So.... My last post was Wednesday, May 23. At that time my headaches had gotten worse and I had gone to a walk in clinic and been diagnosed with an ear infection. I was surprised, I wasn't prone to ear infections, in fact, I hadn't had one since I was 9 years old.

On Friday, May 25th the headaches had gotten even worse. My head hurt so much when I tried to get up from laying down that I would moan in agony. I figured the medication for the ear infection should have worked by now so I went to my pre-natal clinic to make sure everything was ok with the baby. My OB actually came to the clinic himself. He did blood work and monitored the baby's heartrate and my contractions. He was positive the baby was fine. He was worried enough about my condition however, the he insisted I go to the ER about the headaches.

I went to the ER where I was taken in right away (something about a 36 week pregnant lady with severe headaches that makes people take you seriously). I was first seen by an ENT who declared that if I ever had an ear infection it was long gone and certainly not the cause of my headaches. Then I was seen by a neurologist. She was very concerned by the fact that the headaches had lasted so long and got so much worse when I tried to get up. She said the symptoms were indicative of a spinal fluid leak but was confused because I wouldn't have a spinal fluid leak without a spinal puncture (usually after a spinal tap or epidural). She wanted me to do a MRI but since she couldn't guarantee me it was safe for the baby, I refused. I told her that at this point I was so close to delivery I would rather wait and do the MRI after. Since my blood work showed I was a little dehydrated she gave me a litre of IV fluids and a migraine medication (intravenously). She consulted with my OB frequently. Since I was feeling better by the end of the day (I was there for 8 hours) they let me go. This neurologist was so nice however, and so concerned that she gave me her cell and pager number with strict instructions that if the headache got worse over the weekend I was to call her immediately and then proceed directly back to the ER. She also told me to come back Monday morning if the headache had not gotten better.

On Saturday I was scheduled to have what was supposed to be my last pre-natal class, however the week before had been cancelled due to instructor illness, so it was only my second class. I felt somewhat better on Saturday morning so I went to the class. The nurse/instructor gave me a nursing pillow and a yoga mat and made me lay down for the class. By the end of the day I felt a lot better.

Sunday, Rick and I were scheduled to do an infant first aid and CPR course. On Sunday morning I made Rick go to the clase and explain that we couldn't make it and why. I just wasn't feeling up to it. I did run out to the store and pick up a nursing pillow (figuring that since I felt better by the end of the day Saturday after lying on it all day, that maybe I was just not getting enough neck support and my headahces were kinked and tense muscles). I also bought the rocking chair for the babies room. I spent way more than I should (that's what happens when you shop with a severe headache, you tend to impulse buy what is really comfortable). I rationalized that I could sleep in the chair for the rest of my pregnancy since I was then convinced the problem was my sleeping position.

Sunday night I awoke in the middle of the night with a headache so bad I could not stop vomiting. When Rick woke to go to work, I asked him to take me back to the hospital. He was really angry that I had not woke him in the night as soon as I started getting sick. The same neurologist was there, and she admitted me immediately. They started the IV with fluid and the same migraine drug but it had no effect. She was insisting on the MRI and I was still refusing. I told her I would rather deliver the baby three weeks early then expose him to the MRI. I was then seen by the OB who convinced me to have the MRI, without the contrast dye. He explained that without the contrast dye the MRI was safe because unlike a cat scan, there is no radiation, MRI's are magnetic. He felt strongly it was safer to have the MRI and confirm a problem than deliver the baby 3 weeks early and then find out there was no need. The MRI was scheduled for the next morning. In the meantime, they gave me a steriod injection (through IV, I could keep nothing down). The same steriod they give to mature premature babies lungs in utero. The steriod injection made me feel much better and by the end of the day I was able to eat. I ordered Rick to go home, get a good night's sleep and go to work the next day (I wanted him to save his vacation time for when the baby came).

That night I started vomiting uncontrollably. Getting up to go to the bathroom was agony. The nurses insisted that in the morning I get a catheder. When Rick called at 7:00 before he left for work, I wouldn't tell him how sick I was, I told him I had not slept well and I would call him later.

My MRI was at 10:00. I managed to get through it without having to get up to vomit. Several of my family members called but I kept putting them off. I just wanted to sleep. At this point, I couldn't roll over in bed without vomitting. The catheder went in and I was able to sleep.

At 4:00 I decided I was lonely and called Rick. He told me he was already on his way (what he didn't tell me was that the nurese from my floor had called and asked him to come immediately). He was angry that I was alone all day (my Aunt was there and was supposed to be with me but I had asked her not to come in).

When he got there the lovely neurologist came in with some very sombre news. My MRI had come back and I had a large tumour on the lining of my brain. She stayed for almost an hour and I saw the OB (who scheduled the C section for Thursday morning at 8:00) and the neurosurgeon who would remove this tumour. There was a lot of information (most of it positive. how this was the best kind of brain tumour, almost always benign and usually easy to remove when found in the back of the head where mine was). Frankly it was just too much for me. I was in too much pain and was too angry that this was happening as I finally brought my son into the world, that night seems like such a blur. I can hardly remember it and have had to talk to my family in order to reconstruct many of the details. Anyway the long and short of it was that I was to have a section to deliver my little boy on Thursday and then go for neurosurgery to have the tumour removed the following Monday, 10 days later.

Just so you know what kind of family I have. Rick called my parents at approximately 6:00pm on Tuesday evening with the news (that would be 7:30 their time). The live a 4-5 hour plane ride away. They arrived 10:00 am on Wednesday. My brother and sister also were at my house in no time. Rick's family were already schedule to arrive that week. I can honestly say that although it was overwhelming to have so many people in my house, this whole experience has made me realize how very lucky I am to have my family. I love them so very much and I owe a lot of my recovery to the people who love me so much.

I am going to stop here for now. Partly because I am crying too hard to continue, and partly because I don't want to describe my son's birth on this very sad post.

More to come.