Monday, August 25, 2008

The fine art of Piling On

Well, it's been a less than stellar week at MN, as I've been fighting off the flu since last Monday. Actually, there wasn't much fighting involved: it conquered me in the night and I didn't know what hit me until yesterday. MN has not experienced such illness since perhaps the sixth grade, or certainly in a time when it was ok and not desperately pathetic to wish for one's mommy.

Perhaps the most fun aspect was that my migraines didn't go away during this time of fevers, chills, total head blockage and earaches -- oh no, they came anyway! And if you think it's fun to try to release an Imitrex from the 9-pack when you're pre-migraine, just try it when you're also on multiple cold medicines and are somehow trying to read the backs of all the drug packagings to make sure that you won't die if you take this particular drug cocktail. Seems that it was ok, or at least the irreversible kidney or liver or whatever else damage will at least wait to manifest itself until I can again breathe through my nose. This is my simple hope.

More than dying from unfortunate drug cocktail mixing, my real fear was of choking to death on a Hall's mentho-lyptus during the night. But sleeping - well, resting, really, there was little sleep until Saturday -- was impossible because of the coughing, hence the dangerous Hall's cough drop. I figured if I slept sitting up mostly I would at least awaken before I had totally choked to death enough to remember 8th grade CPR classes and how to Heimlich myself on a kitchen chair. Or at least write a brief, witty, totally memorable death note that would make me famous in death and help pay off my debt so my next of kin would not be left with it. Unfortunately, all the sleeping sitting up did was give me an ACTUAL pain in the neck, so now I am timing taking pain relievers for that in between the cold medicine.

So what have I learned this week? Let's see:

1. The flu sucks it. Hard.
2. Migraines have no pity.
3. My head is a wonderland. A wonderland of CRAP.
4. Hall's makes a Canada Dry Ginger ale flavor drop. When I can taste things again, I'll tell you how they are.
5. I may or may not have damaged vital organs. Stay tuned.
6. It is possible to watch all the programs on one's TiVo "Now Playing" list.


Next on MN: Going Outside And Trying To Enjoy The Last Week Of Summer. oooh!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Pennsyltucky


I was home visiting the family this weekend. And people wonder why I moved....

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Accupunc-tastic!

Well, in my ongoing quest to beat down my migraines, and after spending the entire weekend in pain with only 3 good hours, I scheduled my first appointment with an acupuncturist this morning. I was so excited last night, like it was the eve of the first day of school. I even set out my clothes. Really.

Upon arriving and meeting the lovely woman who would be inserting needles into my body, I was even more excited. Not only was she totally cool and wearing fantastic pink shoes (trusts me on this one: they were drool-worthy fuschia ballet flats), but she was extremely knowledgeable about migraine suffering and treated me like I didn't have a made-up ailment. Even more awesome! So, imagine my dismay when, nine needles into things, I had to ask "Is it normal to get light-headed?" and then proceeded to quickly turn white then green and began sweating profusely. Yeah. So, the lovely wonderful acupuncturist had to remove all the needles and bring me water and make sure I didn't pass out. All the while I was thinking "What just happened?" and cursing my body for acting up.

She told me that two other people have had similar reactions, which made me feel somewhat better, though still sheepish as I mopped my sweaty face and body and silently willed my sweat to not seep onto the paper covering the table on which I was lying. Mostly, though, I felt frustrated, because I realized how many hopes I'd pinned to this treatment. But I'm not giving up...I hope to try again in a few weeks and this time with just one or two needles and see how it goes. I still feel rather uneven and off-kilter -- I guess that it my unbalanced Qi. It figures: even my Qi is wacked out!

Monday, August 11, 2008

My Migraine Triggers (a partial list)

1. changes in barometric pressure
2. humidity
3. not enough sleep
4. too much sleep
5. keeping feelings bottled up
6. a good cry
7. sometimes beer, sometimes not
8. sometimes wine, sometimes not
9. car travel
10. train travel
11. airplane travel
12. allergies
13. getting dried out from allergy medication
14. menstrual cycle
15. cold
16. heat
17. stress
18. anxiety
19. loud noises
20. thinking about migraines

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

oh, W...

So this article has MN all riled up, because once again, Bush is messing with contraception issues. I've been following this issue as it plays out into absurdity for a while and all I can do is shake my head. Well, allow me to rephrase: my head is shaking because my entire body is SHAKING WITH RAGE. To allow a pharmacist, clinic worker, etc. to refuse to dispense oral contraception, PLan B, and the like is not, theoretically, something I am against. MN doesn't force her ideologies onto others. However, this legislation would be! I use my local Duane Reade as an example: imagine waiting in the infuriatingly long line that snakes back through the aisles, as German tourists jump in front of you not understanding there is one line and that you can purchase your water, candybars, American magazines, and Band-Aids at ANY register but can only pick up prescriptions at THIS one, waiting as the poor clerk who doesn't speak much English tries to find your order...and then find out that due to the personal beliefs of the pharmacist on duty that your order will not be filled. And the next pharmacist isn't on duty until tomorrow morning. Now, maybe I am overreacting, maybe there will be back-ups in place. But in my experience with these things...well, let's just say I'm not out of order in expecting the worst.

So, frustration abounds. And I am lucky in that I haven't ever needed an emergency contraceptive like Plan B. But the thing is: my main reason for using the pill is to regulate my hormones so I am not writhing in pain 4 days a month OR getting the additional migraines. Being a girl is FUN! Of course, MN reaps the extra benefit and worries less about her slutty lifestyle (just kidding, mom), but about those people who really NEED these drugs?