Saturday, December 31, 2011

A New Year

Its been soo long and i have soo many things I want to blog about.

I'll wrap up the health stuff first. 4.5wks ago, I got a migraine. Today I still have remenants of that migraine. Its debilitating, frustrating and depressing!!!  But I am working through it.
I have tried at least 7 prescription drugs, 4-5 natural supplements, tension repatterning, massage, exercise.....  I've had one scary adverse reaction to the medications, had an MRI, I've lost 12 pounds (yeah - the silver lining), and shed countless tears.
I don't know why I got the migraine in the first place and I sure as shit don't know why it won't go away.
Here is what I've done.  After researching, brain tumors, sinusitis - and trying a neti pot!, Epstein Barr Syndrome, MS... I found a book called, Magnesium: The Migraine Solution. My doctor recommended Magnesium and it did quickly relieve most of the pain (Hallelujah!!) but I had intense pressure still in the base of my neck, across the crown of my head and occasionally in my sinuses. After 2 wks I took a trip to the natural health store near my parents house and loaded up on the supplements the author suggests (magnesium, fish oil, feverfew, CoQ 10, and riboflavin) and drinking 64oz of water a day, I have found relief. The pressure is still there first thing in the morning but once I get the magnesium and feverfew in, it dissapates and I can function almost like a normal person!!
Its not gone, but I am back in the land of the living.

I am not a crunchy granola, tree hugging health nut, but it works.

What I've learned: Take your migraine meds at the first sign of a migraine NOT two days later. Its easier to abort a headache before it gets a hold of you, and play an active role in your own health.
Happy New Year All - Hope its Fabulous!!!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Aha!

A eureka moment came today in the form of an allergic reaction!
I've been feeling like crap since I got a migraine several weeks ago. Lots of anxiety, pressure in my head, general weakness..... I had just booked appt for an MRI, a consult with a psychologist, an eye exam and had just come home with 4 scripts. I was determined to get to the bottom of this after an anxiety filled sleepless night! I took the anti inflammatory and the anti anxiety/anti depressant As soon as I got home and within 45mins I was racing back to the dr. Office feeling like I was dying. On no nothing that exciting it was just a reaction to the anti-inflammatory! A reaction i'd had to the exact same Meds 7 months earlier that we attributed to anxiety!!!! AHHa I say. AND I think I have the same reaction to my migraine Meds! Just call me Dr. House! Unfortunately this means somehow I need to avoid these drugs in the future. Fine but how will I control my migraines? That my friends is the question for tomorrow's dr. Appt and yet another $15 copayment! My parents are swooping in tomorrow to be my security blanket. Thank God for them!!
Find the silver lining folks (I'm still wearing my skinny jeans!)

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

A quickie

Good Morning Lovlies!
What is it about the holidays that make us soo grumpy?! So many blogs today are of the grumpy variety. I'm not complaining or judging!! Just curious.
I love the holidays I love the crazy and I'm looking forward to going home to visit my family even though it means a 5hr drive through customs, presents not wrapped until we get there (so customs doesn't make us unwrap them), coming home to a tree whose needles are all over the floor due to lack of water, staying in someone else's house for a week.... I LOVE IT!
but this year year I'm having a tough time because I'm still not feeling well.  The migraines are gone - THANK GOODNESS for that mercy! but the pressure and mild headache remains, the anxiety comes and goes, and the weakness is still around in the morning. No one knows what causes all these crazy symptoms so I'm off to the eye dr this afternoon - lets cross those babies off my list of causes, I'm hoping to be approved for an MRI soon, and my sweet father, who is not a hippie, has booked me in for a healing hands session. Hey who cares what works I just want to feel strong and healthy again!!
I'm supposed to pay a non-refundable deposit of $75 for a trip to Washington where we may get to meet the President but I'm so worried about being sick and by myself with the kiddos that I can't decide whether to go or not and that is NOT like me. I take them everywhere and anywhere by myself.  So my heart goes out to those of you who suffer from anxiety, pain and are not in good health. It is a crazy frustrating situation.

Perspective: my mom's neighbor has just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, 9-12 months. Even though she feels great right now and had no symptoms. Would you want to know?
So I say, It could always be worse.
Well my lovelies, hang in there, find the silver lining, or baileys or chocolate and have a great one.

Friday, December 2, 2011

BYOC

It’s Friday so it’s time for BYOC – Bring Your Own Crazy! We answer a few questions in order to get to know each other better and to give our blogging brains a break! Copy to your own blog if you wish and ENJOY!


Let’s do a little themed version of where you live and why!

1. Describe the structure you live in. (apartment, condo, house, mansion, cardboard box?)

I live in an old farmhouse that's been renovated and is very large. We rent, and unfortunately its fallen into a bit of disrepair these past 7 years (!)

2. Describe the city you live in. (population, main attractions)
We live in a town of 20,000 and we have all the ammenities of a big town while still knowing the majority of the people. We have 4 elementary schools, 1 junior high and 1 high school. We have a great town pool, a large movie theatre, restaurants from sushi to european to burger joints but we also have fabulous small family own businesses.

3. Why do you live in the town you live in? (job, to get away from a different town, family, schools?)

We arrived here because of a promotion at my husband's work. We had an 18month contract and then we were to head home (to our 80000 home town). Flash forward 7 years and we're still here not entirely by choice but there isn't a comparable job to go home to so if we have to live 5hrs from our family this is the best possible place to be.

4. What’s the view like from your backyard?

Coming from a larger city our backyard in this "small" town is paradise. We have an acre of land in the back with no fences between our two neighbors to the south and they are fabulous!! In the summer the kids have the run of 3 acres. And my neighbor has over 100 beautiful rose bushes!!

5. Repeat question: How has your week been in blogland and in real life?

In blogland, I've really enjoyed reading everyone's blogs this week, even though they haven't all been happiness and light. It reminds me that we all need love and support through those darker times.
In real life I've had a tough week. Migraines have really got me down and the medication to get rid of the migraines almost makes me feel worse. I'm really hoping next week is better AND healthier!! On a lighter note, feeling so crappy has helped me lose a couple of pounds!

Okay – your turn! Go do BYOC! You know you want to! (yes, bestie - that means YOU! lol)

Its a mystery

Surprisingly I'm feeling better. I had thought, when I felt like crap on Wed. night that i was in for along haul. But after a day of rest yesterday I feel much better. I still have a headache but the anxiety and the jitters are gone. Off to the doctor today gotta find out why I'm getting this headaches and what is causing the other crazy symptoms.
Going to have a little workout (my heel is sore beyond belief, like I jumped off the empire state building and landed on a kernel of corn) but I can lift a few weights to get these flabby arms into shape.
Thanks for your comments earlier this week my virtual friends. I really needed them.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Flaring Again

Well my friends I'm in need of a little support. You see I have Epstein Barr Virus. Usually it's quiet and I hardly think about but tonight I'm afraid I'm flaring again. The anxiety is back. I'm trying to ignore it but the damn beast hateS to be ignored. Thankfully the jitters, heart palps and restlessness aren't too bad (yet)- out damn anxiety, but I'm not sleeping at 1am so I'm clearly not feeling right. Oh and the anxiety makes me think I'm dying which I'm not but it's freakin' scary just the same. I know the Ativan would help but I took migraine Meds earlier and I don't know about taking both, and it's 1am so I don't want to be foggy when my kids get up at 6:00.
My kids have their winter concert tonight which I want to be well enough to go to,but worst is that my hubby is supposed to be at a GNR concert tonight and the anxiety wants me to beg him to stay home, actually the anxiety wants me to call my mother bawling and ask her to come look after me but my sister is sick with some pulmonary infection, and her husband is out of town and she has two little ones who don't sleep through the night well and my mom has a dinner party Sat. Night and I Know she would drop it all to be here which would make me feel guilty for taking her away from all those things. I really should take the Ativan and let my mind rest.
I think it was the massage that set me off, is that possible? Releasing all the toxins from my muscles? It's supposed to help my muscles relax.
Send me love and light and good thoughts my virtual friends I'm scared.

*morning update: not much sleep but i'm still here and my anxiety has gone to bed o I'm free for a while, now to see if I can get in to the dr today. The morning brings. Bit more optimism.