It's not a too-mah

So I'm aware that I am really horrible at keeping up my blog. Anyone who knows me probably isn't surprised...I'm easily distracted from tasks, I procrastinate, and I SUCK at keeping in touch with people...even really great friends. But here is my long-awaited and promised blog. I hope that I cover everything I promised to tell.
A few of you know that I have been left uninspired lately because I have been ill. I promised that I would tell a little about that. I have this condition called pseudotumor cerebri. Now you may say, what's that Nicole...and I will tell you. My body thinks I have a tumor...like I'm not crazy enough on my own...my body even has a complex! Apparently like 18,000 people in America have this disorder, and I'm one of the lucky rare ones! It prefers to strike overweight white girls in their mid-20's. Obviously I'm white, overweight, and 25...so I am the perfect typical case. I was diagnosed with this a little over a year and a half ago when my eye doctor discovered that my optic nerves were swollen. They had to do tests to rule out a tumor (MRI, blood tests, etc), with the final test being a lumbar puncture (affectionately called a spinal tap). This test revealed what they all thought and hoped which was I have too much pressure in my spinal fluid which takes up too much room in my brain...making it seem as though a tumor were in there taking up space.
Now obviouly, this affliction is far better than a tumor, but it has its down sides. It comes with nearly all the problems of a tumor. Blurred or double vision, severe headaches, etc. My vision had been holding intact until the beginning of Feb, when all went crazy. Crazy vision is a problem when your major in school and profession is accompanying (playing piano) for people. It freaked me out, but my neurologist upped my medicine and has told me to lose weight as rapidly as I can...hoping that doing so will trick the disease into remission forever or at least a long time. If I don't lose the weight or if it doesn't help, they are going to surgically put a shunt in my spine to drain the fluid off my brain and into my stomach cavity (don't know why there). I personally don't think this sounds very fun, so basically I have been on a mission to lose weight....which, as anyone who's tried it knows, sucks.
I am doing the Nutrisystem Nourish plan (a portion controlled, low GI diet). It's oh so yummy and fun. I will admit that I've had weak moments and cheated, but I have lost 10lbs in the past month...and this week I am really going to hardcore step up the exercise plan and try to shed the weight faster. I go back to the neurologist on the 28th which is good since I think I need to drop down my strong diuretic...I think the 10lbs has been enough to make the dose too strong which now is dehydrating me and causing equally bad headaches....either that or it's not helping and my head is still killing me. I'm hoping he can help either way because these headaches are severe and debilitating...I can't consistently live my life normally and it's annoying. I do realize that things could be way worse and so I can't complain too, too much because at least it's not a tumor (suddenly I just thought of Kindergarten Cop and changed the title to reflect it).
SO that's what I've been dealing with the past 52 (or whatever it's been days). I think I may keep this updated on my weight loss in lbs from time to time...not that I would be so bold as to put my actual weight on here as Courtney did (btw Court, I would throw a party to weight 127 lbs ;)). Ohter than the health stuff, not too much has been going on. I just wanted to post again....after all it's been plently long enough!