Uggghhhhh, it's been literally IMPOSSIBLE to write anything lately, but I felt like I at least needed to write something for the sake of maintaining this blog, on some level. It was December 24th that my first migraine returned since having Cora, and they have been relentless ever since. Not relentless like every week though. Relentless like every.single.day. I know you think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. I'm the queen of the migraine, just ask my husband who hasn't interacted with me in over 60 days, other than to bring me an ice pack or to hear me complain. Whenever I don't have a migraine he gets so excited, and writes me little notes that say "Do you want to be my girlfriend?", and then there are two boxes, "yes" and "yes". I think he really misses me.
Anyway, yes, I am seeing a neurologist, and yes, he is good. BUT, he is a doctor, and as such, it is his belief that medication will cure all of my problems. So, I've been on Topomax, an anti-seizure medication, which causes me to feel like a total fuzzy brain, and makes my hair fall out in clumps. It also does not decrease the headaches. So, I recently switched to Inderal, a Beta Blocker, which does stop the migraines, hooray!! but also makes me gain a pound a day and has turned my brain into complete sludge. Again, I'm not exaggerating. So, since I have a history of an eating disorder, gaining a pound a day is only going to send me into a tail spin of anxiety, thus bringing on more migraines. So, I've taken myself off of that, and I'm currently sitting here with a wicked headache and thrilled to not be gaining weight. Winning....I guess.
I realize that there are much much bigger problems in the world than migraines and weight gain, but right now I'm just having a hard time believing it. I'm so jealous of people like my husband who rarely get sick, and can think without feeling like they have dementia. Okay, if you are still reading, thank you for reading what is really nothing short of a whiny journal entry.
Here's the plan though - because I'm kind of feeling like God is on my side here...
Our friend John, who is in our bible study group, and who attends Life University Chiropractic School, has been telling me for weeks to call a colleague of his who is a chiropractor and look into this sort of help for my head. I kept putting it off because I was convinced, from my thorough google searches, that chiropractic care was not the answer. In Google we trust, right?
Now I've reached a point where I'm tired of not being able to write a sentence, or read a sentence without my brain hurting (literally and figuratively). I've started and stopped five different blog posts because I just can't think clearly from either pain or side effects of medication. Just writing this feels impossible. Having a clear conversation is taxing, I don't know how I'm doing my job to be honest.
So, I called this chiropractic office today, and made an appointment. Of course, I was all stressed out about how much this was all going to cost, but then again, medication is expensive too. After I made the appointment, and they gave me a sweet deal for knowing John, I read about the doctor, and as it turns out, he too has suffered with migraines since he was a kid, and specializes in treating them. Oh, and he's right up the road from my house. He believes in a homeopathic approach to migraine treatment - now, did I mention that just yesterday, I interacted with an old friend who told me she got her migraines under control through an elimination diet? I had ordered the book she recommended, and was totally charged up to take on this method, even if it takes four months, and requires giving up my most cherished beverages - coffee and wine, and possibly a lot of my favorite foods. But really, the food I can deal with. How to start a day without coffee and end it without wine is something I will need to figure out.
Anyway, it all seemed so serendipitous, the way that our friend was pushing me towards this guy whose MO is to treat migraines without medication, at the same time that another friend was suggesting a way to treat them through diet modification. It all appears to be coming together. I say that now, while still taking medication, and drinking a cup of coffee. Either way, it seems I've exhausted all other options, so here goes nothing! Bring on the cracking. It has to feel better than a headache, plus it will be at least 30 minutes without kids, so that's worth something right?
Thanks for listening :-) Hopefully with any luck, I'll be back to whatever "normal" is, and that will be absolutely amazing.
Liz
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