From when this new headache started in May my only question has been “How can I stop it?” Once I got the diagnosis of superior canal dehiscence syndrome all I wanted was to take a nap because my question was answered and the quest to do what was necessary was about to begin.
My mother’s first question when I told her was “How did this happen?” She’s one of those questing, curious people which is why she was so good when she worked in QA.
I have to admit I’m not the best listener these days. The headache is distracting. What I remember from the conversation with the doctor is “mumble mumble head trauma mumble mumble birth defect.” I should probably ask Isaiah to write this post for me but he would probably just write “it’s all conjecture.”
So here’s some conjecture.
I believe that I was born with (or developed early on) a tiny tiny tiny hole in my superior canal. The best reason I have to believe this is I have always hated loud noises and it took me six years to learn to ride a bicycle (balance).
This hole was enough to make me dizzy if I exercised too much (I always thought I was out of shape but really? dizziness?) but not so much as to cause bad headaches or nausea or a lot of my other current symptoms.
Then came head trauma. “Mumble mumble change in blood flow in the brain. Mumble mumble.”
Oh yeah! Last year’s embolization of those two arteries of the many that make up my dural arteriovenous malformation. That would change the blood flow. (duh) The doctor (in a moment where I heard more than mumbles) even said “Brain surgery counts as trauma.”
So take a tiny tiny tiny hole living in a comfortable, stable environment and lessen the pressure put on it by an excess number of arteries in that same area. Pop! (No it didn’t literally pop.) Tiny tiny tiny hole finds new freedom to grow and expand!
Boom! Headaches, extreme dizziness, nausea, brain fog, trouble talking, etc etc etc.
Rebekah Golden 