Listening to the Voices in My Head

I really don't know how much longer I'm going to be on antibiotics, but I am well and truly tired of taking them three times a day. Using the inhaler makes me dizzy, because you have to hold your breath between the two doses. And ick. And I'm not kidding about how tired I am. I took a slurp of coffee, and before I swallowed it, I fell asleep. It's just a damned good thing my choking reflex is good or I would have inhaled some.

Isis has found the best spot to catch some ray to solar charge. The telescope box next to the antique altar table. Even on a cloudy day, she can catch some UV to warm her up.

But I went from a chest ripping, rib cracking, choking cough that needed antibiotics and a steroid inhaler, to a nagging ‘get that crap up and out’ cough that leaves me just as exhausted.

On the ‘silver lining’ aspect: Wing and Alan are out of the house, having lunch with MiL. I’m having a bit of peace and quiet, and no helicoptering.

The worst of COVID-19 has passed in a week. The worst it got with me was an upper respiratory issue. I got a set of sore ribs, and sore abdomen from the coughing, but now, other than that first 'icky' cough in the morning, I'm feeling mostly well.

I get tired easily, and am noticeably short of breath, have a bit of 'brain fog', but well enough to be discharged from the WA Covid care nurse daily call. I'm still self-isolating, even from Alan and Wing.

I caught Covid, but because I was double vaxxed, and had boosters, it was no where as bad as it could be. I really feel sorry for people that didn't have them and got sick. I remember watching videos of anti-vaxxers begging their family and friends to get vaccinated after they caught it. I'm not one of them, and I am grateful and relieved.

About two weeks ago, I woke up with what I thought was just a bad cramp/charley horse, from my right foot, straight up to my right hand. The pain was intense. My foot arced and the toes curled, and my fingers dug into the palm of my hands.  As I was 'stuck' in one position by closely snuggling cats, I thought it was just because I was in one position for too long. 

Then, 5 days later,  it happened twice. Once when I got out of bed, and the second time when I was walking out to the car.

Two days later, Monday, it happened 4 times.  I called GP, and was informed I would be told to go to the ED/ER, so I called a cab.  Had another 'cramp' before the cab arrived, and another when the cab dropped me off at the hospital. The ED doctor got to witness one of the 'episodes', and I was admitted to the Neuroscience wing of the hospital for a possible seizure disorder.

Four days, lots of blood tests, (geeze, people how many times do I and the tests have to tell you that I am NOT diabetic!) a CAT scan, an MRI, and having the daytime floor staff seeing a 'seizure',  I was hooked up to an EEG and a seizure was recorded and videoed.

The goodish news: Dr B, the neurologist, told me I don't have any tumors, lesions, clots. Nor do I have any signs of Parkinsons, Alzheimer's, or other degenerative brain disease. EEG didn't record any epilepsy or other seizure disorder.

What I do have i 'idiopathic hemidystonia'.  Something, for whatever reason, is causing these seizures-not-seizures. It's my brains' way of handling.. something. They are painful, and outright frightening. That feeling of loss of control is terrifying.  But I remain alert, aware, and even during them, if given a phrase or question, I can answer it or repeat it back.

There is also this wonderful (sarcasm there) kenetic component. In other words, certain body movements can bring one on. (Example, after reflex testing in both the ED and my hospital room, getting up and sitting back down would cause one) I've been having a few every day since being discharged from the hospital.

As awful and as exhausting these are, they aren't life threatening, so I was allowed to go home. I made an appointment to see my GP, to see what the next step should be.

Kinda feverish, headache from the coughing. Yes, been keeping hydrated.

Fever dreams last night, so much stranger than the regular variety of fantastical dreams. Sensory/tactile distortion, too. Touch typing feel as if I am sledgehammering the keys. Swear I could feel the woven threads in the pillow case. Got up because of that.

I think Loki knows his human isn't well. He' sticking close by me, but not making his usual demands of Feed Me, or Let Me Out/Let Me In.