Living with Migraines

I ended up not seeing the doctor last week, as he had to reschedule his appointments.  I haven’t set the new appointment yet, but I’m guessing it will be a couple of weeks before I go back in.  (That is of my choosing, as I have to travel a bit to get to the clinic and like to try and have appointments coincide with other times I’ll be in that area.)

I’ve got a long drive ahead of me later today.  I’ve already got one stop planned to get out and stretch.  I find that two hours is about my limit before I need to get out and move, or else my neck and shoulders start tensing up and I’m headed for trouble.  I stocked up on some snacks and bottled water, and we’re ready for the trip.

I had a fantastic class Friday night, and the endorphins were flowing for hours afterwards!  What a great feeling.  I still am seeking ways to go more than once a week.  I may not be able to do it week in and week out, but even or two weeks a month would be better than nothing.

Has anyone ever tried this?

My favorite tasty remedy? The ice cream technique. Some people find relief by causing a “brain freeze.” Place spoonfuls of ice cream on the soft palate at the back of the mouth until they melt or become intolerable. This directly cools the hypothalamus, which is suspected to be involved with migraines.

I’ve used the pain of a brain freeze to try to explain to people just how intense the pain of migraine can be.  Everyone knows what that intense pain feels like - now imagine feeling like that for upwards of 36 hours instead of 10-20 seconds!  I’ve never considered using that kind of pain to try and relieve the pain of a migraine.

I took another Maxalt today - just needed to record that factoid before I see the doctor next week.  So that’s two in recent history - one last Friday and one this Friday.  I think today’s was strictly brought on by fatigue and stress, but the Maxalt seemed to take care of it for the most part.  We’ll see what tomorrow brings.  I’m happy the weekend is here.

In non-migraine news, I’ve had two great ballet classes in a row.  I love the way I feel during and after class.

I’ve been doing alright lately.  Last Friday I had to take a Maxalt, but it worked, thankfully.  I had a head cold and I think the sinus pressure triggered the migraine.  That, and a fair dose of stress, as last week and weekend were incredibly busy.  This week is proving to be the same, and I am enjoying about 15 minutes of quiet right now before moving on to the next responsibility.

Breathe in, breathe out.  This is my mantra these days.  Breathe in, breathe out.  Take each moment as it happens and try not to get too wrapped up in worrying about all that has to get done but instead stay present and know that I will get through it all.  I always do.

I got through my ski weekend basically migraine-free!  Yahoo!!  I took one Frova each night for three nights, followed by 600 mg of ibuprofen each morning (along with drinking a TON of water), and that seemed to do the trick.  The past two years I had migraines the first night or two, so this was a very welcome change.  The trip, by the way, was fantastic.