Yesterday the first muggy day of the season arrived, and with it, not surprisingly, a humidity-triggered migraine. As I thanked the Universe and Science for Zomig nasal spray, I turned on the air conditioner and then shot the potion up my nose and snuggled up on the couch to rest while it worked its Magic.
So much for zipping through my chores to spend an afternoon in the blogosphere!
But I mustn’t complain!
Migraine had been the center of my life since early childhood. And since I had colic and some scientists think colic (and motion-sickness, too) is a form of migraine, I suspect I could quite honestly claim that migraine has plagued me since infancy. The only sustained relief I had until four years ago was during my pregnancies. Turns out progesterone quite nicely cancels out the estrogen dominance factor that is my strongest migraine trigger.
Finally at the age of 49, my sister, who also suffers from this neurological disorder, as did both of our parents, dragged me to a neurologist and for the first time in my life I came away from a doctor with some effective tools – three different drugs – two for prevention and the Zomig to abort the headaches that break through that line of defense. Believe me, I had already tried just about every natural remedy under the sun, and badly wished that one of them would have worked for me.
Some choices are difficult, trying to weigh the various factors. When I run the air conditioner it bothers my conscience. But the Zomig is so powerful that it causes liver damage and I’m only allowed six doses a month. So I can’t just run around recklessly ignoring my triggers and taking Zomig every day. One must always pay the piper, one way or another. So the air conditioner is on and I will obsessively keep my eye on the dew point from now until late in the fall. Any chance to open the windows on a relatively dry day I will seize!!!
Sometimes it’s still frustrating being the one who succumbs to anything my hyper-sensitive nerve metabolism senses in the environment to be a trigger. I often feel like I’m walking around on eggshells. Too many triggers to list here – some I can avoid, some I cannot. Zomig is for those. It has given me much more of a life than I had before!
Took a quick look at the calendar as I recorded yesterday’s dose – nine days since the last dose. Pretty good! It’s not all that bad living in a bubble of sorts, keeping the menacing triggers “out there.” And if I tire of the great indoors I can hop in the car and go down to the beach, where the humidity doesn’t seem to collect and settle, and breathe in the healing energy of the sea.
lovely pictures, and hoping the migraines get better.
http://www.tracyzhangphoto.wordpress.com/
Thanks for dropping by, Tracy!
Sorry to hear of your migraines!!! I am puzzled because estrogen dominance is easily cured with bio-identical hormone therapy, have you tried that? So much better than poisonous drugs!!
So where is Eastern Point??? I don’t think I have heard of it.
Wishing you a comfortable summer!!
Hi OM, I have to admit I’ve never heard of bio-identical hormone therapy – will look into it. Because of my mother’s history of hormone related breast cancer doctors are unwilling to risk hormone therapy. (Me, too!) I used to use natural progesterone cream which helped a lot for a while, but it’s not just the hormone fluctuations that get me. Sometimes it’s multiple triggers overloading my system at one time.
Eastern Point is here in Groton, CT, where we live now, thankfully still by the sea. When Tim retires we hope to land on Cape Cod, our true home…
What are your summers like?
Sorry to hear of your migraines, Barbara. I had one migraine as a teenager and still remember the utter pain with horror. Can’t imagine how you have survived numerous ones. May your menopause come quickly! (Mine started at age 42…brought on my an intense spiritual experience, believe it or not. It’s basically over now. Hopefully.)
Aye, Kathy, Tim had one, too, when we were first married. It made him endlessly sympathetic to my plight – he’s helped me endure in so many ways… What a nice “side effect” for you from a spiritual experience! Thanks for your good wishes… I wonder, is there anyone out there age 53+ still getting periods???
I also suffered from migraines, debilitating agonising migraines. My biggest trigger was sugar and stress. My migraines lasted ten years so I can not imagine a lifetime of them. I hope there will come a time that you are free of this.
The pictures are very soothing, I am happy you have a spot to go to that feeds your soul when you are in pain.
As for menopause its the one thing I can say was a breeze for me compared to others so I have no helpful hints, as I wish I did for you. My girlfriends tell me Black cohosh helped with multiple symptoms. Take care of yourself sweetness.
Hi Julie, you’re so right about how debilitating they can be. It took my sister eight years to get her PhD because of them. Each time she applied for an extension and had to fill out paperwork explaining why the extra time was needed, she’d try and come up with various reasons why it was taking so long. But her adviser understood what she couldn’t see for herself yet. One year he finally crossed out what she wrote and then wrote “MIGRAINE” across the space in big letters. Sometimes we just don’t see what is obvious to others.
She finally got her degree but it was an uphill battle. (I’m proud of her for sticking it out!) I agree with you, stress and stress hormones are huge triggers! Did yours end when menopause began?
Last I knew, the National Migraine Association was working to get migraine disease officially recognized as a disability. It should be!
I understand the “Muggy” Migraine-mulling” all very well. Not as a women but as person who suffered from severe headache due to improper diet, stress, from inappropriate worry. Mugginess because I live on the east coast too, and the weather until this morning has been horrendous. So rain may have help there, here it still has not, but it has cooled down.
I like the fact of your self awareness, that you know, and are conscious of your situations, not complaining but stating facts and moving through them and within them. Powerful and very enlightened!
I wish to offer you at anytime during your process, Reiki healing. I will send healing to you, when and if you ask. I may help with the waiting as well as the pain to create healing and movement.
I am Love, Jeff
It’s beautiful here today, too, Jeff! Windows are open again and a lovely dry breeze is drifting through the house. A lot more June-like!
Thank you so much for your Reiki offer!
I started getting Reiki treatments in April of 2009 and it worked wonders on everything except the migraines. My Reiki master said it might take longer for something that has been with me for over 50 years to begin healing. I appreciate her honest approach and I’ve begun learning the difference between curing and healing. In May I took the Level 1 class and began treating myself, my sister and my dad, and in the fall I took the Level 2 class. (I also had a beautiful experience giving it to my son’s cat when he and his wife were out of town and I went over every day to feed her. She missed them so much!) I could be doing more of it of late, sometimes I forget what a gift I have ready to tap into at any moment.
Until you mentioned it, it had not occurred to me to use Reiki energy for help with the waiting! I think I’ll give it a try! Thanks, Jeff. I’m so grateful for your friendship!