Sunday, October 11, 2015

The (literal) Dark Side of Intracranial Hypertension

Today I'm going to talk about a part of my journey that haven't touched on very much - Intracranial Hypertension (IH).

PC, or Pseudotumor Cerebrii, is another, older, name for Intracranial Hypertension

I am lucky in that I don't have a shunt to control my IH (for info on IH and how a shunt can help, click here). I've heard stories of the multiple surgeries often being needed due to shunts clogging or breaking and I'm glad I've avoided that. I seem to be able to keep my IH mostly under control through the use of diuretics (see previous link for more info). And for a long time, I dismissed IH from my mind as just another diagnosis, one to keep in the back of my mind but not one ghat I needed to be concerned about. It turns out, I was wrong. 

You see, I am quite a bit overweight, and I have been for quite some time. And the more you weigh, the more cerebrospinal fluid you produce. For people with IH, that means there is more fluid putting pressure on their brain and their eyes. Since my IH seemed to be under control (I didn't need a shunt, nor did I need frequent lumbar punctures to relieve pressure), I didn't worry about my weight. I continued to eat what I wanted and I continued to gain weight. This continued until a few months ago, when I was in the hospital for migraines (again), just before my 30th birthday. 

It had been mentioned before by one of the other doctors at my neurologist's practice that perhaps my IH was what is kept landing me in the hospital, because I wasn't responding well to the medications that typically help migraine patients. That same doctor entered my room this time, to see me eating a meal my mom had brought me, upon my request, from the Cheesecake Factory. He also spotted candy on my bedside table. After speaking with me, he found my mom in he hallway and informed her, quite brusquely, that if I maintained my weight or, worse, gained more, I ran a high risk of going blind from my IH. 

That day, the candy in my room was removed and the leftovers from my meal were tossed. I was terrified and immediately began trying to eat healthier. I failed, because I had no idea what I was doing or what exactly eating healthier entailed. 

But just about a month ago, a new weight management clinic opened near me. I have consulted the doctor there and begun a weight loss program called New Direction; so far, I've lost over 18 lbs. I have also been given the information for two bariatic surgeons to discuss the possibility of having the sleeve surgery done. I haven't met with them yet, but I intend to. Because I want this to be a long term success. I've lost weight before, only to gain it all back and then some. I don't want that to happen again. And if surgery is what I need to prevent that, then that's what I'll do. 

So I'll be sharing my journey with you guys. Most, if not all, of my posts, will have a small update on my weight loss journey, and I'll have individual posts on bigger news, like meeting the surgeons. 

And in case anyone is wondering, yes, I've also been exercising. And, surprisingly, I enjoy it! 

As I mentioned in my (Good) News! post, I'm moving on to bigger and better things. This is one of them and I'm excited to share this with you!

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