Looking Back...

5/11/2012 was my last post after my end of March concussion...

I did feel pretty good at that post... About two weeks later...the proverbial fan was pooped on!!

I was out on a run, and, as usual, I did a "farmer's blow" to clear my nose. During the "blow", my right ear popped. Great! I thought, that should help with whatever has been going on in my head and my concussion may be getting better!

It wasn't.

It. Was. Worse.

I got home and realized with the shift of fluid in my ear that I was REALLY dizzy. Dizzy enough to cancel my riding lesson.  And for the next 18 months, I was subject to dizziness, my right ear plugging & unplugging, fatigue, heavy eyelids, insomnia, periods of crazy hunger, annnnnnnnnnnnd, irritability.   Sigh... The only perk was that when I was riding I was not dizzy AT ALL. Something about the helmet created the right pressure in my pea brain and created a happy place...at least I was able to ride!!!

But still...The issues were particualrly bad with the ups & downs in the Pacific Northwest weather...sunny for 15 minutes, then raining, then sunny, then raining. There were times I was On. My. Ass. 

Sigh again....

However. When summer was in full swing, I felt just fine. The high pressure seemed to sit well with my head.  But as you all know, that didn't last. 

Throughout the winter, I struggled with the inconsistencies in my head and didn't know quite what to do... things really didn't get much better in spring...So after several suggestions to see an Ear, Nose & Throat specialist, I did.  After some tests to determine what the hell was going on, the ear, nose & throat doctor recommended thay I try a medication called Traxene...a sedative! to settle the nervous system. Ya ya...I can hear the comments already...

After reading all the ridiculous side effects, I decided to take a 1/2 of pill.  Well...it did help. For a while...One of the downside of this  medication was tolerance.

Sigh...So HELP for only a while...I did try upping my dose, but that just made my head fuzzy and my ears to ring.

What. To. Do.