My Chronic Pain Diagnosis Story
Next Thursday, February 4th, marks having New Daily Persistent Headache (NDPH) for four years. I have not shared my chronic pain diagnosis story and believe it can benefit many people and let them know they are not alone. I remember February 4th, 2017 like it was yesterday. My diagnosis story started about a week before I contracted a chronic headache.
I was travelling to a tennis tournament and playing in the Semifinals. I left with my mom the day before the match and we stayed at a hotel. In the night, I noticed I was having pain near my sinuses and I was getting a runny nose. I did not tell my mom because I did not want to withdraw from my match.
During the match, my headache got much worse and my symptoms heightened. I had a throbbing sinus headache and felt very weak. I finished the match but lost in straight sets.
When we came back home, my mom took me to the pediatrician. The pediatrician diagnosed me with a regular sinus headache and prescribed an antibiotic to relieve my symptoms. I took this antibiotic and my symptoms significantly decreased- I did not have a head cold anymore and my sinus headache was almost gone. However, on February 4th, my sinus headache transferred to the back of my head, leaving me with a constant, pressure-like, dull pain.
Two to three days after my headache remained, my mom took me back to the pediatrician. The pediatrician prescribed another sinus infection antibiotic but it did not relieve my nagging headache. During the course of my antibiotic, I had to go to the Emergency Room because my pain was so severe. This continuous cycle of going to the ER to missing school to taking too many painkillers continued.
One month after my initial headache, my pediatrician recommended I consult with pediatric specialists, including ENT and neurology, so they can help discover the root cause of my pain. Once again, the never ending cycle of doctors appointments and tests occurred for 3 months until I got a final diagnosis: New Daily Persistent Headache.
Since then, I have tried many medications and treatments, but the most beneficial treatment was learning pain management techniques and retraining my body to function with a nagging, 24/7 headache.
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