Yea, so I'm still alive, but just overwhelmed with lots going on... since the middle/end of April:
-a few sessions of couples counseling
-end of engagement/relationship
-lots of work at work, including progress reports, ABLLS (Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills), losing hours due to client's family losing summer funds, etc.
-searching for a new apartment
-starting the process of packing
Soooo... yep. Sorta a lot going on, emotionally, physically, oh, and YES! I STILL have my headache business going on. I haven't really had real time to attend to it as far as trying to start up a relationship with a new headache specialist in the area... I know that I should be taking care of myself, but all of these other aspects present themselves as equally important. I need to be in a new living situation by August 1, and I have now ensured that that will happen. It certainly wasn't easy to set in stone, but I took a lot of time and made it happen.
My sleep has been all sorts of messed up, but I think it's moreso due to stress than my headache business. I have, however, had occasions lately where I've woken up and my head hurts, which is not typical.
In the middle of May, my current headache specialist suggested that I double the dosage of my Verapamil.
"Really? Just actually double it? Not a taper or anything?"
"Nope, just double it."
Oh, I really don't recommend doing that unless you have a stomach of steel. You may not make it all the way home from work without getting sick. Just sayin'. The best part was that it took 2 nights' worth of doses for the doubled med to really hit my system, and then when I called the doctor's office (a day or so later, when I could actually handle talking on the phone for a moment), the nurse I spoke to basically didn't believe me.
"Well, I've NEVER heard of nausea as a side effect!"
"Ma'am, I'm just telling you what happened. If you could just put it in my file and tell the doctor, that would be great."
"Are you SURE you didn't eat anything strange or do anything differently? I've just NEVER heard of that as a side effect!"
"That's fine, I'm just asking for someone to write it into my file and to tell the doctor, please."
Gahhh. Clearly, I did not continue at that doubled level. Anyways, I am going to try to be better about writing, as I have always felt it to be helpful. I've just been so overwhelmed with everything, it's been difficult to find the energy for sitting down to write. I'm hoping that after my move and after I settle in, things will quiet down... and I can deal with all the craziness that's been going on.
I'll also work on catching up on all of you, my headache blog friends, I miss you all.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
CureTogether.com - Check It Out!
Through the power of Twitter, I have connected with Alexandra Carmichael ( @accarmichael ) and her team's wonderful website called CureTogether.com . A good description is written about it right on their site:
"Start tracking your health today. If you have a condition, compare your symptoms and treatments to people like you. If you want to optimize your health, see charts and watch your progress. Join now, and invite your friends and family to join too!"
There was already a great deal of symptoms and treatments being tracked about migraines, and I started tracking information about other kinds of headaches (ie. my diagnosis, chronic daily). It's a very helpful way in how it encourages you to keep tabs on both your physical symptoms in addition to how you are dealing with everything emotionally. I definitely would encourage people to check the site out and see what other people are doing to help themselves feel better, what is helping, what isn't, and what other options are out there as far as treatments, etc.
Keep up the great work, Alexandra and team!
"Start tracking your health today. If you have a condition, compare your symptoms and treatments to people like you. If you want to optimize your health, see charts and watch your progress. Join now, and invite your friends and family to join too!"
There was already a great deal of symptoms and treatments being tracked about migraines, and I started tracking information about other kinds of headaches (ie. my diagnosis, chronic daily). It's a very helpful way in how it encourages you to keep tabs on both your physical symptoms in addition to how you are dealing with everything emotionally. I definitely would encourage people to check the site out and see what other people are doing to help themselves feel better, what is helping, what isn't, and what other options are out there as far as treatments, etc.
Keep up the great work, Alexandra and team!
An Old Article, But Still Rings True...
New Daily Persistent Headache Pain: Diagnosing a New Condition -
"For Those Silent but Brave Sufferers...
New Daily Persistent Headache Pain (NDPH) is a relatively new condition, and one in which there is not a lot of solid information on..."
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/279915/new_daily_persistent_headache_pain.html
Isn't that the truth?
"For Those Silent but Brave Sufferers...
New Daily Persistent Headache Pain (NDPH) is a relatively new condition, and one in which there is not a lot of solid information on..."
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/279915/new_daily_persistent_headache_pain.html
Isn't that the truth?
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Busy Bee...
...that's me. I've been so neglectful of my blog lately! I've certainly been doing my share of reading others' blogs, however, especially entries and blogs that have to do with chronic pain and how to deal with it. That's been a big issue for me lately - how to work on dealing day-to-day with the chronic pain that I have, and especially with the bouts of depression that it can bring with it. I've also found some blogs and individual entries that have to do with chronic illness and relationships, since that has been on the forefront of concern around here. Even when a person has experienced a chronic illness alongside the patient from the onset of the illness, that partner can certainly have a hard time dealing with the illness, as well. The couple definitely needs to work together so that both experiences and concerns are shared and addressed appropriately as to not cause added friction. More to come about that later... I think...
My pain hasn't been TOO bad lately - knock on wood - and I have only taken a rescue med about once in the last 3-4 weeks. That's pretty damn good, if I may say so myself. I've been to about 5-6 acupuncture sessions (5-6 weeks in a row), and my acupuncturist also practices Zero Balancing (ZB) which I have had almost every visit. It's hard to tell for certain that I have had actual improvement in my pain since beginnning to work with my acupuncturist, but I know that I definitely feel the movement of the energy when she places the pins in certain places, based on how I explain the pulsing and whatnot... hard to explain, but I love the relaxing atmosphere and the idea of it all. I'm also working with a holistic nutritionist, so I'm looking at ingredient lists and doing my best to eliminate additives and all that jazz.
Anyways, I've been really just trying to keep myself extra busy with work - the kids that I spend my time with are truly amazing, and I'm seeing that more and more these days. For example, one of my 2 six-year olds that I work with at the clinic has become incredibly verbal and opinionated within the last few months, and especially in the last few weeks, has started to incorporate "spontaneous mands", or requests, into his repertoire. An example of this would be if we were in one of the classrooms, and he independently said that he wanted to jump on the trampoline. The trampoline isn't in view, and he's requesting an item that isn't in view as opposed to a typical request that IS in view, whether it's independent or prompted. SO amazing. We even had a progress report meeting with his parents last night, and his father said that it feels like the little guy is "becoming a bigger part of the family" and "coming into his own person."
THAT is one of the many, MANY reasons why I do what I do.
It helps to keep my chronic headache pain on a back burner, if only for a moment. It's worth it.
My pain hasn't been TOO bad lately - knock on wood - and I have only taken a rescue med about once in the last 3-4 weeks. That's pretty damn good, if I may say so myself. I've been to about 5-6 acupuncture sessions (5-6 weeks in a row), and my acupuncturist also practices Zero Balancing (ZB) which I have had almost every visit. It's hard to tell for certain that I have had actual improvement in my pain since beginnning to work with my acupuncturist, but I know that I definitely feel the movement of the energy when she places the pins in certain places, based on how I explain the pulsing and whatnot... hard to explain, but I love the relaxing atmosphere and the idea of it all. I'm also working with a holistic nutritionist, so I'm looking at ingredient lists and doing my best to eliminate additives and all that jazz.
Anyways, I've been really just trying to keep myself extra busy with work - the kids that I spend my time with are truly amazing, and I'm seeing that more and more these days. For example, one of my 2 six-year olds that I work with at the clinic has become incredibly verbal and opinionated within the last few months, and especially in the last few weeks, has started to incorporate "spontaneous mands", or requests, into his repertoire. An example of this would be if we were in one of the classrooms, and he independently said that he wanted to jump on the trampoline. The trampoline isn't in view, and he's requesting an item that isn't in view as opposed to a typical request that IS in view, whether it's independent or prompted. SO amazing. We even had a progress report meeting with his parents last night, and his father said that it feels like the little guy is "becoming a bigger part of the family" and "coming into his own person."
THAT is one of the many, MANY reasons why I do what I do.
It helps to keep my chronic headache pain on a back burner, if only for a moment. It's worth it.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Just another evening of babysitting...
"So, what do you think of Joanna?" - girl, 8, I have babysat for before
"Yeah, she's a really nice lady." - boy, almost 6, has never had a babysitter before
"Yeah, she's a really nice lady." - boy, almost 6, has never had a babysitter before
Unconscious Mutterings
- Studio :: painting
- Meetup :: sports bar
- Ostrich :: giant egg
- Jokes :: stand-up
- Estranged :: couple
- Random :: words
- Slap :: face
- Hotel room :: giant bed
- Inscribe :: pen
- Polar :: Polar Soda factory
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Words From the Past
"I awake this morning with devout Thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new."-Emerson
A found leather "poster" last summer at a friend's lake house... even he hadn't even seen it before. What a beautiful thought Emerson put into words, and so appropriate to come across after my post from earlier this evening.
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