AccountingQueen
$16/per page/Negotiable
Makenzie Sells
Instructor Jones
English 1010
18 September 2017
On Tuesday morning November 8, 2016, I woke up with extreme pain in my lower abdomen. When I got out of bed I was dizzy and had a hard time walking. I made it to the bathroom and sat down on the toilet. When the pain did not start to feel any better, and all I could see was black I yelled for my mother. When my mother got to me she just stared at me and asked me what was wrong because my head was hanging and I could not speak. When she lifted my head, she noticed my face was very pale and then I passed out. At this point she called for my father and when he saw me he said we need to take her to the hospital. My father carried me to the car and they rushed me to the hospital. On the way to the hospital I was lying down in the backseat crying and screaming in excruciating pain, and did not know where I was. My then, twelve-year-old brother began to cry because he had never seen me in so much pain.
When we arrived at the hospital my father carried me through the emergency room doors and the emergency room staff got me a wheel chair. By this time, I was still in pain and lucid. My mom gave the clerk the minimal information needed, described my condition, then I was immediately taken to an examine room. The nurse pushed me to a room in the emergency area. This room was not like the regular hospital rooms. This room did not have a door it just had a giant curtain to separate the room from the hallway. When they got me in the room the nurse assisted me from the wheelchair to the bed. The pain was still severe and I could barely lay still. The nurse kept telling me that I needed to be still so she could get accurate vital signs. It was difficult to be still with the pain I was experiencing.
Immediately, the nurse asked me questions such as “where do you hurt?”, “how long have you been hurting?”, and “when did the hurting begin?”. I answered those questions as precisely as I could, so the nurse and doctor would have a better understanding of what was happening. While the nurse was asking questions, another nurse was sticking probes on my chest and connecting them to a machine; they were doing an EKG (electrocardiogram). After this the nurse gave me an IV (intravenous therapy) for them to administer drugs and fluids. At this point the doctor came in and asked me what was going on. My mom explained to him what had happened. He asked me to show him where I was hurting. I pointed right below my stomach and he asked me on which side and I said right in the middle. The doctor then told my parents that he would like to run different types of tests on me. They ran an XRAY, ultrasound, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and a CT (computerized tomography) scan. The doctor at the hospital told us that all my tests were normal and that I should follow up with my regular doctor.
My mom called the pediatrician the next day and told them that I had been to the hospital and she wanted to see me as soon as possible, so we had an appointment the next day. While seeing my pediatrician she informed us that there was an abnormality on my CT scan. She said it was a pineal cyst. She informed us that this was typically normal, but just to be safe she wanted us to see a neurologist. She recommended two pediatric neurologists, one from Vanderbilt and one from Franklin. My mom called Vanderbilt the next morning to make an appointment and they informed her that it would be January before they could see me. My parents did not want to wait this long so she then called the neurologist in Franklin and they were able to get us in three weeks later.
After the pediatric neurologist examined me, reviewed my hospital records, and discussed the test results with us she stated that the cause of my episode that sent me to the hospital was caused by multiple reasons. Including dehydration, menstrual cycle pain, and orthostatic hypotension. Orthostatic hypotension is a form of low blood pressure that happens when you stand up from sitting or lying down. This is usually caused by dehydration or lengthy bed rest and is easily treated.
She discussed how pineal cyst are normal and are usually not discovered until autopsies. However, she was unsure of the size of the cyst on the scan and wanted me to have another scan just to be sure that it was small and not located somewhere that might cause problems later. She told us other symptoms to be looking for in case it may be something to be concerned about. She also suggested that I drink more fluids and adjust my sleep patterns and see a gynecologist. She informed us that she would call us when she got the results from the scan and that she wanted to see me again in six months.
One week later I had the scan and the neurologist called three days later to inform us that the cyst was small and not located where it could cause any other problems. I went for my follow up visit and she examined me and wanted to know if I had changed my sleep habits and started drinking more fluids. I informed her that I had and that I had also seen a gynecologist and she had given me birth control pills to elevate my pain during my menstrual cycle. She stated that she was happy with my progress and that she did not need to see me anymore.
In conclusion, this experience taught me a lot about myself. I learned that it is possible to have a cyst on your brain that is harmless. I also learned that I needed better sleeping habits and to drink more fluids. The most important thing I learned is that no one should take life for granted. Through all of this I was told that it was best not to worry because it was more than likely nothing. I have often heard parents say that when you have children the worry starts and never stops. I can now say that I know how that feels because although I was not supposed to be worrying it was impossible not to. The thought of having something abnormal in my brain was scary. I, like most teenagers, felt like I was invincible but after this episode I no longer feel that way.