Sunday, January 11, 2009

Cupertino, CA Day Two, Plus Two More Days

It has taken me a few days to update about day two, because it wound up being just horrible. I went to Benehana for lunch with some friends, got some work done, and went to the theatre. I got there super early, so I set up merchandise, and made a few phone calls.

Around 6:30, I started to feel funny. I felt like the inside of my face was going numb, and I had a slight headache. I thought- on god. The sushi. Then my vision started to become really strange. I could not focus on things. It wasn't blurry, but I felt like if I looked at something, my eyes would twitter back and forth for a second before I could focus on it. Then I started to get scared. I was trying to sell merchandise for the show, but could barely get through it. Darrel came up, and when I saw him I tried to cover up the fact that I had started to freak out and cry. My legs were also going a little numb.

I decided that I should go to the hospital. Darrel and the people from the theatre helped me close up merchandise, and I did my report. That is when I really knew something was off. I have done the same report probably over 250 times, and I could NOT put the right numbers in the right columns, or remember what I had just looked at. They were nice enough to read them out loud for me and help me through it.

To cut this short, I had diagnosed myself with either an allergic reaction to something, or a migraine. After talking to two of the nicest emergency room doctors in the world and running a bunch of tests (just physical tests, not blood or with machines) they told me I had a form of vertigo! I did some research online yesterday because I associate vertigo with being dizzy, which I am not. There is a disorder that causes vertigo, and I have seven of the ten symptoms. Inability to concentrate both visually and mentally, headache (just HORRIBLE), sensitivity to light, forgetfulness, fatigue, just to name a few. The vision part is the worst.

My legs sometimes turn to jello, and my body involuntarily twitches as well. Just to add a few more fun symptoms.

They gave me an Rx that is just a relaxer, and told me that it is related to my neck and upper back muscles, and stress. These of course connect to your ears and eyes, which causes this.

I went to a wonderful massage therapist yesterday at 9am, per the doctor's suggestion. She worked on my problem areas, but two hours later, I was right back where I started.

I missed work here in Sacramento for the second time in two and a half years on Friday night. I wanted to just die. I suffered through both shows on Saturday, laying in the dark during my free time. The patrons are probably wondering what the heck is wrong with me, because I know I am not acting normal.

The hardest part about this is being on tour while it is happening. I have no choice but to move around, and see doctors in different cities, if necessary. There is no constant. So I have decided to keep a record of every single thing that has happened, in case I have to give it to my doctor at home, with hospital names, doctor names, pills I have taken, what time of day I felt what, etc.

I think I am just getting used to the vision thing, but the headaches are terrible. I read that it will take 3-4 days to go away, so I am just keeping my fingers crossed. Please do the same!!

**Writing this blog was a little challenging. I can't read fluent sentences- I kind of have to read one word at a time because my eyes are rolling around!

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