2003-01-26 - 12:48 a.m.
Racking my brains
I should have got in from Frans and gone straight to bed but i have been weighting things up in my mind and felt i should put them on 'paper' before i settle my head down. I dont know if it will help me sleep .. but its worth a try eh!!
Ok, so here is what its all about .. i'v started to get a pain flair up, my knee was terrible tongiht, and my head is pounding .. im not bothered about that, im bothered about the cause .. as always!!
What im trying to work out in my head is what diognosis i want. At the moment there are 2 main contenders for the hot spot .. Somataform & Spinal injury.
Somataform:
What is somatoform disorder?
People with somatoform disorder have a number of different symptoms that typically last for several years. Their symptoms can't be traced to a specific physical cause. In people with somatoform disorder, medical test results are either normal or don't explain the person's symptoms. People who have somatoform disorder often become very worried about their health because they don't know what is causing their health problems. The symptoms of somatoform disorder are similar to the symptoms of other illnesses. People with this disorder may have several medical evaluations and tests to be sure that they don't have another illness.
What are the symptoms of somatoform disorder?
Symptoms of somatoform disorder may include frequent headaches, back pain, abdominal cramping and pelvic pain. Other symptoms include pain in the joints, legs and arms, and chest or abdominal pain. Somatoform disorder may also cause gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea, bloating, vomiting, diarrhea and food intolerance. Sometimes somatoform disorder makes it painful for a person to urinate, even if he or she doesn't have an infection. It can also cause problems with sexual function for both men and women.
What is the cause of somatoform disorder?
No one knows exactly why symptoms of somatoform disorder start. In some cases, there may be a problem with the nerve impulses that send signals of pain, pressure and other unpleasant sensations to the brain. We do know that the pain and problems caused by somatoform disorder are real.
Spinal injury
What is Spinal Cord Injury?
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that results in a loss of function such as mobility or feeling. Frequent causes of damage are trauma (car accident, gunshot, falls, etc.) or disease (polio, spina bifida, Friedreich's Ataxia, etc.). The spinal cord does not have to be severed in order for a loss of functioning to occur. In fact, in most people with SCI, the spinal cord is intact, but the damage to it results in loss of functioning. SCI is very different from back injuries such as ruptured disks, spinal stenosis or pinched nerves.
A person can "break their back or neck" yet not sustain a spinal cord injury if only the bones around the spinal cord (the vertebrae) are damaged, but the spinal cord is not affected. In these situations, the individual may not experience paralysis after the bones are stabilized.
Other effects of SCI may include low blood pressure, inability to regulate blood pressure effectively, reduced control of body temperature, inability to sweat below the level of injury, and chronic pain
So .. there is a HUGE diffrence between the condition, and i must admit, my symptoms point more towards the SCI rather than SD. But what would i rather have?? People with SCI dont get better, ofen die sooner and have there condition for life. People with SD dont have a much better chance but often recover and relapse over years.
If i was diognosed with SCI i would get more help, more support from 'groups' more sympothy and understanding from doctors, more funding for equiptment and just taken seriously (for a change!!) With SD i would be labled mentally ill and would never have any problems taken seriously again. Nothing would be investigated, i would be told i am unable to hold down relationships and its likaly i would never really work much.
i dont want either.
There is still the whole MS thing & a few other conditions that i need to get ruled out again. I just PRAY it isnt another stay in hosptial :-S i always used to freak out if i saw my consoltant on the ward .. if HE comes to see you its bad news!! Like when they found my lump ... i just freaked at seeing him, didnt mind the lump!! ha ha!!
Oh well, i guess there is no answer to my question, if i actually had to pick one it would be the SCI, but i dont get to pick .. cos if i did i would pick health.
I need to change the subject .. i havent cryed in WEEKS and im feeling a little numb at the moment .. not that i think i need to cry but sometimes you just need a hug and a cry for the hell of it eh!!
Im worried about Nikki, i cant weight to have her home, i really want to give her a huge hug, thing is she is so little she is hard to hug!! *sends mars bar's Nikkis way!*
Had a really nice evening with Fran, it was the first time we have been together as friends in a long time. I mean, i know i have seen her sence we split .. but its the first time everything felt in its place :-) It was nice. We went to tesco and brough carrot cake .. im so SO bad!! I got weighted at the Dr's and im hitting over 10st again!! ARGH!!!! i need to stop eating :-S
Not doing anything tomorrow .. from the pain today i think i will need to rest, but Gem goes back to college tomorrow so i wil be online to talk to her before i wave her off :-( its good that she is going, i think she will do really well there .. but from a selfish point of view i really will miss her :-(
Any way, best call it a night ... night xx
send me luuuuvvv - Sunday, May. 02, 2004
newly free! - Monday, Mar. 22, 2004
its not goodbye - Friday, Mar. 12, 2004
burp - Sunday, Mar. 07, 2004
filling in :-) - Thursday, Mar. 04, 2004