A Dose of Health

I found so much information about it that I’ve decided to wait until I get the MRI results before I begin to worry.  It could be something and it could be nothing.  I’m leaning more towards the ‘it could be nothing’ trend of thought.

However, since I mentioned that I would research it, here are a few links to things that I found on the internet.

Brain Calcification Can be Caused By:

• Too much calcium and vitamin D in elderly patients
• Prolonged alcohol use/abuse over a period of 20 or 30 years or so.  Long time alcohol use also leads to smaller brain volume
• Too much tofu?

What happens to a middle aged social drinker who eats healthy, enjoys soy several times a week, juices green leafy vegetables (which are high in calcium) and takes Vitamin D capsules?  Can you spell C-E-M-E-N-T-H-E-A-D?

Bottom line, there are so many reasons why calcification of the brain may occur.  This is not something for which I can do a quick Google search and find the answer.  I will leave the initial diagnosis to the more experienced individuals such as the MRI tech and the doctor.  Once they can point me in the right direction, I’ll take it from there.  To immerse myself knee deep in research now will only exhaust the non calcified portions of my brain.

A little pressure emanating from the right side of my head along with numbness on the right side of my face finally made me pay a visit to the doctor.  I’m a healthy middle aged woman with little to no health issues (aside from the normal need to place the morning newspaper in the neighbor’s yard in order to read the print if I lose my reading glasses).

My Symptoms

The pressure started behind my right ear.  I noticed it most when I put my glasses on.  It didn’t hurt, just annoying.  Over the next 5 or 6 months the pressure and sort of a numb sensation spread over the upper right quadrant of my head.  Let me reiterate, I’m not in pain.  It’s just a weird feeling.

Twenty Year Annual Checkup

This odd sensation ( and my daughter’s nagging) caused me to finally schedule my annual checkup (after 20 years).  I don’t do doctors often at all.  My daughter nags me because I’m always cold and she got tired of watching me wear my entire wardrobe around the house (yes hat included).  The odd sensation and odd behavior required medical intervention.

Precautionary Measure

During the checkup, it was agreed that the old gal is in great shape.  All of my numbers are fine (blood pressure, cholesterol, etc., etc).  However, as a precautionary measure, the doctor recommended a CAT scan in an attempt to find the cause of my head pressure.

Your Brain is Normal…EXCEPT…

The CAT scan results came back and everything seems normal.  The CAT scan didn’t reveal why I’m having the odd sensations.  Then the doctor’s office said “Everything is normal, except…”  Woah Except???

What do you mean it’s normal…except…  “The CAT scan showed a small calcium deposit in your brain.”   Wha???  Calcium deposit in my brain?  What the?!

The doctor’s office assured me there was nothing to be concerned about.  It’s a normal sign of aging.  However, if I wanted to check it out just to be sure, I can undergo an MRI.  Hmmm, let me think about this for 1 millisecond.  Do I want an MRI?  Your darned Skippy I want an MRI.

Rock Head and the Medical Community

Now I have to wait while the doctors and the insurance companies talk nice to each other so that I can get approved to undergo an MRI.  In the meanwhile, I’m starting my research on calcium deposits in the brain, what causes them and how to get rid of them (non invasively, of course).

While I’m in the process of researching, I decided to have a glass of wine to toast to the new intracranial addition to the family.  Now when I cook dinner, I use Dwayne Johnson’s (aka The Rock) famous wrestling phrase  “Can you smell…what The Rock is cooking?”