Keeping track of things

It was one of those typical February weeks last week, the kind that brings a mixed bag of weather - it started off way above normal with lots of melting and warm temperatures that shrunk the snow on the roofs and backyards to more manageable depths, and if we weren't careful we could have been lulled into that false sense of security and made to believe that was the end of winter; that spring was just around the corner, but we know better. And true to form, after a few days of flirting with that lovely spirit, Spring, we returned to face our long term partner, Winter, with windchills and extreme blizzard conditions by weeks end.

I welcomed that warmth of the early week as I visited the hospital on Tuesday morning for a CT Scan of my brain, an attempt by my family physician to get as much information about where I am currently, physiologically, regarding the recurring headaches and migraines and maybe rule some things out once the scan results come back this week, or maybe the scans will shed some light on an unknown issue that is affecting me. Either way, I hope we learn something. I'm looking forward to seeing the scans firsthand actually, and I'm not sure if that's normal or not. I think it would be fascinating to see what's what inside my head. At least I hope there's something in there...

As the temperatures dropped, I followed up the CT Scan with a round of bloodwork on Friday morning, the last bits and pieces of the puzzle for the doc to use in helping me figure out whats going on. Having a benchmark for those frequently discussed numbers like blood-sugar and cholesterol, and the like can't hurt. Though it may open my eyes to where I really am healthwise as opposed to where I think I am. I know that is a good thing also, delusion is never healthy. Let's see where I'm at, then go from there. On one hand I want to know theses things, to get a real sense of where I am at, but on the other there's a lovely security in remaining oblivious to your reality - though one can only hide in that frame of mind for so long before reality takes a nasty swing at you once more.

With the tests behind me I looked forward to a relaxing weekend with only a few items of note on the family schedule - the final regular season hockey game for the boy Saturday afternoon (they lost and now playoffs start this coming Saturday), and an out of town practice on Sunday morning - both were things I enjoy, getting out and watching the game as well as the social aspect that surrounds the whole process of a hockey season. Theses people become a bit like family after 4 months - you didn't choose them, and some you have to put up with, but for the most part they are good people with good kids and you're better off for having known them.

I should have known better.

The headache that struck me late Friday night was much more like some other family members perhaps, it arrived uninvited and stayed way too long, and didn't leave me with any relaxing free time, regardless of my fairly light schedule. I'm still fighting some pain today, having enjoyed the sensation of being woken up out of a decent night's sleep by the pounding of the blood vessels as the medications wore off. This bout has been difficult to treat effectively, nothing seems to offer any lasting relief, but that's part of the process too, I suppose. I'm keeping a diary of symptoms and weather conditions and foods I've eaten as the headaches progress, should something reveal itself to me through the introspection.

You can learn a great deal about yourself if you keep track of things and pay close enough attention.

I've learned that I get cranky in the hours leading up to a headache - but that's difficult to use as a precursor - thanks to a decently sarcastic nature that lurks beneath the surface, but even I know when I'm more off base than usual, so maybe we'll keep an eye on that. I've also seen a correlation to craving certain foods - like salty snacks and dense carbs - not that I'm going out looking for salt licks to get my fix - but I am cautious whether the salt cravings are an indicator of something about to happen, or if my giving in to the craving and the increased sodium intake has a cause and effect relationship on the pressure and pain and light and noise sensitivity.

For now I'll press on, and do what I can to maintain as normal a routine as possible, and watch the world around me and see how it affects me. That's pretty much what I do anyways, only now I'm keeping more formal notes on the process.

So welcome to another typical February week. The weather is predictably unpredictable, and affecting my health just as unpredictably. If it's all the same to you, I'd rather flirt with Spring a while longer and leave these winter related issues far behind me. But we don't get to choose, do we. Like the CT Scan and the bloodwork - I've done as much as I can do; now I'll just have to wait and see what becomes of it, and deal with it when the time comes.

But I'll warn you if I'm feeling cranky...