The Aye's/Eyes Have It...

It started yesterday afternoon/evening with a teary left eye. Since I/eye was already feeling quite "crappy" with restless leg symptoms in my left leg, weakness in my right, and a magnitude 6.0 quaking spasm in my lower back, I/eye didn't pay much attention to the "eye".

This morning, I/eye awoke with a solid "ache" in both my eyes...as if my eyeballs were being squeezed in a small vise. The pain was intense, but not such that I/eye couldn't bare it...and the left eye continued to water relentlessly. I/eye couldn't ascertain if the pain was actually radiating from my eye sockets or the eyes themselves.

Dutifully (and as always), I/eye emailed Dr. She Who Will Not Be Named AFTER completing my own nursing assessment of my condition...there was no fever, no increase in pain with increased ocular pressure (put my head below my waist while standing), no unusual sinus drainage...nothing...except the additional eye pain. I/eye had been chewing on Zanaflex, Mirapex, and Advil for the past 24 hours like they were tic tacs...I/eye was being a "good" patient and resting as I/eye was told to do. Why had THIS new event now occurred?

Dr. SWWNBN had no explanation...did I/eye have a fever? No. Did I/eye have green snot blowing from my nose? No. Had I/eye ever had a cluster headache before? No. In fact, I/eye can proudly say I/eye have never had anything remotely close to the pain described by migraine suffers...unless one could include two concussions, a skull fracture, meningitis, or headache as a side effect from medication as a REAL headache! LOL The good doctor remained stumped and told me to "just rest and see how you do" (?). Like I/eye wasn't doing THAT already?!?

I/eye started taking Advil and Tylenol in a rotating, two hour pattern in an attempt to get some control over the eye pain...eventually the left eye ceased tearing as much and the pain became more localized in the left...but the pain remained too intense for my liking. I/eye substituted the Tylenol for 1/2 a Vicodin, thinking it was time to bring in the "big guns", AND I/eye emailed Dr. SWWNBN of my progress (or lack of it). I/eye didn't hear back from her.

Finally deciding to take matters into my own hands, I/eye researched "cluster headaches" on the Internet...I/eye feel confident in proclaiming I/eye do NOT have a cluster headache. Although some of my symptoms appear similar, the pain has not relented...this would normally occur with a cluster headache.

So I/eye remain puzzled as to what is wrong with my eye(s)...I/eye believe if this were O.N. (optic neuritis), I'd/eyed be experiencing an even worse excruciating pain. Sinusitis? Perhaps. Brain tumor? I/eye highly doubt it.

I(eye)'m getting ready now to go load up on as many medications as I/eye think it will take to tranquilize this elephant and try to get some sleep...between my back/legs and my eye pain, I/eye anticipate sleep will be somewhat elusive for me. I/eye DO see my favorite nurse practitioner, PP, tomorrow, so I(eye)'m hoping she can help me sort out this mystery pain (along with looking in every other orifice for my every-two-year physical exam!)...and maybe she will be able to figure out if this episode is a real relapse or secondary to some other illness/infection.

We'll "see"...or maybe NOT if this eye pain worsens!...