After the "Magical Morphing Migraines" turned into complex migraines, I sort of started a journal. I admit that I didn't need a journal to recognize the warning signs of these migraines, regardless of what my neurologist, internist and soon-to-be fired rheumatologist (still haven't quite gotten around to that yet, but still undecided if I like the new one yet, either) have diagnosed the latest migraines as. I confuse words, forget simple things (think of it like brain fog x1000), and a host of other signs that I stupidly ignore until the migraine hits. I've been fortunate enough to be put on a control medication to keep the nasty buggers at bay. Until now. My insurance company also does not cover the medication without having to go through a circus act (because it costs almost $400 for 6 tiny pills with no generic alternative--so no, it's not a matter of an insurance company watching it's bottom line over its patients well being, is it? Didn't think so.) Now to the hat trick--until last night, I would get all of the classic 5,000 symptoms (yes, an exaggeration, but it feels like it, so bite me) of a complex migraine minus the whole feeling like your head is going to explode feeling, which was pretty bad, but tolerable, considering I ran out of the migraine medication and plenty of ways to combat everything but the phantom smells.
I'll return to last night in a moment. I began noticing that before a migraine I start craving 2 things: salt and sugar. Also, weather changes seem to bring on these migraines. Whether salt or sugar are triggers, I'm not sure, but that's at least something I can figure out which, if either/neither/or both are triggers (considering the amount I tend to crave and give into), but if the weather is a trigger, well, I'm screwed. There's only so many things I CAN control and the weather isn't one of them. I mean, I'm good, but not that good.
I was supposed to return to my newest rheumatologist yesterday. Except with the excessive heat and humidity, my pain levels and swelling have almost literally brought me to my knees. From what I was told at my last appointment, I was supposed to be going in for a few tests that would require me to remove my jewelry. I found myself up at 3am, with my hand wrapped in ice packs, frozen water bottles, and even in the freezer trying to bring the swelling down in a desperate attempt to get my prayer ring off because my hands were that swollen and it was kinda cutting off the circulation to my finger. Didn't work, except to at least make my hand numb enough not to care. I had to call and cancel my appointment because I still couldn't get my rings off, I was too exhausted to drive over an hour and a half there, spend a few hours to take the tests, get the results, drive home, etc., I was in pain with a cold front approaching and lack of sleep, and it was just one of those days, but did learn that the doctor didn't schedule a single test. I'm a little ticked, because if he thinks he's going to schedule an appointment to review test results, have me return for more tests, schedule me to return to review those scan results and so on (at $50 a visit plus the tests) he's out of his damned mind. I'm desperate for a diagnosis, but not THAT desperate. It takes a radiologist 10 minutes to interpret an X-ray and not much longer for CT, MRI, and other scan results.
I settled in to watch part 2 of the Hatfield & McCoy movie and all of a sudden it struck like lighting--yep. A full blown, screaming, blinding, deafening migraine. I didn't even make it upstairs to the bathroom to vomit. I only made it out the back door it hit so fast. And no rescue meds left. I chewed a nausea pill, one of my "big boy" pain pills, grabbed a few ice packs, and prayed for the best. I could've just smashed my head into a wall for all the good it did (though the nausea pill did some good). Then I remembered I used to always keep at least one or two spare pills in the zipper pocket in my purses... and they're all in the plastic totes under my bed. I'm usually pretty good at cleaning out my purses, but what if... and I found myself scrambling under the bed, pulling out empty purse after empty purse praying I forgot just one pill and JACKPOT!!! I found 4 in 1 purse that expire in 3 months! In less than a half hour I finally started to feel human again, even if I did have to get up at 4am to clean up the mess before the mutt thought she hit the mother lode of chew toys.
So it looks like I'll be begging the rheumatologist for a few samples tomorrow, making another appointment with the neurologist, and preparing for a battle with the insurance company to explain for the umpteenth time that yes, I have tried medication A, B, C, D, E, F, AND G, no, they have NOT worked, which is why I need the expensive medication instead of it's cheaper predecessors. Or they can pay the several thousand dollars for the ER trip when I'm forced to put my head through a concrete wall the next time a migraine like last nights hit. But hey, it's up to them. They're the experts with degrees in business and well, my doctors are just the morons with medical degrees, right?
I hope you haven't given up your faith with medical experts, even though a lot of their recommended medications have failed you in the past. Anyway, have you thought about alternative medicines? Don’t be afraid of exploring your horizons. Hopefully, the consultation you had with your rheumatologist finally paved a way to cure all your troubles with debilitating headaches, and all sorts of pain for that matter. All the best!
ReplyDeleteAgnes Lawson @ MedWell Spine