Would like some cheese with that whine?

Yes, I've been a whiney butt. Sulking around the house like the defeated sissy pants I am. I have been beaten by the migraines--at least temporarily. I couldn't sleep last night because my nervous system was in overdrive. HYPER! And preoccupied with the oddest things. Last night I was obsessed with the deck. Yes, the deck. I tried to read--and read I did for about 4 hours, but every few pages, I'd find myself thinking, "We really need to finish the deck. It will rot out. It will cost a bloody fortune to get fixed. Why can't hubby and I every get things done?" Huh?  Who cares???? It's a deck! So it rots and falls apart. Not worth obsessing over. But this is what my mind does sometimes when I'm sick. Well, I'm over it. Over it!

As you might have guessed, I also have a migraine this morning. And surprise, I'm hyper! If only I could harness this energy for something other than having migraines. I surely would be able to refinish the deck, caulk the tub, get the car fixed, and seal the basement. But alas, on days I don't have a migraine, I'm more calm, and if I start to get too excited---whether it be about the tub or me and the hubby acting like idiots, guess what? Yes! You're finally getting it--I get a migraine!

If only I could be like Pimmy, and harness my energy to defeat rolls of paper towels or toys on strings. We all have dreams I guess.

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Tally of migraines and med bills

It's time again to compile the total number of migraines I've had  and the cost of my medical bills so far this year!                      

Number of days I've had migraines so far this year: 122            

Number of days I've had migraines in the last 12 months: 162                      

Out of pocket medical expenses from January 2011 through July 2011:

$1,632  Health insurance premiums

$2,250  Medication co-pays

     706   Doctor visits

       56   Dentist

$4,644  Total

In a previous post,  my medical bill total this year, I explained the tally in further detail

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Stupid doc and lots of migraines

Sorry I have been MIA. July was unpleasant. I had 24 days with migraines. I also had a doctor's appointment with the specialist I see for the neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH). In a nutshell, NOH is a partial failure of the autonomic nervous system. My body fails to regulate my blood pressure and pulse correctly. My blood pressure drops in response to various activities such as standing in line, standing up, bending over, heat, eating a big meal, not being hydrated, being ill, et cetera. The symptoms I experience include light-headedness, tunnel vision, losing my vision, losing my balance (and fainting rarely), ears pop, confusion, nausea, fatigue, and headache. I'm sure there are more but you get the idea.

I have been seeing this doc for about 5 years, and I went to see him for my annual checkup last week. Because I had a migraine the morning I went to see him, I had taken DHE. One of the side effects of DHE is that it increases a person's blood pressure. In doing so it masks the NOH. He insisted that the DHE could not do that. Evidently he hasn't looked at the side effects list lately. He decided I no longer have NOH even though he'd confirmed the diagnosis for NOH the last 5 years and I still have symptoms. I've had NOH for 27 years--many of those years without migraines. My doc decided I haave migraine-associated vertigo. So basically he thinks my symptoms of light-headedness, dizziness, and drops in my blood pressure when I change postures are all symptoms of migraines. I have gone years between migraines in the past and still had the NOH, but he was not interested in discussing that. I also have gone through autonomic nervous system testing which showed I have NOH. So he scheduled me for more testing. 

Keep in mind, I do not see him for migraines. He advised me to begin taking DHE (the med I take when I get migraines) 3x a day even when I don't have migraines. That would cost $260 a week. He sent a copy of his new diagnosis  and his med idea to my migraine specialist. The nurse from the migraine specialist's office called and advised me not to follow his recommendations and my migraine doc will be having a phone consultation with me later in the week. 

All this to say, I am worn out and frustrated. I know the migraines are getting better in some ways. I only had 1 severe migraine last month instead of the 2 I normally get. In addition, DHE has more effective at ridding me of migraine symptoms. In addition, I have been able to take lower doses of DHE to do so. At the same time, it takes very little for me to get a migraine. A few loud noises or bright light and whammo I have a migraine.  I'm trying to stay positive. 

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