Guest caraprof Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 My wife and I should have sailed from Hull to Zeebrugge this evening for three and a half weeks' holiday wandering around Europe. Probably Germany this year but we could even make the Italian Lakes.Anyway, a week ago I had a strange pain develop on the left side of my scalp and face. It didn't hurt except when touched. Showering for instance was unpleasant as the water cascading on my head was slightly painful.Off to my GP on Monday evening where he suspected someting called 'temporal arteritis' which isn't life threatening but makes you go blind fairly soon! He took a blood test which I delivered to my local path lab the next morning. This morning I saw him and the result was negative so we're back to square one.The pain is now permanent as, along with the contact pain, I've a nagging headache so he's fixed me up with an appointment at my local private hospital tomorrow evening where a top physician will form an opinion and decide if it's a temporary thing caused by a bit of stress and overwork or if I need an MRI or catscan to eliminate anything nasty.The only good thing is that I booked a top cabin with P & O and the conditions of my ticket allow for a full refund as long as I give one day's notice. I did this on Tuesday as I had no choice really, so my £461 return ticket is being refunded and if I get the all clear in a day or so P & O says that I should have no problem rebooking.The Caravan Club changed my Red Pennant insurance dates by a week at my request and charged me a tenner for the privilege, but to their credit they did say that if my exploratory tests take longer then I can re-alter the dates again at no further cost. So, apologies to all of those who would have been delighted by me buggering off for a while but you are stuck with me for a few more days.I'm just glad that it's a motorhome holiday as, if all works out, all I've had to do is put it back a week at virtually no expense. It would have been a different story if I'd been off on one of the more complicated little adventures that my wife lets me have every year or so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Very sorry to hear about this Frank - I'll be praying for you, please keep us posted. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 I too am sorry to hear of your troubles Frank. I know we don't see eye to eye all the time, well most of the time perhaps but I still wouldn't wish medical troubles on anyone. I sincerely hope it turns out to be a minor situation that can be easily cleared up and then you can bugger off for a while and leave us all in peace (only misquoting your own statement there Frank). *-) All the best mate, D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Frank , sorry to hear that you are not feeling your usual self . It's terrible when these things are sent to try us makes you feel lousey doesn't it . Just lately I yes I have been wanting to give up smoking YES! nothing no one has said but I know the fact's and they speak for themseves I would like to make it to 50 if we keep on fagging it well you never know so as from tomorrow we are NO SMOKERS... anyway back to you my sister suffers with benine Intercranial headaches that just came on as a pan in the tempral lobe like you explain ..this went on for many months and she is only 38 ...32 at the time anyway's back & forward and eventually we decided that she should go private she couldn't even get out of bed some days . She lost her perifiral ??? vision and had to stop driving with a threat from the Doctor to inform the DVLA . Anyway she stopped driving and 27 yes 27 lumbar puntures later it is all gone they have to drain the fluid from the spine and this allows the fluid from up around the brain to go and then she is ok seeing she can now drive again...non of this is serious unless she looses her vision which was a posibility at the time. Just shows you what would we all do without our health . I wish you a quick recovery hopefully its just going to be something like a touch of neurolga and you will find out you have had the bedroom windows open to much and caught a chill in your head ..have you ever been called a hot head :D Quick recovery and holiday soon .. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howie Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Lets hope everything goes well for you Frank and you get back to full health as soon as possible but if things do go pearshaped can I have your Merc. Your old mate Howie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sax Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Hello Frank, Best of luck, I hope things are not as bad as they sound. I shall be thinking of you and I hope that a relaxing pain free break will happen soon. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 My thoughts are with you Frank. Hope it clears up soon. Has the Doctor ruled out Shingles?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest caraprof Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 Thank you, you're all very kind. Peter, shingles was my first thought actually as there was no headache, just pain when I touched my scalp or left side. My wife has had shingles so we know a little about it.It's been totally ruled out as has neuralgia. My GP says that it could conceivably be a just a severe stress headache as I've just had a really busy time with deadlines to meet for duties in an organisation that I'm a member of, but he's also being careful and double-checking that it's not anything nasty. The thing is that I don't get headaches. I can't remember ever having had one (except when drunk as a youth!).The symptoms are exactly for temporal arteritis but the blood test that I've had appears to have ruled that out.Check this link for a description: http://tinyurl.com/35zhofWhat's annoying is that my 'van is on the drive and ready to go. I now have to wait until tomorrow evening to see what the doc says and if he wants a scan it will probably be next week before we can get away! Grrrr! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Bry Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 Hi FrankReally don't know you as well as some of the others on this forum,as a fairly new meber- but have read your responses to the many threads and some I agree with and some I don't. That's human nature.I'm just adding my best wishes to all the other's and hope that it's just a minor issue that can be cleared up quickly. I had half my face inflamed once, and it turned out to be a little scratch from a rose bush that I'd been cutting down,and as I'd also been spraying some weed killer. The doctor just put it down to the fact that I could of transfered some chemical into the tiny scratch on my face. It looked very serious but soon cleared up.I hopeyour symptons are due to something minor like this.All the best and get well soon and enjoy your break when you get away.We're doing something similar in August but sailing to Rotterdam from Hull, also managed to get a posh cabin this year as well.Take it easyThai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 Just had a quick look at the link Frank posted and it gave me a headache just reading about it. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 As others have said, Frank, I hope it turns out not to be serious and can be sorted out quickly. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 Serious Serious whats all this talk about seriousness nothing wrong with that OLD fart :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingpete Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 Has "Bells Palsy" been considered? I ask as it can be caused by driving with a window open, and the draught gives rise to a painful and partial paralysis of the face part exposed to the draught. Can also affect persons who may sleep close to open windows. Fireman friend had that palsy some years ago, from sleeping near to open window. Lifelong symptom as described. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest caraprof Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 Well, good news and bad news! I've just seen a very bright youngish physician who put me through a battery of tests and told me that there is only one thing that could be wrong with me, and it's the temporal arteritis (TA) that I mentioned earlier.I've had a blood test, which my GP said more or less ruled that out but this expert said that there are many cases where TA is not shown by a blood test and that I really must have a biopsy of an artery in my forehead. They do it under local anaesthetic and the result is available in about three or four days.The good news: If it's not TP then it's probably nothing serious, just a severe stress headache, although I've never had one before.As soon as I've had the biopsy, he'll give me the tablets and we can go on holiday without waiting for the results. His secretary will phone me whilst we're in Germany or whatever and tell me that the biopsy is positive and I'll start taking the tablets or she'll tell me that it's negative and I'll dispose of them. The treatment is cortisone steroids over several months apparently.Ah, the joys of private medicine! Try getting that service on the NHS. They'd probably make me wait a week for the results before they'd issue me with the tablets.So with a bit of luck we'll get away by the middle of next week, just one week late and nothing really lost. I can still get three weeks' holiday and be back in time for my daughter's graduation ceremony on July 12th.So, Starspirit, Michele and all the rest of you, you can stop sticking the needles in that little clay image of me, it's not going to work I'm afraid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 Oh god , you are paranoid Frank after all ...here's me thinking your not a bad old stick and you have to go and spoil it. Poor Rich ain't even here and he's still getting in trouble ... :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 Awe shucks Frank ... and it was just getting interesting playing with my pins! :-> Have to go back to the old cauldron and spell book then. Michele, Twooks - you coming???? :-S I've got some ideas for cranky Franky ... :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 Well done Frank! I know it's not nice but at least you now know what it is. I was ill in 2003 and it was the waiting to find out what was wrong with me that was the hardest part. I work with someone who was diagnosed with temporal arteritis a couple of years ago. He's not the sharpest tool in the box and until I was speaking to him today, he thought he had had arthritis of the temple. The specialist prescribed steroids, taking 10 per day to begin with, gradually reducing down to zero. He's fine now but he did say that the steroids made him tired and lethargic when he was taking them so don't be too ambitious with your driving distances. Have a good holiday! John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 Serious now - Frank ... do you ever suffer from sinusitus? I once had a similar problem with pain down the right side of my face etc, at the time I was having quite a lot of problems with pain in the eye on that side as well so it was a bit scarey. It turned out to be sinusitus which was affecting just that side but the symptoms were very similar to what you've described, pain, tenderness/soreness to the area etc. Just an idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 Yep Twooks has just e mailed she said shes coming lets go do it... lets give him un pan du derrier then he won't be able to sit a his putor :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 Now I really draw the line 'cursing' Franks bum! Especially when I have to visualise it first! 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliveH Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 Frank - I recommend you go to France for your hols as there they advocate analgesics via suppositories!! Seriously tho - I wish you well, a speedy recovery and a good holiday. All the best. Clive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 Now I know why the French chemist was confused when I was trying to get some stronger painkillers for my husband for his sunburn!!! It's just as well I didn't manage to get any .....! 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest caraprof Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 I don't know anything about tablets and things as I'm never normally ill but once when in France I didn't feel well and they gave me something called suppositories.I have to say that they were absolutely useless. I took three a day as prescribed and for all the good that they did I might as well have stuck them up my *rse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest caraprof Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 Mel B - 2007-06-14 8:55 PM Serious now - Frank ... do you ever suffer from sinusitus? I once had a similar problem with pain down the right side of my face etc, at the time I was having quite a lot of problems with pain in the eye on that side as well so it was a bit scarey. It turned out to be sinusitus which was affecting just that side but the symptoms were very similar to what you've described, pain, tenderness/soreness to the area etc. Just an idea. Thanks for the tip but no, I've never had sinusitis. We're now pretty sure that if it isn't TA then it's just been a really severe ten-day headache - which will be odd as I've never even had a one-day headache before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sax Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 Hello Frank, Great news and I hope that your relaxing break goes off OK. You mention Starspirit, I have had a number of private contacts with him by email since your absence before you 'outed'. I can assure you that he holds you in high regard and only thinks of the arguments etc as verbal spats. He has been very helpful to me and should not be back on the forum until the summer touring season is over. Hard hats for all then I expect, but things might be a bit less argumentative. Keep improving, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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