Migraine

Good Morning,

It is a beautiful springtime day here in the bay area. I will be heading outside to start working soon before it gets too hot. Later today DBF and I will go up to Tilden Park in the Berkely Hills to their botanical gardens for a walk and a picnic for dinner. I'm looking forward to that!!

DS has asked me to go with him this afternoon to get his tuxedo for his prom. I do believe he is terrified to do this on his own. He certainly found it more than intimidating last year. He did look so handsome all dressed up. I do hope his date is taller this year. He is 6'4" and last year the girl he took to her prom was 5'2" on a good day. Tiny little cheer leader.

That is about it for my day. I am looking forward to it. Oh and the plumber is coming, how could I forget. I have old galvinzied pipes and stuff gets stuck on them. Periodically too much stuff gets stuck and I get a clog, last night the clog happened.

Happy and pain free days everyone.

Cindy

Where is everyone today? Must be living the high life!

My husband is home from Korea so I will get a bit more sleep. He gets up with the puppy when he's home. I am not a morning type person and the puppy is so active when she wakes up.

I am going to a concert to see David Benoit at Thornton's Winery this afternoon. He is the piano player that created all the music for the Charlie Brown cartoons. I love seeing him in concert and he's one of my favorite musicians. We go to that winery often with my father-in-law and his girlfriend. They have a Jazz Series all summer long, starting in April. The venue is small and wonderful. My father-in-law always gets champagne for us all and it's so hard not to have a glass or two. I usually wait to see how I'm feeling, take a relpax and indulge. Sometimes I regret it but it's so hard to turn down .

I talked to my mother yesterday. She is doing really well. Her heart rhythms seem to be back to normal but the cardiologist wants to keep her on blood pressure medication and blood thinner for six months to be sure. I really like her cardiologist so I am glad he's going to be doing that to be safe. Her new knee still hurts her but it's only been a month so that's to be expected.

Cindy, enjoy your picnic. We have a botanical gardens at UCR here in Riverside. I go there sometimes just to read and get away. I love botanical gardens. Enjoy tux shopping. I remember doing that with my boys when they were in high school. It's cute to watch them, they're so clueless! Sorry about the clog. That's such a pain.

Take care everyone.

Hi Buddies,

Cindy, the picnic sounds great. I love going to the botanical gardens, there is something about flowers that are so relaxing. Enjoy that and shopping for a tux

Hoopsky-Thorton Winery-Love that place. My lady friends and I went there for my 40th birthday (a few years ago) because Bill out working on the fires. I have never been to the Jazz series though, I think we have to try it. Sounds like fun. Bill and I love the Pointe Winery too. It is beautiful, you will have to try it. Lunch is outside looking over the grapevines and fountain.

As for me, I am off to Beach for a bonfire. Nicole and her friends already left. We are waiting for Amber to get off work then we will head down there with the food. It should be a perfect day for it. I think we are having about 20 people in all show up. It will be fun.

I had a migraine this morning, but I think the Frova kick it out. It is only a twinge now. I start the verapamil tonight and am a little nervous, but I get that way when I start any new meds. I let you know how it goes. Okay, enough babbling, it's off to the market then the Beach baby

Have a great Sunday

Dar

Good afternoon, Cindy, Hoopsky and Dar!

Yes, everyone must be actually having a life today! That's great.

Megs, I know you're stuck in your awful course. OMG I used to be the same way. I would run out of patience and start telling people off. I had to start spending the entire break hiding in the ladies room so I wouldn't get too exhausted. You poor thing. At least it's the last one.

Tracie, those tornadoes yesterday sound SO SCARY!!! I have had nightmares about tornadoes my whole life because when I was 5 we saw one out our living room window less than a quarter mile away. Thank god it didn't come toward us. Mom was home with us three little kids, Dad was at work. I don't know what we would have done. I'm so glad you're okay.

Got a mig last night, so I'm in bed trying to prevent a recurrence.

Have a peaceful, happy, serene Sunday everyone!

Hi all - 5 minute break so I can't say much. Course not so bad today. The morning was led by an old colleague/friend of mine - great guy and he kept everyone really entertained and managed the room really well. Less than 2 hours to go.

- Megs

Howdy!

It's 2:30pm here. DH is still fishing in the La. Marshes. The weather was supposed to be awful today for fishing. Speckled trout are "sight feeders," and the wind makes the water too cloudy for the fish to see the lure. He did catch a 35-pound redfish. They're usually not good to eat when they get that big, but one of the other guys is going to take it and try it. Captain Bill won't get them in a dangerous situation, but he may advise against going because the fishing is so bad. DH usually ignores that advice.

New wierdness overnight. Cramping in my legs. Took a Skelaxin and massaged the muscles. It woke me up 2 or 3 times. I turned the alarm off and slept in. My head protested, but Imitrex and walking have toned it down a bit. Can't take my anaprox for another 7 days because they took out tissue during my endoscopies Thursday. Substitute acetaminophen, a poor substitute.

Megs -- I hope you got through the second day of your seminar well. What kind of seminar are you teaching? I've been around lawyers every day of my life. My dad is a lawyer, and I married a law school classmate. Plus I practiced law myself for 10 years (until my head got completely out of control.) I was managing partner at my law firm for a couple of years. Very stressful. I said that I was dealing with 11 jerks (actually, a much less nice name) with egos, plus my own. Real balancing act. The firm split shortly after I left. I guess I really was holding things together.

Nutcracker -- God bless you for being an Alzheimer's caregiver. My mother kept my grandfather at home for 2 or 3 years. 3 weeks before he died, he had a stroke and was in a hospital bed, but she still kept him at home. Do you have any kind of respite help. My mom had Susie, who was priceless. My mom got to go to the grocery store and to her MWF water aerobics, plus her full-day volunteer day at the hospital. To keep from confusing him, Susie called my grandfather "Daddy" too. Kind of cute, since they were different races.

Tracie -- we had 5 tornadoes 3 or 4 weeks ago. I'm glad you came through yours OK. Lots of neighborhoods with large trees (like 12" diameter oaks) that fell through houses. Street after street of blue tarps on roofs. Some trees went all the way through, from the patio to the front door. They're cleaning up.

FEMA came through, but said there wasn't enough damage for FEMA aid. We're appealing.

Dar -- I started verapamil 3 or 4 weeks ago, to try to prevent the headaches I wake up with, almost every day. I think it's working. I'm pain-free when I get up most days. Amazing. I hope it's successful for you.

The only side effect I've had is stubborn constipation. Unresponsive to docusate stool softener, Senekot, and Metamucil. My GI doc recommended Miralax, and it seems to be helping. Very early to tell; I didn't start taking it until Friday.

Sparky has the same problem but hates his docusate and has started spitting it out of the cheese ball I hide it in. This morning, I chopped up part of an apple and sprinkled a teaspoon of Miralax over it. He ate it. We'll see how it goes.

Here's to pain free for all!

Gretchen in rainy Mississippi. We got an inch yesterday. We needed it.

Afternoon all. I'm in here late today. I had a bad head day yesterday. Some bad depression followed by severe pain most of the day, and not much I could do about it other than some GelStat Migraine, ice packs, and a number of other tools in my toolbox. So I slept in this morning. I'm feeling better now, as long as I stay on the couch. As soon as I get up and start walking around, my head starts pounding badly again. This is not good - at least I see my new specialist in 3-1/2 weeks.

I may have to reduce my Topamax dosage again. I'm not sure though, but I'll give it a few more days. Last night I had another one of those awful episodes I used to get almost nightly as a side effect of gabapentin - I'll wake up completely unable to move. It's absolutely terrifying. Then when I'm able to move again my entire body is in pain. Last night's episode came with a sort of hallucination of seeing a shadow of furniture in my bedroom and thinking it was something else. Gabapentin used to do this to me (the waking up unable to move) almost every night and it was really awful.

I am feeling a little better today though. I plan to take it easy so I can make it through the work week. Hope everyone is enjoying the rest of their weekend - and it's as pain free as possible!

Hi!

Just poppin in for a minnute...

Cindy and Dar, enjoy youur time outside today! It's so nice to see that winter is finally over...

Hoops, enjjjoy the concert!

LauraSue, feel well todday!

Megs, I'mm glad to hear the course is better today. Sending your way.

Gretchen, I hope you figurre out how to avoid those leg cramps!

MJ, here's hoping the ddays fly by and your visiit with your specialist comes quickly! I can't imagine waking and being unable to move...I'm surre it was very VERY frightening!!! Sending you .

I'm still here at home. And thee same migraine is stilll hanging on. I talked with my doc about treatment possibilities late last week. They try to do their admissions early in the weeek (nothing much gets done in the hospital ovver the weekend, I guess). I'm still hoping they'lll come up with a home healtthcare option for me so I'll be abble to get the IV treatments I need and avoid a plane ride and hospital stay out oof town.

Today, my pain in not terribly high, but mmy belly is a wreck. Myy eyes aren't much betttter.
But I know the migraine will pass if I just manage to gget some IV care...I'll checck in when I know how we're gonnna do it...

Thinkking ofyou guys!

jenny

Jenny and MJ I have been thinking of you two so much. I know there is nothing magical any of us can do to wish away your pain or take it away for you. But you don't know how much I wish with all my heart something could be done immediately to take the pain away you are both in.

Everyone take care. I need to get cleaned up and take my DS to get his tux!!

Cindy

Thanks, Jenny and Cindy - just having everyone here is a big part of what's helping me get through every day. And if we ever find that darn magic wand to get rid of the pain, I know all of us will want a crack at it!!

Jenny, let us know what your doc says.

Hi dears -

I'm home & lying down. Glad to be in my house, with my family, and here on the forum with this part of my family too! Head pretty sore and I took my pain duller and endorphin generating stuff in hopes I can head a migraine off. Still another 5 weeks until my Mig specialist appointment but I think I'll talk to my PCP about muscle relaxers in the meantime.

Jenny I'm so sorry this stupid migraine is still going on for you! I wish it would go away. Let us know what the doc says. I hope you can stay home. But get in touch with me if you're coming to Philly, 'kay?

MJ all I can say is ick ick ick. What a bunch of nasty stuff. I sure hope you feel better.

Gretchen I'm not teaching this seminar, I was a participant. I just did a 40 hour training to become a family law mediator. Today was the last of 5 full days; it went on over the last 5 weeks. It's interesting because there were a lot of therapists, a number of lawyers, a few accountants and then a few odd-balls like a guy who runs a cooking school. I'm a bit of an odd-ball too, because I had practiced law for 14 years but have been away from it for 8.

Of the 6 practicing attorneys in the class, only 2 were really pains, and one of the therapists was a real pain too. I just think when you are an adult in a professional class, you don't hold forth arguing at length with the instructors and trying to show off your knowledge, and hi-jacking the whole discussion. I also think when you're the instructor you don't allow that to happen. I've led plenty of seminars and I keep control of the room. I just lay ground rules - "we're here to get through this particular curriculum, right? Can we all agree that we will try to forward the action?" That was not the lead instructor's style. I did give him feedback! Me, not too opinionated, eh?

Tracie so glad those tornadoes missed you but how scary!

Everybody else - love you and feel well. My brain circuitry is pretty fried. I'll talk to you all later.

- megs

To clarify, my father lives in a nursing home, so I don't actually provide any of the hands-on care--I just have to oversee it. His facility has a structured, three-stage dementia unit with a structured activity program suitable to each stage. He's in the "last" stage.

This morning I went to church, where I learned a friend of mine has been in the hospital, and was to go from there to a nursing home to get her strength back. I called the hospital, and she's been discharged from there. So I'll have to see when I can get down to the nursing home to see her.

A migraine struck this afternoon. I tried my new Amerge, and it worked well, but very slowly. I'm tolerating my new preventive, Celexa/citalopram, quite well at this point. I increased the dosage starting yesterday morning.