Speedy's Cafe - General Chat about anything you like!

[sfmpco]

 

The longest migraine I ever had was for a month.  This one was off and on (mostly on) for three weeks.  The worst is when it's with you at night and you're trying to sleep.  You know you need something for the pain but you don't even want to get out of bed to go get it.  So now i have the migraine meds on the bedside stand with some bottled water.  

 

Waking up with one is also pretty horrendous.  i can get them also from too much sleep loss.  

 

Count me in on the migraine support group!  I had gotten to the point that I had one continuously for over two years -- it would spike to a pain of about 7 or 8 on a scale of 10, and I would call that a "migraine," and the rest of the time it hovered at about a 5 and I called that a "headache" just so I could feel like something different was going on occasionally.

 

After more than 2 years of futzing around, the doc has declared victory -- the number of my headaches has been cut in half.  I mean, that's good and all, but the doc is the one that declared victory on this one.  I'm still walking around with what he has officially termed a migraine for 3-4 days a week. 

 

Today I just completely lost it, in public.  In a doctor's office, of all places (hubby was in for a routine diagnostic).  No one so much as asked me what was wrong as I sat in the corner of the waiting room and sobbed.  I'm so over the headaches/migraines, I can't even tell you.

 

 

When I was at the clinic for my sinus infection which had been part of my month-long headache, the nurse practitioner asked me if I'd heard that botox  has been shown to be effective in eliminating migraines.  Might be worth checking into.  Also check to see if your headaches might be tension headaches...and a visit to a chiropractor to adjust the spine properly will relieve any pressure on nervers that are causing tension and thereby headaches.  I'm sure you've thought of all these things.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Today I just completely lost it, in public.  In a doctor's office, of all places (hubby was in for a routine diagnostic).  No one so much as asked me what was wrong as I sat in the corner of the waiting room and sobbed.

They were probably afraid to ask, thinking maybe you'd just been given only three months to live or something equally horrendous.

 

You have my sympathy (insofar as I can sympathize without ever having had a migraine) and my best wishes for a more satisfactory treatment.

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

I should perhaps add that I once had a seven-year panic attack.  It was usually bearable, sometimes dreadful, but it rarely went away completely.  I had just been through some pretty traumatic personal stuff, so I naturally assumed the panic attack was due to emotional problems.  I went to a therapist who was very helpful in teaching me coping techniques, but the basic problem persisted.

 

Seven years later, I serendipitously discovered that the feeling of panic was caused by an allergy.  Since then I have avoided the allergen as much as possible, and am rarely troubled any more.  Seems like some migraines might also be due to allergies or sensitivities.  I realize it's not easy to tell, but you might try keeping a log book, if you haven't already.

 

[Boton]

 

Today I just completely lost it, in public.  In a doctor's office, of all places (hubby was in for a routine diagnostic).  No one so much as asked me what was wrong as I sat in the corner of the waiting room and sobbed.

They were probably afraid to ask, thinking maybe you'd just been given only three months to live or something equally horrendous.

 

You have my sympathy (insofar as I can sympathize without ever having had a migraine) and my best wishes for a more satisfactory treatment.

 

 

Probably so.  Sigh.

 

I appreciate all the good advice people are suggesting.  I have, indeed, tried a lot of things, including keeping a log, avoiding triggers, aromatherapy, changing out the bed pillow, getting massages, etc.  Some of them help to a greater or lesser degree.  I do like sfmpco's idea about Botox -- I've heard of it, but I haven't sought out a provider to try it because my doc wanted to try attacking things at the vascular level first.  But clearly that was only half the story.  So, maybe it's time for another doc's opinion.

 

I'm usually much more sanguine about the migraines than I was yesterday.  I just lost it yesterday for some reason.  Sometimes it is just irritating to never know when one of the little buggers is going to crop up and ruin my day.  I think I needed John's service pistol and a nice smiley face on the wall to take out my frustrations on.  

[T.o.b.y]

I appreciate all the good advice people are suggesting.  I have, indeed, tried a lot of things, including keeping a log, avoiding triggers, aromatherapy, changing out the bed pillow, getting massages, etc.  Some of them help to a greater or lesser degree.  I do like sfmpco's idea about Botox -- I've heard of it, but I haven't sought out a provider to try it because my doc wanted to try attacking things at the vascular level first.  But clearly that was only half the story.  So, maybe it's time for another doc's opinion.

 

I'm usually much more sanguine about the migraines than I was yesterday.  I just lost it yesterday for some reason.  Sometimes it is just irritating to never know when one of the little buggers is going to crop up and ruin my day.  I think I needed John's service pistol and a nice smiley face on the wall to take out my frustrations on.  

 

You poor thing. I think it's bad enough when I have my occasional migraine - a near-constant one must be hell!

 

Don't give up trying to get rid of it. They're tricky things, and my limited experience says that there is no reliable cure that works for everybody, but eventually, most people find something that helps just them. I'm trying to think of more fairly harmless methods that weren't on your list... Have you tried acupuncture? I'm usually not a great believer in "alternative" medicine, but I love acu. It doesn't hurt, by the way, at least it's never hurt me. I find the feeling of the needles going in strangely pleasant. 

 

 

[Boton]

 

I appreciate all the good advice people are suggesting.  I have, indeed, tried a lot of things, including keeping a log, avoiding triggers, aromatherapy, changing out the bed pillow, getting massages, etc.  Some of them help to a greater or lesser degree.  I do like sfmpco's idea about Botox -- I've heard of it, but I haven't sought out a provider to try it because my doc wanted to try attacking things at the vascular level first.  But clearly that was only half the story.  So, maybe it's time for another doc's opinion.

 

I'm usually much more sanguine about the migraines than I was yesterday.  I just lost it yesterday for some reason.  Sometimes it is just irritating to never know when one of the little buggers is going to crop up and ruin my day.  I think I needed John's service pistol and a nice smiley face on the wall to take out my frustrations on.  

 

You poor thing. I think it's bad enough when I have my occasional migraine - a near-constant one must be hell!

 

Don't give up trying to get rid of it. They're tricky things, and my limited experience says that there is no reliable cure that works for everybody, but eventually, most people find something that helps just them. I'm trying to think of more fairly harmless methods that weren't on your list... Have you tried acupuncture? I'm usually not a great believer in "alternative" medicine, but I love acu. It doesn't hurt, by the way, at least it's never hurt me. I find the feeling of the needles going in strangely pleasant. 

 

 

 

 

My mom has enjoyed acupressure quite a lot, and I'd be willing to try acupuncture -- just need to find the right acupuncturist in my area.  Great suggestion!  I'm also hoping to try a "salt cave" that opened up near me, because my migraines respond very favorably to being near the coasts, which I figure is either a factor of salt air or elevation.  Sadly, my clients don't respond favorably to the potential jump in fees that would be necessary for me to actually live on a coast....

[T.o.b.y]

Poor you indeed. I wouldn't want to live far from the sea. Not that I spend so very much time at the waterfront, but I need to know it's there. I've never lived more than an hour's drive from the ocean. Perhaps my headaches would be even worse if I did? Who knows.

 

I began to learn acupuncture at university. Unfortunately, the docent became ill and we were never able to complete the course. Big shame, because those things are super-expensive usually.

 

Anyway, a friend and I only went for a lark. We didn't believe in it or anything, just thought, what the heck, here's a chance to learn something for free that usually costs a fortune. One time, she had the worst neck pain. Her muscles were like rocks. Massage didn't work (it was too painful for her to do it properly at that point, anyway). We'd just learned that any place can be an acupuncture point under certain conditions, and the docent wasn't paying attention to us, so I said, hey, lets try this out. I poked around until I found the place where it hurt the most, and then I just stuck a needle in. We were distracted then, and ten minutes later, she was moving around normally. The pain had vanished. After that, we began to take the course seriously... :lol:

[Shadow Dweller]

Long time not seeing Bubu's post *missed her* 

[Carol the Dabbler]

She was on the forum just an hour or two ago, and posted here.

 

[Caya]

 

I appreciate all the good advice people are suggesting.  I have, indeed, tried a lot of things, including keeping a log, avoiding triggers, aromatherapy, changing out the bed pillow, getting massages, etc.  Some of them help to a greater or lesser degree.  I do like sfmpco's idea about Botox -- I've heard of it, but I haven't sought out a provider to try it because my doc wanted to try attacking things at the vascular level first.  But clearly that was only half the story.  So, maybe it's time for another doc's opinion.

 

I'm usually much more sanguine about the migraines than I was yesterday.  I just lost it yesterday for some reason.  Sometimes it is just irritating to never know when one of the little buggers is going to crop up and ruin my day.  I think I needed John's service pistol and a nice smiley face on the wall to take out my frustrations on.  

 

I don't think that the noise of a pistol firing would've helped much, really .

 

Seriously now, you have my sympathies, I've seen how being in near-constant pain can sap your energy and erode your will ever so slowly, so try to hang in there, I know it's not easy . If you can tolerate one more piece of advice, in my case it was a simple matter of taking a mild beta blocker every morning that reduced my migraine attacks from once every week or two to maybe two or three times a year.

 

Also, there's a totally weird method to take the edge of mine - drinking a shot of warm plum wine. No, really, I found that out by accident - I was driving home after work one evening when I felt a migraine coming on, and figuring that cooking dinner wasn't going to be fun stopped by a local Chinese restaurant to grab some takeaway. I had to wait a bit, and so they served me a shot of their plum wine. Downed it out of politeness (I don't drink alcohol), picked up the food and headed home, only to realize a couple minutes later that the pain was going away instead of increasing. Not that I was complaining :D. Don't ask me how it works, though, I'm just counting my blessings and microwaving a shot glass full of the stuff when I feel an attack coming up.

 

[Boton]

 

 

 

Also, there's a totally weird method to take the edge of mine - drinking a shot of warm plum wine. 

 

 

 

Aw, bless you Caya.  You are right about the beta blockers -- I'm trying that now, and that probably accounts for the 50% reduction that my doc feels is a victory.  I'm working on the other 50%.  

 

I'm willing to try the warm plum wine approach, even if it doesn't do anything for the migraines.  Yum!

[Caya]

Well if you like the stuff all the better . Personally, I have to hold my nose to get even a shot of it down, but when I feel a bad attack coming, I'd probably drink rat poison if that helped, so down it goes :D.

[Shadow Dweller]

My place smells like a bakery's kitchen, heavenly ^-^

[Carol the Dabbler]

What have you been baking?    And when are we invited over?

 

[Shadow Dweller]

Just banana-choco chip cheese cake that meet its early demise in the hands of a hungry horde of sweets-lovers. There's a plentiful of banana supply here, not even a drop of essence involved in the making of the moist and springy when warm cake :lol: Found the recipe on the net somewhere, just add a layer of grated cheese on top in exchange of cream cheese.

 

For the pups, cupcakes with chunks of babybel in place of choco-chips.

[sfmpco]

Nothing like the smells of something good coming out of the oven!  MMMMMMM!

[T.o.b.y]

I agree... love food smells.

 

 

Here, this is fun if you like words: http://www.merriam-webster.com/quiz/index.htm

[Arcadia]

I LOVE stuff like that! Unfortunately it froze up my computer, anyone else have trouble with that site?

[T.o.b.y]

Oh, I am sorry... I've never had problems with Websters. They have another quiz were they show you pictures of obscure objects and you have to find the right word for them.

 

I love words...

[Carol the Dabbler]

Me too!  (I hate timed tests, but that one wasn't bad.)

 

[Arcadia]

I'm seriously starting to think I need a new processor in this laptop ... :-(

[sfmpco]

I've stopped using Websters.  Seems like they want a subscription fee now.  Oxford, on the other hand, is still free.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I use both Merriam-Webster and Oxford, depending, and I've never been asked to pay on either site.

 

[sfmpco]

Well, my BC film collection is finally looking like something worthy to be counted (thanks to great deals on Ebay).  Will post my collection list soon.  I'm waiting on 5 more to arrive right now, and I have bids on others...

[T.o.b.y]

If looks could kill, I would have been brutally murdered today.

 

In my town, there is one big supermarket that has literally everything. There are two ways to cross the street to get to it: You can take a huge detour and use the designated pedestrian crosswalk, or you can run straight across two lanes when you get an opportunity. It's a bit dangerous, because on one side is a sharp corner and on the other is a crossing with a stoplight. The trick is to wait until the lights are red for all cars from the one direction for a second, then check the other one and if the street up to the corner is free, you make a dash for it. 

 

I was on my way home from shopping and of course, like everybody else, I wanted to take the direct route. On the other side was a woman with her two kids, and she was obviously taking pains to teach them about crossing the road safely. They kept looking left, right, left again, and of course by the time they were finished, there was a car coming, and they had to start over. Now, I really didn't want to be a bad example, but after standing there for what felt like a hundred years in the freezing cold with two heavy shopping bags, I got fed up and at the next chance, I decided to just go for it.

 

I heard the little girl go "but moooooom!!!!" and out of the corner of my eye, I caught the most bloodthirsty stare you can imagine from the lady.

 

Really sorry about that... though come to think of it, if she really wanted her children to be safe, she should have taken the detour.