...And I say Yah, Yah, Yaaaaah!!!!
Could it possibly be true? Can it really be this easy? I sure [insert other words here] hope so. I was starting to feel a little hopeless. One of my "friends" stated, "Maybe it is something you are going to have to live with." That statement about put me over the edge and made me want to really give up. It isn't like living with just a crooked smile and swimming like Nemo. It is the entire "me" that the migraines have changed. It has altered me waking up with new ideas and wanting to complete them. It changed me being the extra obnoxious mom and friend (that was before by the way). As much as my friends and family say they don't miss that, I bet they do. It was all a part of who I was, or should be, instead of a walking zombie.I ended up going to a headache specialist in Phoenix yesterday. The first doctor at Barrows was at a loss for what to do for me, and wanted to send me a specialist that only dealt with headaches. I called the two doctors that he referred me to. The first doctor was at Mayo, and they don't take our insurance. The second doctor had a clinic near Glendale, so I called and made an appointment with Dr. H, the O.D. for October 1. They had asked if I wanted to be on the cancellation list in case anything else came up earlier, and of course I told them yes. I got a call from them on Tuesday, and they had a morning cancellation for the next day with my previously scheduled doctor, and an afternoon, cancellation with another doctor in the office. I asked her briefly about the other doctor, she just said that the entire office only dealt with headaches and he was qualified to work with me. Okay, I am desperate, and hopefully there is a God working for me, so I took the afternoon appointment. I could have taken the morning appointment, but I would have to get Mike up really early... so I took the afternoon option.
The doctor (Dr. F)was very pleasant and thorough. He had a great sense of humor. You know, so far the best doctors that I have dealt with have an amazing sense of humor. It probably rubs some patients the wrong way, but I find it refreshing. It makes me feel less like a piece of meat. Dr. F came in, shook our hand and said, "Okay, I was looking over your chart...". This is the part where I usually repeat everything that I have written on the chart, but this time was actually a little different. As he is flipping through the chart, he says "It looks like you have had a few bad years. Did you check to see if your warranty is up?" This comment was received by a raised eyebrow and a smirk from Mike and a crooked smile from me. I responded, "It kind of looks that way, doesn't it". From there he asked a few questions to clarify what was on the chart, but didn't have me tell him word for word what I had already written or what the other doctors had documented. I am glad that I decided not to put "I am suicidal and I carry a gun in my purse" in the comments section. I have thought about doing that just to see if they really know how to read.
We continued the appointment and physical exam. That was the first really complete physical exam I have had since the ER doctor checked me. He explained a few options that normally help with complicated migraines. They start with one of the least invasive and go from there. I was thinking there was nothing else to do, but they have other options, which was nice to hear. For starters, he wanted to try to get rid of the migraines by putting me on a 10 day regime of steroids. That is supposed to break the cycle and hopefully take care of the neuropathy (my crooked smile among other things).
I took the first Prednisone last night before I went to bed. I recall that when I took it for the chemo, it made me a little light headed and gave me a "stuffy head feeling". I was also prescribed a "psycho" drug to help me sleep, because the steroid tends to keep you awake. I love how the pharmacist looked at me when he was explaining that one in his "Indian accent", "Okaeee, theese wun is wheen yor mude eez not so gude" as he so gently put it. I almost started laughing, but that would just prove that I really am psychotic.
I did wake up with a complete smile, that hasn't faded, and my brain is going a million miles an hour with new ideas, I had the urge to blog, run, swim and do cartwheels (okay maybe cartwheels is pushing it), but I do feel more like my normal "self". The steroids are causing me to feel a little "fuzzy" and stuffy, and the "psyco" drugs definitely helped me sleep. I didn't wake up until 5am. I had some crazy dreams, but I am just happy that I woke up feeling like I actually slept. The neuropathy has faded to almost nothing. I haven't done any physical activity yet. That will be the true test to see if the numbness returns.
Well, I really have to get back to work and write down all my ideas before they slip away.
BTW-I forgot to mention that it was EXACTLY one year ago that I finished my chemo.
