Starting Sunday night I have had blinding headaches every night. The kind where I lie still and try not to breath. I’ve tried migraine meds and one kind helped the first night but the other kinds haven’t done much.
Today I noticed that the blinding headache is concentrating further south. My neck and throat are very swollen and painful. I’m starting to have trouble talking and swallowing. I feel like I have a noticeable fever. I don’t have health insurance until Friday. One of the other teachers on campus told me to take the next two days off, but I don’t feel like that would be responsible. And besides–the irony of me skipping school because I am sick when I wouldn’t skip for Burning Man is funny. (I know I know. Health thing versus going to play… but still.)
I think this is the third time in my life when I have cancelled something big and major only to get very sick right before I was supposed to start doing whatever it is. Intuition maybe?
Ummm…. this is actually sort of worrying. “Trouble swallowing” because you have a sore throat? Or because it’s swelling up? (Hoping you say the former.)
It hurts a lot and the muscles don’t want to go through the motion.
Okay. […worry…] If you have trouble breathing, you’ll call someone, right?
And if this keeps up, ditto, right?
(I assume you have no fever? Your post was a red flag for me b/c a friend had a serious illness a couple of years ago and the first sign was a swelling at the neck-shoulder junction, but no other symptoms.
A warm compress on the outside of your neck may well help your throat.
If I have trouble breathing I am standing in front of 30 kids who will freak out like crazy. 🙂
Yeah, I have a fever.
wait I thought you gave away your BM ticket
Yes.
And besides–the irony of me skipping school because I am sick when I wouldn’t skip for Burning Man is funny.
She wouldn’t skip school to go to Burning Man, which is why she was only going to be going for a couple of days. Yeah?
ah…. don’t get it. seems rational to not skip work for fun but to skip it if sick — sick if not treated leads to worse sick which means instead of missing a few days you miss a lot of days and possibly get hospital bills, and you pass it around to all the folks there.
At least go to the PP clinic, I was using them for basic health care
Please please find a PP clinic, a free clinic, anything. That big a headache alone, never mind with the other stuff, is very worrisome. Please get it checked out.
Can you touch your chin to your chest?
One reason I’d want to get checked out, if I was in your shoes, is to rule out meningitis.
Either way, I hope you start to feel better soon. I was just very concerned after reading your symptoms. *hugs and recooperation*
I forgot to mention, if you don’t know this already, that Valley Med will charge you very affordably for the services they render you if you have no insurance. It’s all based on your ability to pay.
I can touch my chin to my chest, but it isn’t very comfortable.
Get Well Wishes
Please see a doctor. Can you go to an on-campus clinic, or back to the one at SJSU? Also, if you’re feverish, you may be exposing your students to whatever you have.
Get better.
Can I try to cheer you up, if briefly? Click here.
YAY! It’s all cute and stuff. 🙂
My thought exactly! =)
I agree with Lauren; if you have meningitis you really need to get checked out, and soon.
http://www.webmd.com/hw/infection/aa34586.asp
“The most common symptoms of either form of meningitis include:
* Fever.
* Severe and persistent headache.
* Stiff and painful neck, especially when trying to touch the chin to the chest.
* Vomiting.
* Confusion and decreased level of consciousness.
* Seizures.
Other symptoms of meningitis include:
* Sluggishness, muscle aches and weakness, and strange feelings (such as tingling) or weakness throughout the body.
* Eye sensitivity and eye pain from bright lights.
* Skin rash.
* Dizzy spells.”
Anything that potentially involves seizures or altered conciousness needs to be addressed very quickly.
Here’s a good comparison of viral versus bacterial….
http://www.childrenshospital.org/patientsfamilies/Site1393/mainpageS1393P201sublevel154Flevel157.html
I’m with everyone else…I think you should go see a doctor, or at least find a free clinic to visit. Even if it’s not meningitis, it could still be plenty of other un-fun things (strep throat, etc.). And as someone else said, if you’re running a fever, there’s a good chance you’re contagious – probably best not to expose your students to whatever it is.
At any rate, I really hope you feel better soon. 🙂