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The left image is my recent 2024 scan. The subdural hematomas are the dark areas on the top right and left. For comparison, look to the right image scan from 2020.

In general, most, if not all people will have accidents or “oopsies” throughout life, whether we have multiple sclerosis or not. These things can happen. We bump into things, trip, fall, twist our ankle, bump our heads, etc. Sometimes our injuries simply cause bruises. However, sometimes these “oopsies” can be much more serious, and sometimes you don’t even realize you’ve injured yourself at all. Based on what I’ve just said, I’d like to share a story with you. Or, maybe not so much a story, but a word of caution if you will, based on my own experiences that began in the summer of 2024. 

Like a lot of us with MS, I find myself with bruises or strange aches and pains. I have no idea how or why they happen, but they never cause me to fret too much, nor do I feel the need to call a doctor. The same can often be said about headaches. I’ve had some migraines and sinus or flu-related headaches in my life and, yes, they can be awfully annoying. But I rarely have felt the need to call my doctor about these too. I have heard of others with MS who deal with headaches on a regular basis and my heart goes out to them because it isn’t fun.

I think it was mid to late summer when I started experiencing some ongoing, daily headaches that were odd and more pressure-like. I was feeling pretty good and more active than I’d been in years, so at first, I thought these were possibly allergy-induced or a new symptom of sorts. But I wasn’t having any vertigo, nausea, or speech problems, so I just went about my business as usual – for a while, that is.

These headaches did not go away. Every time I would cough, sneeze, bend over, or lift up something even slightly heavy, the pressure I felt on the top and back part of my head was unrelenting. It was finally time to call my doctor. She wasn’t thrilled I had let this condition go on this long, yet she didn’t scold me either. I had done a little online homework prior to our consultation and I’m glad I did. Come to find out, there is actually a name for these odd headaches called “cough headaches.” I urge you to visit the Cleveland Clinic website to read more about this condition because it could be nothing, or it could be something more serious. 

I’m angry with myself that I let this go on so long. When I decided to go to “Doctor Google” (yes, I did do that, and it’s not recommended), I called my doctor and without expressing fear in her voice, she rushed me into having a CT angiogram of my head and neck to rule out any aneurism – tumor or otherwise. Thankfully, these scary conditions were all ruled out. The next step was to schedule my MRI scans. I was overdue for these anyway, so we scheduled my brain first, then thoracic, and finally my cervical. Well, my brain MRI scan showed no new changes regarding my MS, but it certainly did show two subdural hematomas.

Thankfully, mine were small bleeds. My neurologist called me on Labor Day morning with this startling news and asked if I had been in a car accident or had fallen, etc. I was dumbfounded. My answers to all her head injury related questions were a resounding “No!” Apparently, I’m not the only patient she’s had with “unknown head injuries” too. To this day, I’m still flabbergasted as to how it happened in the first place. As I maneuver around my house, I pay close attention to my every move, and nothing really stands out as the hematoma culprit. I can only guess that it came about from bonking my head on my refrigerator door handle, my car door, or other cabinets. Quite odd indeed. As I was telling this story to one of my dearest MS friends, she slowly exhaled and said, “Mary, it sounds like you might’ve dodged a bullet.” I think maybe she’s right.

Here’s the key point. If something doesn’t feel right, call your doctor – don’t wait. If it’s a headache, well sometimes it is just a headache. Or sometimes it’s not.