Age: 71.0
Sex: F
Vaccine: TDAP
Symptoms: Feeling abnormal, Headache, Injection site reaction, Mobility decreased, Musculoskeletal stiffness
Clinical narrative: Friday, 09/14/2012, 1:30 PM Stiffness in right shoulder where injection was given. Took OTC ibuprofen. Worked in yard weeding and chopping wood for fireplace to work out stiffness and distract self from headache. Saturday, 09/15/2012 7:00 AM Awoke with slight headache and more stiffness. Took another OTC ibuprofen. 3:30 PM While driving home from luncheon, felt increasing stiffness creeping across right shoulder to the base of my skull. Took another OTC ibuprofen and worked again in yard. 7:00 PM When I got up from watching TV to go to kitchen, felt an explosion in my head. Felt like two rivers of lava/pain were creeping up my head from base of skull to crown, which felt tender to the touch like that of a newborn baby's soft skull. Also felt as if a bottle of Coca Cola had been poured into my head and every burst of the bubbles sent new pain to my head. Thought I might have had an aneurysm. Went immediately to bed, but found it difficult to get into bed and lie down as couldn't position head without fierce pain. Felt like blocks of my brain were shifting about in great pain. Hard to get out of bed, too. When standing up, finally, felt like I would keel over if I put my head back or to either side and would pass out if I put my chin to my chest. Spent restless night but did get about 2 hours of sleep. Sunday, 09/16/2012, 12 Noon Pain was 50% gone. So I did not go to Emergency Room. Took more OTC ibuprofen figuring pain would be gone by evening. Worked again in yard. Monday, 09/17/2012, 7:00PM Had repetition of pain on Saturday night. Took OTC ibuprofen and went to bed. Tuesday 11;00 AM I had appointment for a mammogram and fasting blood work at facility closer to my home. Had mammogram done although receptionist could see that I was in pain. Tried to get my doctor on the phone, but number was wrong in the directory. I tried to spell last name but not in the directory. Went next door to get blood work done, but while waiting to be called, fluorescent lights sent daggers of pain into my eyes. 12:15 PM Took back my prescription, got into my car and drove down to my doctor's office. Had fasting blood work done on 1st floor and then went up to 7th floor to find my doctor. By time I got off elevator, I was in tears from the pain. 12:45 PM Receptionist informed me that Dr. was not in that day, but that another Dr. would see me. He and a colleague examined me but could not find nothing wrong other than my description of the pain and that my eyes jumped sometimes when following his finger up and down, right and left. They thought I might have a mild form of meningitis or West Nile Disease and said they wanted to order a lumbar puncture. They gave me a small can of apple juice and 6 graham cookies to assuage my hunger and had me wheeled to the Emergency Room. Took HCTZ, Vitamin D & Baby Aspirin. 1:30 PM Arrived at ER. 6:30 PM Finally saw doctor on duty. Pain was nearly gone. 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM Had non-fasting blood test done, a urine analysis and a CAT scan. All were normal and unremarkable. Pain nearly gone except neck stiffness on right. 10:00 PM Doctor still wanted me to have lumbar puncture. However, since the possible side effects were horrendous (possible infection at the puncture, neurological damage, and/or month-long headache, and they couldn't tell me what finding blood in the spinal fluid would indicate other than a possible small blood vessel bursting deep in my brain which wasn't captured on CAT scan, I refused. They also couldn't tell me what the diagnosis and  treatment would be. 11:30 PM Discharge "against all medical advice" and given prescriptions for 600 mg of ibuprofen and a muscle relaxant. Advised that I could fly the following week - 09/26/2012 to 10/01/2012. Saturday, 09/29/2012 Out of state and fully recovered. Monday, 10/01/2012 Flew home and have had no symptoms since.