Living with Migraines

I suffered through two migraines during our vacation.  One was worse than the other, but I managed to get through them both.  My neck has been hurting almost daily for at least a month or two now, so I’m wondering if I tweaked it or strained a muscle or something.  A friend of mine’s husband is a physical therapist, so maybe I’ll give him a call and see what he thinks.  Maybe it’s just knotted up muscles that need to release once and for all.

I refilled both of my prescriptions yesterday.  It’s always good to know I have what I need, should I need it.

I had a tension-migraine for days last week, but it is finally letting go.  I’m still a bit sore in my neck, but seeing as we’re heading off on a vacation today, I am thinking that I’ll have a chance to really let go and relax.  I’ve missed a lot of ballet lately due to other commitments, and Friday I had to miss it because of my head unfortunately.  Once I’m back from our trip I’m hoping for 3-4 classes a week, plus stretching at home, for at least four weeks.  We’ll see how that turns out.

I had green tea with dinner last night and I think it messed with my sleep cycle.  I was wide awake around 1:30 a.m., tossing and turning.  Need to remember not to drink that in the future!

Sometimes I think my body just says enough is enough!  My resistance wears down, my threshold for withstanding triggers lowers and I just kind of briefly fall apart.  I’ve had a cold for about a week now, and it’s just like one I had about 6-8 weeks ago.  On top of the headaches I had last week, I had one again today.  I really think this one is due to the combo of head cold/sinus pressure plus tension in my neck, shoulders and upper back from stress.  I’m doing what I can to manage, really I am.  I’m aware of what I’m stressing about and trying to take care of it, keep it in perspective, let it go, etc.   But boy oh boy could I just use a complete escape.  I’m glad I haven’t ever let myself go down the path of prescription painkillers.  I know how dangerous that could be, and the thought of escaping into the numbness is so appealing.  I think because I know that I just haven’t let myself even consider it.

This will pass, and I’ll feel better soon.  I always do.

So it hasn’t been the best of weeks, but I’m grateful for medication that actually works when I take it.  I had to take one maxalt on Tuesday and another one this morning, and besides feeling pretty wiped out I’m doing OK.  I tried to get by with three ibuprofen this morning, but it really wasn’t having any affect, so I took my last Maxalt.  Need to get my prescription refilled now.

The weather has changed dramatically yesterday and today - it is quite hot now, where it was very chilly earlier in the week.   Weather changes can be triggers for me, and stress - the ever-present stress - is always there too.

Wanted to take a moment to wish all the other moms here a happy mother’s day. We had a family celebration last night so I feel like I’ve had a head start on the celebrating.

The temperatures here have been soaring into the 90s!  That is nearly unheard of for my neck of the woods.  While I love the heat ad am happy when it’s so warm out, I think it was hard on my head and I had to take a Frova before bed last night.  I still feel iffy this morning but will drink lots of water and do what I can.  DH brought me an ice pack last night and that helped too - I fell asleep on it and woke up wonderfully numb, which is about the best you can hope for when your head is pounding.

I had to miss ballet on Wednesday night due to a stress-induced migraine.  Missed class Monday as well because I didn’t leave work until almost 6 o’clock, after starting my day at 7:45.  Nothing like lots of meetings and emotional stress at one’s workplace to really make one feel good…  Last night’s class was cut short by half an hour, so instead of 4.5 hours of class this week I had a measly one.

DD is sick and I don’t think I got to sleep last night until about 2:30 a.m.  Woke up a few more times after that and finally got up around 7:30 or so this morning.  That kind of disrupted sleep doesn’t bode well for me, but I’ll do everything in my power to take care of myself today.   DD seems to be better, so that’s encouraging.

I had to take a Maxalt this morning but feel as though maybe, just maybe, I missed the monthly headache that occurs a week or so before my cycle starts.  That would be weird, and out of the ordinary.  I took ibuprofen this morning, but that didn’t help at all, so I took one Maxalt and it seems to be keeping the migraine at bay.

Last week and the one prior were emotional ones for me, as well as exceptionally busy.  Not much of a break in sight, but summer is coming.