Migraines have been my life for over the past year. Every day. Every hour. Every minute. The last year has been spent in doctors’ offices talking symptoms, pain scales, causes and effects, tests, results, and medicines. And the ever constant, and humorous question, “Do you have a headache now?”. Ummm… Yeah, what part of 24-7 headache that’s always there and never goes away DON’T you understand? Of COURSE I have a headache NOW. I mentally roll my eyes and always answer, YES, I have one right now. And mentally add that the bright exam room lights and the screaming baby the next room over aren’t helping the matter much, either.
And I continue to smile and play along.
And for the past year, after trying so very many different things, I haven’t had much relief. I’ve had days where Jim and Mom have had to come pick me up from work because I couldn’t drive. I’ve stayed home from work. I’ve cried in pain in my cube. Cried myself to sleep at night. Spent an hour in the shower because that’s the only place where I seem to get a little bit of relief.
All my medical tests come back normal. Nothing is wrong with me. Bright lights hurt, loud noises hurt, smells make me sick to my stomach, one side of my head would just throb and then days later the other side would start. My hair hurt.
I’ve changed my diet, tried more sleep, less sleep, painkillers… Then I started going to a neurologist and brought out the ‘big guns’. She promised to fix me. Said it was simply migraines brought on by caffeine and chocolate and nitrates. So, I eliminated caffeine and gave up chocolate and didn’t eat anything processed and started taking more medicines. And more. And more. She kept upping my dosages. I started living even more in a fog. A pain-induced, chemical-fueled brain fog. I forgot my name one day. I existed on auto-pilot. While I’ve gotten used to the meds and am no longer in fog-land, I still am not fixed. It’s been over half a year.
I refuse to accept that this is my new reality. And I don't want to be on all these medicines.
I’ve been interested in acupuncture – I talked to the neurologist about going to one a few months back and she was really rather apathetic about it. Essentially said that she didn’t know much about it, and that if I wanted to go stick myself with needles, then go for it. And that was that. At the time I was really busy with work and didn’t have the chance to go to one.
Fast forward to this week.
I dove into the deep end.
I consulted with a chiropractor and an acupuncturist two days ago. THEY said they can fix me. The whole me, not just the migraine me. I would be lying to say that I 100% believe them – I’ve heard this line before. But they showed me some things that made sense, and told me some things that made my brain start thinking (hmmm...the head injury 10 years ago, all the falls off Snipes...).
Apparently my neck is messed up (pissed is more like it!) and the nerves are really inflamed – likely causing the headaches and potentially a slew of other ailments (allergies, asthma, skin conditions, all things I struggle with). The chiropractor adjusted my neck and back, and the acupuncturist did his needle thing.
Yesterday, a day after seeing the two of them, I had honest-to-goodness relief, for almost.the.entire.day. It wasn't 100%, but it was more than ANY of the medications has been able to accomplish.
Of course, I have a headache today. But I think I am pretty damned excited nonetheless.
:)
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