Medical Test Dummy?

I've suffered from migraine headaches since college. When I first started experiencing them, I thought they were extreme hangovers. Now I know they were more likely the result of dehydration from a night of beer drinking.

Partying at the White Rose in Atlantic

As I aged, my body found more headache triggers - menstrual cycle, air pressure, looking into the sun for long periods. In the early 1980's there weren't many meds for migraines. My family practice doc prescribed something that kinda helped.

By the time we moved to Creston and had kids, I was spending about one day a month out of commission - lying in my darkened room. Twice Paul took me to the hospital where they gave me injections to relieve the pain. If someone had given me a drill before the pain subsided, I may have put it into my eye. It's hard to describe migraine pain to those who haven't ever experienced one. 

Finally, I got a referral to see a neurologist in Des Moines. One CTScan later my headaches were pronounced likely migraines. Dr. Brenton tried various meds on me - but my cranium (and the rest of me) is a tough nut to crack. Finally, a new med came out as a self-injectable shot - Imitrex. At $10 a shot, I had an inner self-debate every time my head began to hurt. Is this headache "worthy" of a shot? I didn't have the guts to push the button on the injector - so Paul had to do it. He didn't have a problem jabbing me! Oh, the wonderful feeling when the pain started to ebb.

Our new house - Creston 1998

A few years later, Imitrex came up with a pill version of the med. Yay! I switched to a female neurologist who seemed to better understand how hormones can affect women and brain pain. Today, I have a different woman neuro. I've blogged about her before - Dr. Schmolck. She's very direct and helps me manage my migraines.

And about that. At my September appointment with Dr. Schmolck, we talked about new meds on the market for migraines. Finally after all these years! I had read about them - a story about a woman in Davenport who had almost daily attacks who had been helped.

In the past four years, each fall I've suffered from frequent migraines - 5 days at a time. They do respond to the medicine I take, but the medicine takes its toll. The doc said to call when this started - so today was the day after a long week of gobbling high powered meds nearly every day. The nurse showed me how to self-inject aimovig. I will do this once a month to see if it helps reduce the number of headaches I get. I'm happy to report that the self-injector is much easier than the old Imitrex one used to be and I was able to handle it no problem.

I hope this helps. I used to think fall was my favorite season. I do like it - but it doesn't bring out the best in my head. And I like heat. I pick summer. Wish aimovig and me luck! 

Stuff

• I love the Urbandale Library and it's Frank Lloyd Wright architecture
• They have such a selection of books and CDs
• They have MP3 CDs - that I've never seen that type before...each one holds 6 or 7 worth. Nice to not have to switch often, as it nearly always happens when I'm in traffic!

library from my car window

• I have had headaches 3 days in a row. That's what happens when I forget to take my Topamax (migraine prevention drug)! I forget when I'm out of my element - as I was in the motel this weekend. I didn't really even drink alcohol the whole time. Taking my medication for when I actually get migraines is rather draining.
• Tomorrow I work at the State Fair in the recycling trailer. I need to put my "meet the public" face on to answer questions about recycling, and mountain lions and septic systems. I get to hand out pencils and shopping bags. Yahoo!
• I'm getting excited for the concert tomorrow night. Paul and I are going with 12 friends. Except it was supposed to be Lynyrd Skynyrd - and now Ronnie Van Zandt is ill. So we'll see Kansas - whom we saw last summer at Red Rock. I bet Deardorff and Bacon remember when we saw them at Summer Jam on a hot summer day in Iowa. One of the singers said "It's hotter than pig fu*$ out here!" I think it might be a bit cooler tomorrow night. The Doobie Brothers (less Michael McDonald) will be here as well. Jesus is Just Alright!
• Then I have to reign it in for a couple more work days before we head out for Lake of the Ozarks with McKims and Higgins. Poolboy and I only get to be there a couple days...it's hardly worth the drive. But we keep thinking it's an awful long winter and we'll be mad at ourselves if we don't do it!

Dang these hormones

Three days, three migraines. I believe my lonely only 53-year old ovary (sorry any guy readers - avert eyes) is the culprit. The other lil walnut sized nugget was removed during my hysterectomy 1.5 years ago. I could have opted to get 'em both removed....but I chickened out. I didn't want to go through menopause cold turkey.

So hear I am...suffering the consequences. Of hormones running rampant. Cramps over the weekend. And headaches. Bitch! (I don't know who, I just felt like calling someone that) I didn't really even act bitchy over the weekend. Ah well - at least I'm not having many hot flashes yet.

Taking my headache drugs that many days in a row ends up wiping me out. And wouldn't you know it - Joan called, and her sis was in town for dinner and a movie. I was too tired to do either. Debbie Downer on Drugs that's me! So I shopped a bit and came home to Joan's.

On a lil funnier note, I, Nancy Drew Jr. have solved the "Riddle of Amy's Guy Friend's Name". You see, for some time now, I'd suspected that Amy had a new guy "friend" she'd been hanging out with in Vail. Yet, she wasn't speaking of it. So Paul and I started calling him "He Who Shall Not Be Named" (like the really bad guy in Harry Potter). Amy doesn't rush to tell me of her beaus - as I can be a bit of a stalker....I know, it's embarrassing. I don't want my baby girl dating a serial killer or anything, so I used to check them out on Iowa Courts Online.

So it became a joke between us. Not speaking his name. Yet I was determined, on my own to ferret it out...on my own. It took several weeks. But with 2 clues - from her blog: He's from New Jersey. And from her Facebook - a photo. Yesterday I found a pic of him on her friend's Facebook. A guy, from NJ, and he's a friend of Amy's too - looks like the guy in Amy's photo. Bingo!

Amy's in Turkey - but I was able to send her this message yesterday: Nancy Drew believes she has finally solved the riddle! It was Colonel Mustard in the library with XX (I'm not giving you his name..figure it out yourself!) ha! That is "He Who's" name - right?!?

Game over. I really should have been a private investigator...why am I wasting my time in trash??

Ah relief

The world is a brighter place when one does not have a migraine. After three days of fighting migraines and taking meds for them I finally didn't get one. It used to be when I got a headache, it was the old fashioned kind with pain in my head.

Now they can come in many forms. Usually burning eyes and teeth. But yesterday my head actually pounded like the bad old days. Taking the medicine does help, but it also wipes me out. Especially after two other days of taking it.

Today I have a new lease on life - no stuffy nose, no eyes that hurt. Life is good. Even though the weather is bitchin cold! I do love my heated seats in my car. Someone said there are cars with heated steering wheels too - hmmm  that would be nice!

Last night I got in my bed, and it was NOT hot. I have an electric blanket, and it was turned to HOT, but wasn't. You see I had forgotten to turn it off that a.m. - and the thing has an automatic OFF. Evidently that thing works. So I turned it off and then on again. Slowly it warmed up. Yay!

At work we had an emergency meeting to discuss proposed legislation. A group of legislators is studying ditching the bottle redemption law along with our present waste diversion goals - which is a big part of my job. I use a formula to figure the rates now.
The proposed bill would really throw a wrench into the present systems. The legislative sessions are like that - we have to be ready to react quickly to requests. Makes life interesting. Our boss Brian has to attend the committee meeting tomorrow to answer Qs.