Dealing with brain fog, memory loss, tremors, and heart palpitations... help?

Jonathan Morris40 said:I was reading up on purulent meningitis the other day, and man, it’s some heavy stuff. It’s basically when the membranes surrounding your brain and spinal cord get hit with this intense bacterial infection, leading to all that nasty pus buildup. It’s not exactly a "wait and see" kind of situation either—you're looking at an immediate trip to the ER and probably a heavy dose of IV antibiotics right out of the gate. It’s one of those things that really puts into perspective how fragile everything is, especially when you think about how quickly a serious infection can turn into a life-altering crisis. Definitely one of those medical scenarios you hope to never encounter personally, but it's wild how much science has advanced in managing it compared to what people used to deal with decades ago. I actually went through this when I was just nine months old. I remember my folks telling me that the doctors had to go in and drain some kind of infection from my head. It’s one of those things you don't really remember yourself, obviously, but the whole story has always stuck with me.

Yeah, I’m a smoker—probably going through about half a pack a day at this point. And honestly, I definitely went a bit overboard with the drinks lately. I never had any issues with my heart before, and I've never really noticed anything weird like an irregular heartbeat or my pulse racing out of nowhere.

I haven't actually hit my head or anything, and I don't have any swelling or pain anywhere, so physically I feel pretty solid. I haven't bothered checking my temperature yet, though I could easily grab the thermometer—honestly, I don't think I'm running a fever or anything. My speech feels mostly fine, but there are these weird little moments where I just... freeze. Like, I'll be mid-sentence and suddenly my brain stalls, forcing me to just pause for a second to figure out what I was even trying to say. I still trip over my words occasionally, but that’s kind of always been a thing for me whenever I start talking too fast; I tend to stumble over myself. Until now, I just figured that was totally normal, you know? Just one of those things where your tongue gets tied up.

I’ve never really dealt with anything quite like this before; this is a total first for me. I mean, looking back, maybe something similar happened once or twice in the past, but it was so subtle I probably just brushed it off without thinking twice. It didn't feel like anything out of the ordinary back then, but this? This is definitely hitting different.

Look, I’ll be honest—maybe two or three times a month when I’m actually heading out on the town, I tend to overdo it with the drinks. It’s one of those things where you get caught up in the moment, the crowd is hyped, everyone's celebrating, and suddenly you’ve had way more than you intended. I know, I know, that's not really an excuse, and honestly, if anyone wants to throw stones, go ahead—I'm far from perfect. But the thing is, for the rest of the month, I don't touch the stuff at all because I'm usually just staying in. If I really wanted to, cutting alcohol out entirely would be a breeze; it’s honestly not even a struggle for me to walk away from it. 👍 Honestly, if lighting up a cigarette is what it takes to get me through this, then fine—but trust me, I’m planning on kicking the habit for good regardless.

I’ve always had this weird issue where I can't seem to settle down before hitting the hay. It’s like my body is stuck on some kind of permanent loop; my leg won't stop twitching, and even when I'm just sitting at my desk at work, I find myself tapping along to whatever music is playing without even realizing it. I just can't get that total sense of stillness where my hands or feet actually stay quiet. If I ever do manage to get perfectly still, I’ll start shrugging my shoulders or tossing and turning around. It’s constant motion. Honestly, it feels almost instinctive, like if I actually let myself relax completely, I might just slip right into a sleep or pass out entirely. It’s this weird reflex I've been dealing with since day one.

You seriously need to get on the phone with your doctor right now, assuming you haven't already. Seriously, don't wait around.
You really have to dig deep and figure out if there’s an actual organic, underlying cause behind this new disorder—like, you need to nail down what's actually triggering it biologically—and then, if it makes sense, decide if any kind of treatment is even warranted. Probably. Time to get the ball rolling on treatment.
The symptoms you’re describing could actually be a byproduct of elevated intracranial pressure—which honestly isn't exactly a rare occurrence after dealing with something like bacterial meningitis. Given how long this has been dragging on alongside everything else you mentioned, there's also a real possibility we're looking at some kind of inflammatory process within the central nervous system, though the exact cause is still pretty much an open book.
Look, you should probably get on top of this as soon as possible.!
If the tests come back clean and show there’s nothing actually wrong, honestly, that’s the best-case scenario. In that case, the only "treatment" you're gonna need is just cutting back on the gas and the cigarettes. 😉

I have an appointment scheduled with my primary care physician tomorrow, and he’ll be the one deciding which specialist I need to see next. What exactly should I tell him about what I've been experiencing... how can I explain this in a way that actually makes sense to him?

Jonathan Morris40 said:I've got an appointment with my doctor tomorrow, and he's supposed to give me some referrals. How am I even supposed to explain this mess to him? What’s the best way to lay out everything I'm going through so it actually makes sense?

That's a really solid question, honestly.
I'm sitting here thinking about how I'd even try to pitch this to a physician if I were in your shoes. 🤷
My advice? Start with the big stuff—mention that you dealt with purulent meningitis back when you were a kid. That should pretty much grab their attention right out of the gate. Once you've got them listening, walk them through the timeline of your current symptoms, starting from that very first incident. Be sure to mention that weird heart fluttering sensation followed by those long pauses, and don't leave out any of the lingering issues that haven't let up. Make sure they realize this whole thing has been going on for 2 weeks now.

Definitely hit us up later and let us know how it went and what the plan is. 😉

velvetmoose9 Asks:
That is an excellent question...
I honestly wouldn't even know how to begin presenting this to a medical professional... 🤷
Perhaps if I started by mentioning that I survived purulent meningitis as a child, I might actually command a modicum of the attention this situation deserves... but instead, we find ourselves here, staring at the fallout of an initial event that set everything in motion. It began with a specific sequence of symptoms that unfolded with a rather unsettling rhythm, most notably that jarring sensation of my heart skipping beats, followed by these prolonged, heavy silences where everything just seems to stall... and even now, years later, these sensations haven't faded; they persist as a constant, nagging presence that makes one wonder how much longer this can be sustained before it all becomes truly unmanageable... It’s going to take about two weeks....

Feel free to reach out and let me know how things went once you've settled on an agreement... 😉

Much appreciated, thanks for getting back to me and for all the help... I'll be sure to circle back once I've had my follow-up with the doctor and know what they have to say...

If anyone has anything further to contribute, please feel free to weigh in... 👍

if I may ask😁, how on earth does something that happened back when they were just a baby still be messing with them twenty years later?

I’d honestly advise you to tell your doctor everything, just like you told us. Be totally upfront about the alcohol and the symptoms. If you hold anything back, you might miss a crucial detail that seems minor to you but matters to them.

When I went to my doctor, I didn't sugarcoat a single thing. I told her straight up: when I'm walking down the street, I feel unbalanced like I'm going to fall, sometimes I get dizzy, or I get these headaches when I check my blind spot while driving... stuff like that.

Turns out, it was my cervical spine. Later, I found my exact symptoms described word-for-word online. It felt like I was describing an alcoholic, or like someone would think I was on drugs.

Also, don't rule out what people said about anxiety or panic attacks.

At the end of the day, it’s definitely a matter of "in your head or in your body." I’m pretty sure they’ll start with blood work, then move to a neurologist, and maybe eventually a psychiatrist or a physiatrist depending on the results. It’s possible you're dealing with multiple things at once, but that doesn't mean any single issue is fatal. Some of the things you wrote sound very familiar to me—I don't have neurological issues, but I do have spinal problems... and I still get hit with panic attacks after my spine acts up. It's a long story. If it helps, I really don't think it's your brain. I've looked into this quite a bit because of some family experiences. Plus, those symptoms can also come from blood pressure spikes or drops. And seriously, don't hide the alcohol part. Those symptoms can happen when your blood alcohol level starts to drop (alcohol epilepsy is a real thing—don't laugh). Expect to be bouncing between doctors for a while. That’s actually a good thing; hopefully, they send you for every test imaginable.

I know you're scared. Men are always such wimps when it comes to seeing a doctor 🤣, but listen—it will be great once they figure out what's actually happening. We've all been there, getting sent from specialist to specialist for years where everyone writes their own version of the story, leaving us right back at square one.

One note: stop Googling before your appointment. Whatever you type in, the internet will tell you that you're already dead. I am being serious—don't do it. It isn't meant for people who can't filter information, and I don't know if you can. I know I can now, but I couldn't before. My dad can't—he went in for sinus surgery, but he basically died a dozen times on the internet before he even got to the hospital. 🤣.

Haha, Lisa Myers, nice post 😁 Just five minutes ago, I had such a sudden bout of vertigo that I nearly tumbled right out of my chair... It isn't the medical checkups that get to me, honestly; I just wish he would finally refer me for a brain scan.

I’m planning to sit down and map everything out chronologically on paper so I can walk him through the whole timeline properly—I need to be precise about every symptom and every window where things felt off. I wouldn't call myself a hypochondriac, but then again, I've never dealt with anything quite like this, and I certainly can't afford to be indifferent about it. This current state of affairs is far from ideal, and frankly, I just want to feel like myself again as soon as possible...

I went to see my doctor today. I actually sat down and wrote out a chronological list of every single symptom I've been dealing with just to be thorough. He took the paper, read through it, and then simply asked if I could still manage my job or if I needed to take medical leave. I told him I can push through for now, but if things take a turn for the worse, I’ll be reaching out to request it...

My blood pressure was sitting at 120/80. He suggested that this is likely psychological in nature, though he admitted that feels strange to him since I haven't been under any significant stress lately. He was hesitant to jump to conclusions based solely on that, primarily because of the meningitis I went through previously—he mentioned there could be a lingering connection there. It also strikes him as odd that this has persisted for so long, especially since the dizziness I experience isn't periodic like it usually is; mine has become constant. Furthermore, the periods of impaired consciousness shouldn't be able to persist at such high intensity all day long, and in fact, they seem to intensify as the day progresses...

He was quite candid with me. He told me I shouldn't worry about stress-related issues, but he also wouldn't rule out the possibility of the meningitis returning or even the presence of a tumor.

He sent me to get blood work done and scheduled an EEG...

A few questions for the group:

1. What specific markers in a blood panel would indicate meningitis or a tumor?
2. What exactly does an EEG entail, how long does the procedure take, and how reliable is the data it produces?
3. On average, how long is the wait time for an EEG appointment?

Thanks in advance. 🙂

Jonathan Morris40 said:...
2. What exactly is an EEG and how long does it take? Is it actually reliable?
3. How long is the typical wait time for an EEG appointment?

Thanks in advance. 🙂

2. Basically, they put this cap with electrodes on your head to measure brain activity. It usually takes about 20 minutes. Just make sure you show up with clean hair—I found washing it the night before worked best—and don't use any gel, hairspray, or anything like that.
From what I was told, the test itself isn't necessarily a "find everything" kind of thing; it’s more like if it flags something weird, then they send you off for more intensive testing.

3. When I was at the hospital in Pittsburgh, I waited 9 days. The nurse scheduled me on Feb 5th, and I finally got it done on the 14th. I'm guessing wait times might be shorter at other hospitals, but honestly, you never know.

So, blood work and a neurologist—just like I mentioned. If your EEG comes back perfectly clean, they might skip the neurology referral, but honestly, that’s exactly when you'd want to see one! An EEG by itself isn't anything special. It can be a bit awkward, though—not painful, but you get all these flashing lights, which feels a little trippy, kind of like a malfunctioning disco ball. I was scheduled for my second day and got the results the very same day. All in all, no matter where you go, you won't be stuck waiting months for this stuff.
They didn't send you for blood work to check for a tumor or anything like that 🤣. They just wanted a standard complete blood count—unless they sent you for something specific, but since everything goes through an online patient portal now, you'll be able to see exactly what they're testing for once it's processed.

Lisa Myers said:Exactly, blood work and a neurologist—just like I told you... Unless your EEG comes back looking absolutely flawless, in which case they might skip the neurology referral—but honestly, if it's clear, that’s when you need the specialist most. An EEG by itself isn't a magic bullet. It can be a bit uncomfortable too—not because it hurts, per se, but those flashing lights can be quite jarring, almost like a malfunctioning disco ball... I was able to get my results processed the very next day after my appointment. All in all, regardless of which clinic you go to, you won't be stuck waiting months for answers...
They didn't order blood work just to check for a tumor 🤣. It's for a standard complete blood count—unless they were looking for something highly specific, but since everything is handled through digital portals now, you'll see the full list of requested labs once they upload them...

Then why on earth would they send me for an EEG if it doesn't show anything at all? 😠 I mean, what is the actual purpose of an EEG and what diagnostic value does it really provide?

I never assumed a blood test could detect a tumor, but then what is the point of the panel given all my symptoms? There must be something in there that correlates with what I'm experiencing...

I'm also wondering how much my previous bout with meningitis might be impacting my current condition? Is there any chance that it has resurfaced...

KKS - a complete blood count gives you a baseline for how the body is doing overall. It’s a standard test, and while it can be a starting point, it doesn't always tell the whole story. For instance, my KKS has come back perfectly fine every single time, yet my immune system markers have been an absolute disaster.

An EEG monitors brain activity and picks up on irregularities; it's definitely not some useless test.
Electroencephalography (EEG) records the electrical activity in the brain using electrodes placed on the scalp in a specific pattern. That said, an EEG isn't exactly a precision instrument—it can be pretty non-specific. You'll find patients who show "normal" results despite having issues, and healthy people who end up with "abnormal" readings. Some estimates suggest that up to 10% of the population shows an abnormal EEG even without any neurological disorders. An EEG result has to be looked at alongside the patient's actual clinical symptoms. The term "dysrhythmic EEG" is usually used when there are deviations from the norm, but nothing clearly indicating epilepsy. Typically, the advice is to just repeat the EEG after a few months. If someone has a dysrhythmic EEG but isn't experiencing other neurological symptoms, there shouldn't be any reason to worry or stop living their life normally.

Copied from a clinic's website.

Hang in there!

Try feeling your pulse on your left wrist—just at the base of your palm—and see if it feels steady. A normal sinus rhythm should feel like a rhythmic *thump-thump, thump-thump* at regular intervals. Are you noticing anything weird about the pattern? Don't worry if it feels slightly different when you're inhaling or exhaling; just ignore that part.

I actually spent a month in the hospital recently dealing with atrial fibrillation—it’s an arrhythmia where the first thing they ask you is what you've been consuming lately, specifically if you've been drinking. Excessive alcohol can definitely trigger it.

"Plus, whenever I tried to start talking, I’d just freeze mid-sentence; my brain would totally lock up and I couldn't remember a single word I wanted to say. It was like my consciousness and my brain simply weren't functioning the way they were supposed to.

My vision and hearing were completely messed up, too. But honestly, the scariest part was that even after some time had passed—after that initial night when I finally managed to fall asleep and woke up the next day—I still wasn't back to normal. I felt significantly better, sure, but those memory gaps kept happening; one day at work, I legitimately couldn't remember a single thing I had accomplished during my shift.

To make matters worse, things haven't really improved much; I still have this "foggy" feeling in my head, and my sense of spatial awareness is totally warped. It's like that disorienting sensation you get when you sleep for way too long and then suddenly jump out of bed and try to walk around—sort of like a persistent bout of vertigo."

I felt the exact same way during my arrhythmia episodes—the heart just isn't pumping enough blood up to the brain.

Are you still feeling this way right now?

@ swiftnomad47

I have a few questions on behalf of Jonathan Morris40:
He’s wondering why he experiences these uncontrollable tremors right before bed? It feels like all his energy is being wasted because some muscle in his body is constantly twitching.
What are the treatment options? Are there specific medications or pills that can help stabilize his mental clarity and overall state of consciousness?
He mentioned that he doesn't feel like himself—in fact, everything just feels much worse lately...

@swiftnomad47/">@@swiftnomad47:
Hey, can we please stop trying to diagnose people online with such certainty? His symptoms could point to a dozen different things or just be a weird mix of several issues. That’s exactly why doctors exist.

It’s just as easy for someone else to chime in and say, "Oh, that sounds like a stroke, I had that once too." And so on.

See, Jonathan Morris40, this is exactly why I told you to stop Googling everything. 🤣

An EEG isn't useless—if they spot any irregularities, you move on to the next step. But honestly, just because nothing shows up doesn't mean everything is fine. A CT scan is a much better diagnostic tool, but an EEG is cheaper, so...

My apologies—I let my emotions get the better of me while typing that out; I’m honestly just reliving the whole trauma all over again right now 😁

Honestly, some Gogs needs to go see a doctor.

Here I go again 😁 ugh, why on earth didn't he refer me for a more thorough neurological workup if he actually suspects something as sensitive as a tumor or meningitis or something along those lines? Fine. I realize an EEG can pick up signs of meningitis or epilepsy, but a tumor isn't always that straightforward. Am I really going to have to shell out thousands of dollars for a CT scan or whatever else just to get some actual peace of mind? I'm terrified that my condition is genuinely serious and who knows what might happen tomorrow, rather than waiting a few days for a specialist appointment.

We aren't talking about a sprained thumb here, and it honestly baffles me how they treat these much more significant issues with such casual indifference.

They’re just following protocol, so relax. Even if the EEG comes back clean, they’ll probably still send you to see a neurologist if those symptoms don't clear up. If things start getting worse, just head to the ER—they aren't going to turn you away.

Not a doctor or anything, but looking at how things played out and those symptoms... it feels like alcohol poisoning might be on the table. Did a little digging and apparently slamming too much at once can actually cause brain damage. Maybe a neurologist could weigh in on that possibility?

Jonathan Morris40 said:So, I finally made it to my doctor's office today. I actually went ahead and did that thing where you write everything down on a piece of paper—you know, listing out all those random symptoms in some kind of logical order so you don't forget anything mid-sentence. It felt a little organized, maybe even a bit overkill, but I figured it was better than just rambling. He took the paper, gave it a quick read-through, and then he just looked at me and asked... So, I’ve been sitting here wondering if it’s actually feasible to just power through and keep working my regular job, or if I should just bite the bullet and call in sick. Honestly, it’s one of those dilemmas where you're weighing whether you can actually function versus just taking the downtime to deal with everything. I told him that... I think I can hold steady for now, but if things start heading south, I’m definitely going to reach out to him and let him know what I need.

So, I just got my blood pressure checked, and it clocked in at 120/80. My doctor mentioned that this is most likely all in my head—psychosomatic, I guess—but he admitted he’s a bit stumped because honestly, I haven't been under any kind of stress lately. He didn't want to jump to any conclusions based solely on that reading, though, especially since I'm still recovering from that bout of meningitis. He suggested there might be some lingering connection there. It also seems weird to him that this has been dragging on for so long; usually, when people deal with dizziness, it comes in waves, but mine feels like it's just constantly hanging around. Plus, you can't really brush off this feeling of being out of it; having this level of cognitive fog persist all day at the same intensity—and even spiking here and there—just doesn't feel like something that should be dismissed so easily.

He was pretty open with me about everything, honestly. He told me I didn't need to go spiraling over the stress of it all, but he wouldn't completely rule out the possibility of the meningitis coming back or even a tumor popping up.

He sent me off. I had to go get some blood drawn today, and honestly, I’ve always been one of those people who gets a little bit of that weird, low-key anxiety about it. It’s nothing major, just that tiny part of my brain that starts questioning why we even need to monitor all this stuff, you know? But anyway, I sat there in the clinic, just waiting for my turn, thinking about how much easier life would be if we could just skip the whole needle thing entirely. It’s one of those routine things that feels way more invasive than it probably should be, but there I was, staring at the ceiling and trying to act like I wasn't slightly bracing for the poke. All in all, it went fine, though—just another thing checked off the list. And I'm also looking into getting an EEG done. I was just sitting here thinking about that EEG session from the other day. It’s funny how you go into these things expecting some big, dramatic revelation, but instead, it’s mostly just lying there while sensors are stuck to your head, waiting for the machine to tell you something about your own brain. It’s a weirdly quiet experience, honestly. Just me, the humming equipment, and those technicians moving around. Still, it gives you plenty of time to drift off into those random, wandering thoughts we all get when we're forced to sit still for too long..

I've got a couple of questions for you guys:

So, you're wondering what actually shows up on a standard blood panel if someone's dealing with something like meningitis or maybe even a tumor? It’s one of those things where you can't just look at one number and get the whole story, but there are definitely some red flags that doctors hunt for. If we're talking meningitis, the big giveaway is usually in the white blood cell count. Your immune system basically goes into overdrive, so those numbers spike like crazy because your body is trying to fight off whatever infection is hitting the central nervous system. You might also see changes in your protein levels or how your electrolytes are balancing out. When it comes to tumors, it's a bit more subtle and honestly way more complicated. A blood test isn't going to scream "cancer" at you in most cases, but they often look for specific markers—what doctors call tumor markers—that certain types of cancer release into the bloodstream. They also watch for unexplained anemia or weird shifts in calcium levels, which can happen when a mass is messing with your body's chemistry. But honestly, a blood test is really just one piece of a massive puzzle. Even if everything looks relatively normal on paper, it doesn't mean nothing is going on. That’s why doctors always pair it with things like an EEG or imaging. It's all about seeing the full picture, not just staring at a single lab report and guessing.
So, you're asking about an EEG? Honestly, it’s basically just a way for doctors to peek at the electrical activity happening inside your brain. It's not like some intense, invasive procedure or anything; they just stick these little sensors—electrodes—on your scalp to track those tiny electrical pulses. Usually, the whole thing doesn't take a huge chunk out of your day either. Depending on what the doctor is looking for, it might just be a quick snapshot that lasts maybe thirty minutes, though sometimes they want you to stay hooked up for longer to see how things settle down. As for how reliable it is, it’s generally considered a pretty solid gold standard for catching certain types of stuff, like seizure activity. That said, it isn't perfect. Since it's just a recording of electrical waves, sometimes there's a bit of "noise" if you move around too much or if the connection isn't quite right. It’s a really useful tool, but doctors usually look at the results alongside your actual symptoms and other tests to get the full picture. It's more of a piece of the puzzle than the whole damn thing.
How long does the wait usually last when you're trying to get an EEG scheduled?

Thanks in advance. 🙂

Jonathan Morris40 said:So, what the hell was the point of sending me in for an EEG if there isn't even a single damn thing showing up on the results? 😠 So, I was sitting here thinking about all the different tests we go through, and it got me wondering—what exactly is the point of an EEG anyway? Like, what's the actual goal when they hook you up to all those sensors? I wonder what he can actually demonstrate.?

I honestly didn't think a standard blood panel could actually flag whether there’s a tumor lurking around, but then again, what exactly is the point of running one if they can't use it to cross-reference everything else I've been feeling? It's got to be more than just counting cells; there's probably some subtle marker or something hidden in those numbers that gives them a clue about what's going on with my specific situation.

I'm curious about this. I've been sitting here staring at my ceiling, just wondering how that bout of meningitis I went through is actually going to mess with my life moving forward. It’s one of those things where you think you’re totally in the clear once the fever breaks, but then you start questioning if everything is really back to normal. Honestly, I'm just trying to wrap my head around how much of a lasting impact this could have on my current situation.Is there any chance he’ll actually make a comeback?

Jonathan Morris40 said:Count me in, too. 😁 ugh, I mean, if he’s seriously worried about something heavy—like we’re talking a tumor or meningitis—why on earth wouldn't he have sent me straight off for a full-blown neurological workup? It just doesn't add up to me. If those were actually on the table, you wouldn't just sit there; you'd be rushing to get more tests done immediately. Or something like that? Look, I get it—you can usually pin down things like meningitis or epilepsy through an EEG, but a tumor isn't always that straightforward. Am I really going to have to shell out a few thousand bucks for a CT scan or whatever else just to be absolutely certain? I’m honestly terrified that things aren't looking good at all, and who knows what tomorrow might bring—not even talking about a few days from now when I finally get my follow-up exam.

Look, we aren't talking about a busted thumb here, so it kind of baffles me why people treat these kinds of serious issues with such casual indifference.

Honestly, your primary care doctor handled everything incredibly professionally and did exactly what they were supposed to do.
-They checked your mental status and your level of alertness, asking if you could actually function normally during your day-to-day routine, and they even offered you a safety net by suggesting medical leave if you weren't up to it.
-They kicked off a really solid, targeted diagnostic plan within the primary care framework because your symptoms are pretty vague right now—if I’m reading this right, maybe something involving the cardiovascular system—and an EEG can provide some really useful guidance on where to head next, whether that's a neurologist, an infectious disease specialist, or an internist.
-The cardiovascular stuff could point toward an inflammatory process, anemia, or something else entirely...
-As for the EEG (look, I'll admit, I sometimes wonder if certain tests are just "for what?")—given that you dealt with purulent meningitis back when you were a kid, it’s very likely, though not guaranteed, that the results will show some sort of non-specific changes. Then again, there could be specific findings, like non-convulsive status epilepticus or temporal epilepsy resulting from whatever is going on (which is a slim chance, but hey, the symptoms are vague, right?).
Once those results are in, it’s going to be much easier and faster to navigate getting seen by a neurologist, an infectious disease doc, or an internist...
If there's one thing your doctor might have done differently before sending you to specialists for more advanced diagnostics, it would have been a funduscopic exam—that's where you might spot indirect signs of elevated intracranial pressure, which sometimes doesn't show up clearly on non-invasive imaging like a CT or MRI scan (assuming those are even needed).
Bottom line: your doctor acted perfectly and correctly, both for your sake and for their colleagues. You should honestly feel comfortable recommending them to your family, friends, or anyone you know...
And I'm sure they already told you—if things take a turn for the worse, get yourself to the ER immediately so they can "teleport" you exactly where you need to be.
Make sure you bring ALL your old medical records with you.
I totally get why you're worried; if I were in your shoes, I’d be pretty rattled too. But here's the kicker—you sat on these vague symptoms for two whole weeks without doing a single thing about it. Is it worth even bringing up what happened right before all this started? Did you make that call while you were fully lucid, without someone else having to push you into it? You made a mistake, plain and simple, and the consequences are staring us in the face. Now, man, just step up and actively participate in fixing this situation. Up until now, you've done what you needed to do, but all this misplaced anger toward your doctor is unnecessary. They are doing a GREAT job. You're in good hands.
Keep us posted on how things go. 😉