The beginning back in 2006
In October 2005 I started using the contraceptive pill after being without it for several months and I had just gotten into a relationship. Less than a year later, I started getting headaches. At the time I thought it came from the job I had which was at a telephone company where I was sat infront of the computer all day. At the same time as I had that job, I started working as a chef in a restaurant. It was after all what I was educated as, so I figured I'd give it a go at the restaurant 5 minutes away from where I already worked. I started the job at the telephone company at 9 in the morning and worked until 15:30 where I started at the restaurant at 16:00 and worked till 22:00. Young and full of energy, so that wasnt a problem. After a month or so, I was offered more shifts at the restaurant and in February 2007 I stopped working at the telephone company and took on all the shifts I could get at the restaurant which resulted in quite a few hours.
In the meantime, I've started going to my doctor complaining about these headaches.
Fall 2007, after an incident at work where I couldnt read all the words on the orders that came in to the kitchen, I told my Sous-Chef that I needed a short break to clear my head. I went down to the changing rooms where I fell on the floor, started sweating and couldnt get up. My then boyfriend picked me up from work and took me to the ER where I was told I have migraines. After that, the MRI scans came rolling in (and I've already been to a couple of them) and I stopped the pill.
The first letter
The first MRI scan was in April 2007. Early 2008 I got a letter in the mail litterally saying "you got a empty room in your head". I found this quite hilarious and said "As if that was something new". After telling a few family members, it turned out I was the only one who found this funny. I guess I didnt see it as a big issue. That said, this was also before the headaches started being constant 24/7. Then the fun was over. Also, I dont think I would have found it as funny if it was happening to someone else. I've always had the need to be able to laugh at myself, so I think this was just my general reaction to the letter.
The size of the "empty room"
Sitting here with my medical journal from 2007-2014, the size of my cyst started at 9mm x 8mm x 6mm in March 2007. By the time I got my surgery back in June 2008, the size of the cyst was 13mm x 12mm x 13mm.
Rash on both hands
By September, I've already had really bad rash on both my hands for about 3 months. Tried keeping them dry, putting different lotions on, steroid creams and nothing helped. Never had any allergies other than hayfever and pollen before, so I had no idea where this came from. Constant itchiness where my skin could get really dry.
Swollen bump over my right eye
Another thing I had no idea where it came from which only now, 11 years later with alot of googling around and research in the middle of the night, I see it could have come from the cyst I had back then, but I never got any medical opinion on it so I cant say for sure. It would come and go and sometimes stay for a couple of days at the time. And of course, me being me, I tried to squeeze it the first time I noticed it due to thinking it might have been a pimple, but it was just a soft bump. I didnt even feel the bump when I put my finger on it.
The migraines, as they normally do, came with tunnel vision, blurry sight, alot of sweating, but not once did I throw up of faint from them. By this time, I've only fainted once in my life (A whole other story) and never had I thrown up from headaches or any other pain as far as I can remember. Except from after the first surgery.
Except from the occasional migraines, I started having constant headaches all the time. It was exhausting, but I didnt stop working.
Leading up to the surgery
From the time of the first letter till I was scheduled for a surgery at that time didnt feel long. Having constant headaches, my body went into auto-pilot living in this bubble every day. My surgery was scheduled for June 2008. I dont remember much of the inbetween. Only bits here and there, like a phone call I had from a nurse that called me. She introduced herself saying I could ask her anything regarding the surgery, before and after and so on. Being 22 years old at the time, I had no idea where the putuitary gland was located. Only thing I was concerned about and I asked "Will I lose my memories?" and this is where the nurse laughed at me. I didnt know how to react to her laughing back then, and I have no idea what to say about it now because of the way it made me feel. Empty and scared of asking more questions.
In the meantime, I've started going to my doctor complaining about these headaches.
Fall 2007, after an incident at work where I couldnt read all the words on the orders that came in to the kitchen, I told my Sous-Chef that I needed a short break to clear my head. I went down to the changing rooms where I fell on the floor, started sweating and couldnt get up. My then boyfriend picked me up from work and took me to the ER where I was told I have migraines. After that, the MRI scans came rolling in (and I've already been to a couple of them) and I stopped the pill.
The first letter
The first MRI scan was in April 2007. Early 2008 I got a letter in the mail litterally saying "you got a empty room in your head". I found this quite hilarious and said "As if that was something new". After telling a few family members, it turned out I was the only one who found this funny. I guess I didnt see it as a big issue. That said, this was also before the headaches started being constant 24/7. Then the fun was over. Also, I dont think I would have found it as funny if it was happening to someone else. I've always had the need to be able to laugh at myself, so I think this was just my general reaction to the letter.
The size of the "empty room"
Sitting here with my medical journal from 2007-2014, the size of my cyst started at 9mm x 8mm x 6mm in March 2007. By the time I got my surgery back in June 2008, the size of the cyst was 13mm x 12mm x 13mm.
Rash on both hands
By September, I've already had really bad rash on both my hands for about 3 months. Tried keeping them dry, putting different lotions on, steroid creams and nothing helped. Never had any allergies other than hayfever and pollen before, so I had no idea where this came from. Constant itchiness where my skin could get really dry.
Swollen bump over my right eye
Another thing I had no idea where it came from which only now, 11 years later with alot of googling around and research in the middle of the night, I see it could have come from the cyst I had back then, but I never got any medical opinion on it so I cant say for sure. It would come and go and sometimes stay for a couple of days at the time. And of course, me being me, I tried to squeeze it the first time I noticed it due to thinking it might have been a pimple, but it was just a soft bump. I didnt even feel the bump when I put my finger on it.
The migraines, as they normally do, came with tunnel vision, blurry sight, alot of sweating, but not once did I throw up of faint from them. By this time, I've only fainted once in my life (A whole other story) and never had I thrown up from headaches or any other pain as far as I can remember. Except from after the first surgery.
Except from the occasional migraines, I started having constant headaches all the time. It was exhausting, but I didnt stop working.
Leading up to the surgery
From the time of the first letter till I was scheduled for a surgery at that time didnt feel long. Having constant headaches, my body went into auto-pilot living in this bubble every day. My surgery was scheduled for June 2008. I dont remember much of the inbetween. Only bits here and there, like a phone call I had from a nurse that called me. She introduced herself saying I could ask her anything regarding the surgery, before and after and so on. Being 22 years old at the time, I had no idea where the putuitary gland was located. Only thing I was concerned about and I asked "Will I lose my memories?" and this is where the nurse laughed at me. I didnt know how to react to her laughing back then, and I have no idea what to say about it now because of the way it made me feel. Empty and scared of asking more questions.
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