yikes, sara! Glad you have a nurse right nearby.

Congrats, msbelle!!!

Yeah, I was rather flipping out. Proof: I actually called a medical professional!

I've gotten lightheaded before, but usually it is the periphery thing. Not a blank spot. Had it lasted even another minute more while on the phone with T, I would've had someone haul me to Union Memorial down the street. But it went away with the breathing exercise.

Yeah, she diagnosed you the same way I've experienced those symptoms, but fuck, without content that shit is scary. Partial blindness? You handled it very calmly.

sarameg, that sounds very similar to the ocular migraines I get (only I get a lightening bolt type image across my vision). The seem to be brought on in winter when the heat goes on, so I try to stay hydrated and use saline nasal spray to avoid them. They are very scary.

My rate is $49/month, but that's individual.

Yeah, that's how much I'd be paying after reimbursement. I could join a cheaper one in Brooklyn instead, but my commute is so long I don't think I could ever wake up early enough to go before work.

Weird blind spot in one eye like I'd stared at a light too long, attempt at puking (there was nothing to puke) and then a sharp headache once the blind spot went away.

Yikes! That sounds migrainey to me, for sure.

Right there with you.

And they didn't cut out the best bits like they did last time on Masterpiece.

::thinks of bits they might cut for time::

::weeps::

Well, I'm big on denial. As in no, this isn't really happening. OK, maybe it is, but I'm going to act like I'm not freaking out. THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO ME.

But I did call her repeatedly and even texted (damn, that was hard with a blind spot and an archaic cell ) until she answered while she was on shift, so I wasn't that calm. I felt fine otherwise, just had a blind spot then a need to barf. Scared the shit out of me.

I've never experienced that before.

I really hope I didn't misplace a decimal in my bill-paying (denial was that strong, I powered through with one eye!)

I need to buy her wine now.

sara, it should go without saying but you should feel free to contact Doc Jules.

ita, I was also going to offer to contact doctor friend to ask about what your mom is going through but clearly we have enough expertise here. It is truly awesome!

ooh, hivemind! I am going to be in NYC for a few days at the end of February for a conference. I'll be at conference 9-5 for all 4 days of it but will have evenings free and a (modest but I will supplement) per diem! Where should I eat??

Where is the conference and where will you be staying? How far are you willing to travel for food?

that's why people getting chemo are supposed to stay away from sickos.

I probably shouldn't go for the easy joke here, right, pointing to my absence coinciding with my chemo treatments? I kid because I love.

Seriously, though: ita, I doubt pushing the chemo off a week will really hurt, although her oncologist will be really the one making that call. The white blood count checks are a huge thing in chemo land. They still run my blood counts, and I've been off chemo and on hormone-blocking shots since August.

I was very fortunate -- perhaps due to my youth -- in that my blood counts were always really good. I took a lot of precautions -- rest, avoiding touching things in public places, opened doors with hips and hands covered in my sleeves, etc. But really, sometimes it's just a matter of the human body needs time to rest after being hit with chemo meds (I assume she's had treatment before?). So she may just need a bye week.

Not sure if any of this helps, especially considering I was trapped in a meeting all day. But Allyson asked me to pop in, so: POP!