Definitions

[foodsmarts]

Hi. I'm wondering if some of you could help me sort out the correct words to use for descriptions of symptoms.

Wonky Head: I wake up every day feeling like I have a horrendous hangover (minus the headache).  My head feels heavy and thick and when I move my head quickly I experience a short lag time where the horizon is sort of wavy and then I adjust. Would you describe the wavy horizon as "dizziness"? Is the hangoverish feeling, "wonky head"? I read a comment on the forum that we all live with a sea in our heads..would " a sea in the head" and "wonky" be equivalent?

"Vertigo": Head in the toilet? Would this be accurate?

"Unsteadiness": When I walk, I cannot walk a straight line and I stagger. I've lumped this all together as "unsteadiness" but if I had to break it down and be more precise, I'd say I'm staggering and wobbly. Does anyone have a better description?

"Dizziness": When I go from sitting to standing or turn a corner or move my head fast, the world spins a bit..in my case, slowly -  and my
brain seems to be able to catch up fairly quickly. This feeling is about 1/10th of what I've called vertigo.


What am I getting at? I'm trying to develop a simple vocabulary so that I can accurately describe my symptoms to my doctors and so that I can be consistent. I'm trying to assign a rating for various symptoms so that I can compare myself before and after my CK on the 18th.

Thanks in advance for any help..

Helen

[tenai98]

Helen
We all have our own ways of describing symptons as they are varied..for me  wonky head is like having one to many to drink...a head swirl. Sometimes I get a tightness in forehead. Like an elastic band on my brain, but pressure in front.  there are times when i get this heaviness feeling in my head. I dont know if that is like a hangover as I have never been drunk....lol...but its like my head wants to fall forward. as for vertigo, I only experienced that 3 times while in hospital  the day after surgery...the whole room was wrong side up...once i realized what was happening, instead of ringing for the nurse, i would close my eyes and tell my brain NO MORE TRICKS. it worked...
JO

[foodsmarts]

Hi Jo. Thanks a lot. Your description is helpful. I get that heavy head feeling too, where the head wants to fall forward. The wonky head does have the feeling of having had a drink for me sometimes too.

How interesting that you were able to command your brain to cooperate! I'm going to try that next time I experience vertigo.
Sounds like you are doing well post surgically.

Helen

[ppearl214]

Helen,

same question, answered to you (by me) in this thread:

http://anausa.org/forum/index.php?topic=9934.msg117052#new

Hope it helps.
Phyl