Fear of the Unknown

It was a mild, beautiful day in December. Pete and I decided it would be a great day to go to the park.
We invite our son, Jason, and his three children, our grandchildren, to go with us. It's a day to be
outside and enjoy the fresh air. We invite our niece, Melissa, and her dog who live close by.
The kids were running all over the place and having a good time.
The dog was enjoying the open space and running after the ball.
We were all throwing the football back and forth. The ball was thrown to me and as I reach up to try
and catch it, my legs came out from underneath me. My head ricocheted off the ground.
I rested for a few minutes, and then we left. I never gave it another thought. 
The next day, I experienced a bad headache and was very tired.
My niece called a couple of days later, and her first question was, "how is your head doing?"
I suddenly remembered what happened and it explained why I had a headache and why I was so tired.
I had a minor concussion. 
Ten months later, I was out for one of my walks. I was almost home when my ears filled up with pressure.
I couldn't walk straight, and I was dizzy.
What just happened?  It's so scary. A few seconds later it passes. I make it home.
Over the next six months I have a few more episodes. 
I decide it's time to look into why this could be happening. I talk to one of my nieces who lives
in Connecticut and is a physical therapist. She suggests I go to a physical therapist to see
if the Epley maneuver is needed.
If you have crystals dislodge in your ear, these symptoms can be present. The Epley maneuver
will cause the crystals to move and return to where they came loose.
They can perform preliminary tests to determine if this maneuver is needed and determine it
isn't necessary and he sends me to an ear, nose, and throat doctor. The one I choose
specializes in brains which is an added bonus. He asked me a lot of questions. One of them was,
"Do you ever get headaches?" I said, "Only when I am dehydrated."
He said, "Well, that is a brain response". I never thought of it being a brain response. 
He determines these episodes are vestibular migraines. Thankfully this type of migraine is not the 
type that leaves you debilitated, or that you have to take medication for. It passes within seconds,
and I know to take it easy the rest of the day. I later learn that it's the brain letting you know that
you're about to reach your limit and I need to take it easy.
At the end of the appointment, I mentioned the head trauma I experienced several months prior.
He was surprised I didn't share that with him when he first came in. I did share this information
with his assistants that had asked me a lot of questions prior to him coming into the room.
He explained that the brain has less capacity because of the brain injury. He sends me to get an MRI
to rule out a tumor in the ear canal. The MRI shows that I have encephalomalacia. It is the softening
of the brain tissue. YIKES! 
I start reading about it and have to stop. I decide to let the experts share with me what it is the next step.
The neurologist read my MRI. She asked, "Did you have brain trauma four years ago?" 
I answered, "Yes, I fell off my bike. I wasn't wearing a helmet. The side of my head hit the pavement
hard and I had a concussion." If I count the concussion I had when I was nine years old, that is
three brain injuries. WOW! 
I asked her what was next. She said, "Nothing. We will wait and see if more symptoms show up."
A year later, I scheduled an appointment with the ENT again to provide him my data I collected from the 
past year, and he said the most common cause of a vestibular migraine is dehydration. I've been
drinking more water and had one in a year. I am grateful for that.
I don't know what's next, but I know God is with me and He will provide for me.
​For now, I live!