I skipped a couple of days. I had nothing new to report and anything I would've posted would have been pretty whiny and/or depressing. But I definitely have a message today...
I think the most difficult part of living with chronic pain is trusting yourself after so many medical professionals have told you that you're wrong.
Until yesterday afternoon, I literally could NOT even sit or stand up for more than a few minutes without getting the worst headache you can possibly imagine because my shunt had been overdraining since the day of surgery. Those of you who have had epidurals leak after delivery or a lumbar puncture and you didn't stay down the full 24-hours or any kind of CSF leak understand the kind of headache I'm talking about.
I was almost hyper last night, giddy like a little girl walking around Disneyland, because I got to sit up and watch the Olympics trials. I coughed at one point and braced for the spike in pain only to call out, "It didn't hurt!!!" My mom and Glen were so excited! Sarah Jane was like, "is it supposed to hurt?" No sweet cakes. Coughing should not make you feel like you're going to die. I even got up several times for a snack or three because I wasn't even nauseated! I've been taking Phenergren for nausea since the middle of May. And I didn't even think to take it yesterday afternoon because I didn't desperately need it!
YOU ARE YOUR OWN BEST ADVOCATE!!! Trust your body! And if you're wrong here and there, who cares??!!! I promise that you will be right more often than not!!!
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