Medical Note to Self

Date: Feb 25th 2006

• unexpected nosebleed (strong) while looking down reading a book after doing 15 pushups
• after bleeding ceased, rode the exercise bike for an hour while reading
• worked within the yard for a couple hours today and balance seemed good (wore lightweight hiking boots)
• after coming in and eating dinner, I became lethargic and experienced increasing head pressure on the left side and a few sharp jabs of pain behind the left ear; the duration of the head pressure seemed to last up until riding the exercise bike
• Before waking, experienced bad dreams which resulted in verbal shouting in my sleep and hitting my husband while unconscious/sleeping (fortunately not dangerously)

Date: Feb 24th, 2006

• awoke to leg cramps in the lower calves (been having for about the past 4 or 5 mornings); This was my laziest week and I did not walk or exercise for 4 or 5 days due to everything that was going on this week. It seems to be crucial to my functioning and coordination to at least walk for an hour or ride the exercise bike every other day if not everyday.
• experienced involuntarily muscle twitching and contractions of the lower area under the left eye both morning and evening (has been occurring for the past 2 months; cannot be felt but only noticed or seen when looking in the mirror
• last filling performed at the dentist in the afternoon; face on the left side was frozen for about 6 hours and it felt difficult to talk
• incessant fear of going blind continues; right eye sore and blurry in the morning and at various times of day. There are moments after lying down that my right eye experiences somewhat of a blackout or narrowing of the peripheral vision.....NOT FUN

Note: last MRI was performed on October 25 with the previous on July 25th. Recommendation was to have a repeat MRI within 6 months which would be April 25th. At the time of the last reading in October the left side tumor (smaller untreated tumor) appeared to show no growth and the right side tumor (vestibular schwannoma - the larger treated one) appeared to be stable and to cease swelling. It continued to show signs of necrosis but had not yet collapsed and was still pressing on the similar in size right side meningioma (both of which continue to distort the brain stem).

Some days balance seems to be ok or slightly improved and other days seem to be a complete washout (digression or lack of coordination). Oscillopsia is still present and annoying. Dealing with it on most days is achievable but some days I am completely overwhelmed.

On a positive note, my memory seems to be improving over the past few weeks to a month. I had experienced great difficulty with short term memory loss probably commencing in the late summer or fall. It continued to worsen and things that were once easy for me (such as spelling) became very challenging and I became very forgetful of things within a few minutes. I have noticed in my recent ASL assignments and quizzes that I have spent less time reviewing as I needed to prior. Surprisingly I have done just as well when only memorizing things in a shorter period of time (something I used to be good at...AKA - cramming).

Still though, I need to do little mental exercises to remind myself of things such as setting a video tape at the top of the stairs in my walking path so I remember to grab my class video tape downstairs. It helps to write notes to myself, utilize lists on paper, chalkboard and whiteboard, and to assemble or think about things I need the night before or at least put it all in the same spot.

Bad trends - I have been eating sugar (chocolate). I don't go nuts but I have had some everyday which is not what I should really be doing. The refined sugar is just too risky and not good for someone like me. Sugar has not only been found to feed tumors but it also tightens the muscles. Sugar consumption plus my lack of stretching and walking everyday most likely contributed to the leg cramps. I am still taking Diamox but consume potassium foods everyday and supplements on occasion.

Aside from consuming chocolate things, I have been really good about the caffeine. Once in a while I treat myself to a low sugar chai tea and if I absolutely need it, on rare occasion I have white tea which is one of the rarest and best forms of tea due to having the highest content of antioxidants of all the teas. I think the last time I had a diet pop was a can of caffeine free pepsi last mothers day at a bbq.