diagnose this properly. HUGS!!!!

 

[miraclesrule]

Thanks Skippy and Kaleigh. Wierd...totally wierd feeling.

Freke: I thought you were going to Vegas sooner? Boo, too bad we couldn't be there at the same time.

We would probably need a bail fund.

Maybe this weekend will be just what the doctor should have ordered. Cirque and Beatles music....here I come!!! I am sure my pain will disappear after I watch a few contortionist's...How do they do that??

Linda: I would need to be balled up in a fetal position for days and ready to shoot myself before I could let a doctor stick a needle in the base of my skull. Or have a large tumor, like that one I had on the other side of my face. Even then, before he could do the biopsy, I made him give me that drug...what is it called, it is an amnesiac...oh Versad or something like that. The mere thought of a needle makes me want to faint, but one into my neck....Yeah, um, I'm so not willing to go there at first blush. I would be doing what you are doing. It doesn't sound like any fun at all.

 

[mimzy]

miracles i'm sorry that you're till not feeling well! occipital neuralgia is no picnic, but just be glad it's not trigeminal or something worse! hopefully it's temporary. very very temporary.

and as a speech therapist in training - rest your voice missy!

. if your hoarse voice is from vocal cord strain it's the only way to remedy it and will take a lot longer to recover if you keep talking!

hope you feel better in time for your trip!

eta: even if you don't think it's due to reflux, it wouldn't hurt to pop a few tums throughout the day and see if it helps at all

 

[justjulia]

You have a history of a large benign cranial tumor? I'm leaning toward an MRI for you. I don't want you to be afraid, but please don't let this continue without another consulation.

I'm a speech-language pathologist.

 

[miraclesrule]

Yayaay mimzy!! That's an awesome occupation. I know, the doctor told me to stop talking. I was like...um, I talk all day at work...it's my job. He told me not to talk anyway. So I whispered and said I will try to talk like this...and then he admonished me "I don't want you to whisper either...NO WHISPERING!! That's worse.

Oh well, I can tell you everything you need to know about AIDS or Sprains, Strains and Automobiles, but not this wacky stuff.

So, I guess I just have to type away and whistle.

I hope I can make it through football season. Do they make human muzzles??

 

[justjulia]

Doc's right: whispering does more harm than good at this point.
Hydrate and get a notepad. Email if you can over talking on the phone. Gargling with salt water may temporarily help relieve some of the throat irritation. Try to stay away from cafeine--sucks the moisture out of your tissues (everything's swollen for a reason--to add padding while you heal). Rest. Rest. Rest.

 

[mimzy]

Date: 9/11/2008 9:17:34 PM
Author: justjulia
You have a history of a large benign cranial tumor? I''m leaning toward an MRI for you. I don''t want you to be afraid, but please don''t let this continue without another consulation.


I''m a speech-language pathologist.

*high five* justjulia!! slps unite!

miracles - just fake laryngitis! (for yourself and others!) your dr. is right, DON''T use your voice!

 

[miraclesrule]

Date: 9/11/2008 9:17:34 PM
Author: justjulia
You have a history of a large benign cranial tumor? I''m leaning toward an MRI for you. I don''t want you to be afraid, but please don''t let this continue without another consulation.

I''m a speech-language pathologist.

Seriously, the breadth of experience of PS''ers never seize to amaze me. Before this, I was always part of a football forum and nobody knew I was female. Suffice it to say, I could never post about anything like this in that forum.

I did have a large benign tumor in my parotid gland on the other side of my face. I had it surgically removed in 1995. It left me with Frey''s syndrome. Not that annoying really, I just salivate from the outside of my ear when I masticate. (I love that word)

Okay, I will get an MRI if this persists beyond one more week. But I have this annual event coming up on the 21st and well, I really need to juggle. Okay, I will put me first this time. Scouts honor. But it did trip me out when he said he thought I could use some speech therapy to train my voice so I don''t strain it. OMG, what would like be like if I couldn''t vent or sing to the top of my lungs in the car on my commute. Bah Humbug.

 

[justjulia]

Date: 9/11/2008 9:31:56 PM
Author: miraclesrule

Date: 9/11/2008 9:17:34 PM
Author: justjulia
You have a history of a large benign cranial tumor? I'm leaning toward an MRI for you. I don't want you to be afraid, but please don't let this continue without another consulation.

I'm a speech-language pathologist.

Seriously, the breadth of experience of PS'ers never seize to amaze me. Before this, I was always part of a football forum and nobody knew I was female. Suffice it to say, I could never post about anything like this in that forum.

I did have a large benign tumor in my parotid gland on the other side of my face. I had it surgically removed in 1995. It left me with Frey's syndrome. Not that annoying really, I just salivate from the outside of my ear when I masticate. (I love that word)

Okay, I will get an MRI if this persists beyond one more week. But I have this annual event coming up on the 21st and well, I really need to juggle. Okay, I will put me first this time. Scouts honor. But it did trip me out when he said he thought I could use some speech therapy to train my voice so I don't strain it. OMG, what would like be like if I couldn't vent or sing to the top of my lungs in the car on my commute. Bah Humbug.

Okay, I know Mimzy will chime in here too, but YOU GOTTA STOP ALL THIS TOP OF MY LUNGS STUFF for a while!! You might need to consider another venting activity like journal writing. The thing is, how often are you hoarse? If it is episodic, only after rare big time closely lost football game, then you know that when you yell you are also choosing your consequence. That said, you shouldn't be in pain.
I think you should go ahead and at least schedule this MRI because you KNOW it will take a while to arrange this in advance. You'll need a referral for the MRI, so this includes another dr visit (or meeting with your physician colleague). Also, they should do bloodwork for any endocrinologic activity. How long has it been since you had a physical?
Try to relax and take care of yourself. It's like car maintenance. You gotta do it.
'k?

 

[miraclesrule]

justjulia: I never get hoarse. I rarely ever get sick. The last time I had laryngitis was in 2006 and before that...years. I am one of the most healthiest people I know. I get physical injuries because I am a very active person. I used to dance, I work out all the time. Every once in awhile, I get some random diagnosis or growth that is always benign. I never lose my voice, although I know a lot of people that wish I would.

In fact, it was the running joke when I lost my voice in 2006. My boss said that they should make me come in and force me to be in a meeting because it would be the most tormenting thing for me not to be able to participate.

I get annual physicals and take good care of myself, except I do admit to letting that slide this year with the wedding and all. I am an organic food junkie, but I have been stress eating junk food a lot more than I ever have in my life and having more wine than I should.

I just think that my body was shell shocked after the wedding because I had two weeks of essentially staying here at home and doing nothing but typing on PS and chilling out and then went back to work full on and then the Charger game. Of course, that doesn't mean there isn't something lurking around inside me, so I will just have to check it out as best I can. Maybe the universe wants me to learn to listen more than talk. Oh vey... that will take some adjustment.

 

[Catmom]

Miraclesrule I"m sorry you are not feeling well and I hope you are able to determine what it truly is soon! I had my own WTF diagnosis this year. I have been very healthy before this year and on no medications. I''m old so this is good! In February I went to stand up and lost control of my left arm and hand. I remember trying to get out "HOLY SH*T, I''m having a stroke" but it was just slurred babble. My symptoms only lasted for a few minutes though and then everything was ok so I went to sit down and I thought maybe some food would help whatever it was. When I put the food in my mouth I realized I couldn''t taste anything on the left side and my face was tingling on the left side. My hubby was in Japan so I had my daughter get me to the ER and I was admitted with the thought that I had had a TIA or mini stroke. After several days and numerous tests they couldn''t find anything so they were going to release me thinking it had just been a migraine headache that had produced stroke like symtoms. Luckily I had a great Doctor and before he released me he wanted this Neurologist to look at me. If she said yes, I could go home. She talked to me for awhile and said NO, no going home. She wanted me to have one more test called a TEE. I was so pissed cuz I really wanted to go home by that time. Sure enough when they did the test they found I had a hole in the atrial wall of my heart called a PFO [the same thing that Tedy Brusci had]. It was something I was born with and I was remarkably lucky that I didn''t have a full out stroke any time during my life [like during child birth, etc.]. I ended up having to have a device implanted in my heart to close the hole. The only reason the neurologist knew what was going on is that she had two patients the month before that had full out strokes due to PFOs. The device was only FDA approved last October and while there is no imperical data related to it yet, if it gives me another 10 years without another stroke then I will be very grateful! Moral of the story is you never know when strange things can happen to you!

 

[justjulia]

The voice deal sounds like a random episode due to vocal abuse (cause you know what you did and it happened right after), and probably totally unrelated to the ear and eye pain. It''s always good to get things checked out (and 2nd opinioned).

Besides all the bad things that come with overdoing stuff, a good screaming session is good for the soul. Eh?

I hope you spontaneously heal quickly!

 

[miraclesrule]

Sheesh, Catmom, how scary!!! I am so glad that you got a great neurologist. It''s scary how easily conditions can be overlooked. It''s like "House" should be a resident doctor in every hospital, eh? Thank goodness. I bet you are grateful that the device exists and worked for you. Wow!!

justjulia: I sure hope so. I am being good and not talking. Drinking tee with lemon and honey. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[emeraldlover1]

Date: 9/11/2008 8:17:56 PM
Author: miraclesrule
Linda: I just have that pressure feeling, and sort of like my ear needs to pop really bad feeling and my throat is sore and a little hoarse, but not in pain really. I will get a wierd shooting pain up behind my right ear maybe...4 times a day, but that''s about it. Nothing super painful. But I have a high pain tolerance level, so it''s hard to say.

Oh well, I''ll just have to roll with it, and see if it gets worse. I may try some physical therapy next week if I think it will help. I am getting ready to call the guy who did my postop rehab on my shoulder. I have to call him in 15 minutes. He may be able to give me more insight.

It sucks that you have had to live with it for so long and with such severe pain. I hope that doesn''t happen to me. Blech.
I knew I shouldn''t have gone back to work after my daughter''s wedding.

I JUST had that!! No, seriously. Guess what, no weird diagnosis just a really bad cold with fluid in my ears. i was on a plane and did get some barrotrauma? Something like that. Just took some antihistamines and some decongestants and in a week....all good. I went to my doc and she said not to worry. I thought I had an ear infection cause I used to get them all the time when I wasn''t a kid.

It seems like yours maybe different but I''m all for multipul opinions. Case in point, I knew I had a thyroid problem for years. Took 4 endo''s to do the right tests to find out I was hypothyroid. Seriosuly, I had every symptom but inital tests were borderline. I went to as many docs as I needed to till someone took me seriously. So, maybe get another opinion? I don''t know.

 

[iluvcarats]

I am sorry Miracles! Ouch!

I have a lot of eye issues. I get iritis in my left eye, which is like arthritis in your eye, and I have strabismus in both eyes, where they both turn out, so depending on how tired I am, I''ll get dbl vision. My choices are
1. surgery
2. botox injections in my eye[
3. live with intermittent dbl vision

(I''ll take door #4....)

 

[jcarlylew]

polydonail cyst (tailbone).


weirdest cyst EVER. but, at least i can say what a paid in the ASS it is

I laugh everytime i go to the doctor becuase 1)its a medical facility for colon doctors 2)most customers are 70 + , 3) my doctor asks everytime if i remember what the cleaning/medical solution feels like, and warns me - - Even the nurse said "doc, no one forgets that pain!"

the first time i went there to get the cyst taken care of (i'll spare you the TMI details) i screamed SOOOOOOOO loud, all the older people in the waiting area looked very scared.
also, if i want to have surgery done to FINALLY get rid (hopefully) of the cyst coming back, it would be elective plastic surgery.

i know people get booty implants, but who goes to get their tailbone/crack fixed?

lol. cracks me up. PUN intended.

ETA - I do hope you feel better, regardless what the outcome is!!

 

[fieryred33143]

ETA: My best friend's fiance (forgot the fiance part) has been diagnosed with a form of mild stomach cancer (don't remember the name...really weird name) for the past two years. He has been in a lot of pain and has trouble using the restroom. He's been taking medication every day.

Two weeks ago, he got really bad pains and went to see the doctor again.

Turns out he had a kidney stone, a really large one, that was stuck and causing the pains. They went in to break it up and now he's chipper. No stomach disease.