A Syncopal Event

Syncope is a medical term for fainting.

I wasn't sure I wanted to blog about my syncopal event, but it is just too darn funny and weird not to!

The story starts when I took leave from work yesterday morning for my annual pap. There are a lot of extraneous details, but the short of it is this: I went in for a pap and left with a concussion!

My exam was almost finished, and my pap had already been taken. The next thing I know, I am looking up and there are two male physicians that I had never seen before looking down at me. They looked startled to say the least. Little did I know that I had fainted, fell out of the stirrups, off of the exam table, knocked over a cart on wheels, hit my head, and was now lying on the floor!

I was helped to my feet and sat down in a chair. I DID NOT feel well at all. I was hot, had spotty vision, dulled hearing, and felt very nauseous. I wasn't okay. I was moved to another room to rest for bit. From there I got dressed and was told I needed a CT head scan. So off to radiology I went.

After that I went back to Family Medicine to see my doctor and get my CT results - they were negative. But, I was slightly concussed and was not to return to work.

By this time, word had gotten to my department that I would not be returning to work, but noone was told why - everyone was pretty worried about me! I had to go to my desk to get my belongings and try to explain to my supervisor what happened - the whole scenario is just so unbelievable.

I did go in to work today. There is just so much work to do, I couldn't stay home. I was far from 100% though. I had a headache all day and a nice bump on my head. I also have bruises on my side and down my legs and a really stiff neck. I feel like I was in a car accident to tell you the truth!

I will be fine. I have a follow up appointment tomorrow afternoon.

I am not really sure why I fainted in the first place. It could have been a lot of things - I hadn't had anything to eat yet, but did drink a cup of coffee. It was a bit too warm in the exam room. I was being seen by a resident (a dr. in training essentially) and the procedure didn't go as smoothly as I am used to, or would have liked. It could have been all of those things, or it could have been something entirely different. Most fainting spells are idiopathic (no known cause). I think it is just bad luck!