Went to Dr. Jones - my chiropractic physician today. He spent almost a full hour and a half working on me! And some new things than normal. He noticed how tight my shoulders were so he took a metal tool that looks like a thin, smooth version of a brass knuckle and rubbed my upper back with that to release the muscles. He used some Icy Hot type stuff with it. It felt great and he said that with this technique some bruising is not uncommon.
When he adjusted my neck, it popped great!!! Then he really spent a lot of time trying to adjust my lower back/hips as well.
Then he put me on a new machine (one of his patient calls it the hug). It has several straps like seat belts that can be adjusted. First he wrapped one around my waist and then one around each shoulder to pull my shoulders back. Once I was there, he did exercises to strengthen my neck and get it used to this "new" aka. correct position.
Next he strapped in my hips with two straps and had me bend over toward my toes. I did a few exercises this way as well, to reduce the strain on my lower back and the pain I get when bending over.
The last thing on this machine is a turned around and he had the two straps still in place and I bent backwards and did the stretching exercises to also reduce my lower back pain (this and the other pain are in slightly different spots and caused by different things).
Then we went over to the decompression machine that he usually uses on my neck, but instead he decided to stay focused on my lower back. More straps around my waist and chest and the decompression machine worked on stretching my lower back/hips.
While I was there he put in a few acupuncture needles.
I ended with the electricity on my lower back.
All in all, it felt great and he thinks that the way my hips "rolled" is effecting my neck and causing my head to overcompensate by positioning my head too far forward.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
Horrid Migraine This Morning :(
Woke up sometime during the 5 AM hour. That's all I remember or could see... it was after 5:00 AM and before 6:00 AM. Any my head was pounding! On a scale of 1-10 I easily give it a 10. I wandered aimlessly around the house looking for my med bag, which ended up being in my room to begin with! Also grabbed an ice pack. Took Imitrex, my anti-nausea pill, and two different pain killers - and NSAID which is supposed to help the Imitrex work better and a stronger prescription pain killer. The anti-nausea pill was because yes, I was nauseus. Before I was able to start my venture through the house to get the ice pack, and meds, and water, I first had to sit down as soon as I got out of bed. I get nauseus often, but usually don't really feel like I will be sick - this time I did :( I wasn't thank goodness. I went back into bed and could not get comfortable. And my bird friends, who I normally don't mind singing at my when I wake up so early, were up singing at me. It took a while to get back to sleep unfortunately - for a while I was nervous if I would even be able to. But I did, because I woke up feeling much better about 9:30 AM. Not sure what triggered this one - no bad weather overnight. I did get a steroid shot yesterday at the doctor's for an inner ear infection - so that is a possibility. I also ate sourkraut at dinner, which is a "common food trigger," but depending on what you read, I've heard food triggers only effect people for 2 hours from the time they eat the offending food...
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Officially not Auras
Had my doctor's appointment with my new neurologist on June 5th (I know I'm a little late on this). But we talked about many things - my migraines, my vision problems, and my neck pain. We are going to try to slowly change my preventative medications to help with my migraines (since my previous neurologist didn't ever try changing the medications when it didn't work anymore). He also does not do botox, so if I get to the point that I definitely need that and no other medication will work - I will have to go back to my first neurologist or find another neurologist.
About my vision problems - he said they are definitely NOT auras. He said it sounds like they are related to low blood pressure, which is usually caused by one of three things: medications, old age, or something else I can't remember, but he said that none of those seemed to apply to me. He did try taking my blood pressure laying down, sitting, and standing - and as one would expect there was some slight change, but nothing out of the ordinary (granted at that time my vision was fine). Also to note, my blood pressure is normally lower (but not too low considering my "petite size" as he put it), so it probably wouldn't take much to drop it to a level that would cause the vision disturbances. He told me that if it happens to lay down or sit down and put my head between my knees and keep track of the occurances and we would look over it again at our next appointment on July 5th. I have been doing some additional reading on pain managment and did find out that 2 of the medications I am on can cause lower blood pressure. It doesn't say in what dosage or how much lower. So it is possible that since mine is already lower than average, that it could possibly have to do with one or both of those. Since my appointment, I haven't had nearly the severity of the attacks like before. Sure, a few times I've stood up and for a few seconds had a few dark spots, but I think most people experience that occassionaly - like when you stand up too fast.
Lastly my neck, he was going to get a copy of the actual images to look at himself, but he said that from where the bulging disc is - he would expect that if it would have any effect on me it would be in the lower body - legs, feet, toes, bladder, etc. and I don't have any problems with that. He said it may have some residual pain which may be what I am experiencing, but it definitely is not causing the migraines. I stopped seeing the physical therapist because I honestly didn't feel it was helping me (at least not worth the time and money I was putting in). Again from my reading, everything recommends active P.T. (where I am involved and doing something and have exercised to do everyday) vs. passive P.T. (where the therapist does everything to you). I still have been seeing the chiropractor/acupuncturist. And I have started mild weight training. And for about the last week, my neck and back have hardly bothered me at all (except for the night of the storms, but that's an exception). I'm starting to wonder if the Botox didn't actually CAUSE the neck pain and once it was out of my system, I'm back to my normal usually not in pain self! It's a theory at this point; a work in progress.
About my vision problems - he said they are definitely NOT auras. He said it sounds like they are related to low blood pressure, which is usually caused by one of three things: medications, old age, or something else I can't remember, but he said that none of those seemed to apply to me. He did try taking my blood pressure laying down, sitting, and standing - and as one would expect there was some slight change, but nothing out of the ordinary (granted at that time my vision was fine). Also to note, my blood pressure is normally lower (but not too low considering my "petite size" as he put it), so it probably wouldn't take much to drop it to a level that would cause the vision disturbances. He told me that if it happens to lay down or sit down and put my head between my knees and keep track of the occurances and we would look over it again at our next appointment on July 5th. I have been doing some additional reading on pain managment and did find out that 2 of the medications I am on can cause lower blood pressure. It doesn't say in what dosage or how much lower. So it is possible that since mine is already lower than average, that it could possibly have to do with one or both of those. Since my appointment, I haven't had nearly the severity of the attacks like before. Sure, a few times I've stood up and for a few seconds had a few dark spots, but I think most people experience that occassionaly - like when you stand up too fast.
Lastly my neck, he was going to get a copy of the actual images to look at himself, but he said that from where the bulging disc is - he would expect that if it would have any effect on me it would be in the lower body - legs, feet, toes, bladder, etc. and I don't have any problems with that. He said it may have some residual pain which may be what I am experiencing, but it definitely is not causing the migraines. I stopped seeing the physical therapist because I honestly didn't feel it was helping me (at least not worth the time and money I was putting in). Again from my reading, everything recommends active P.T. (where I am involved and doing something and have exercised to do everyday) vs. passive P.T. (where the therapist does everything to you). I still have been seeing the chiropractor/acupuncturist. And I have started mild weight training. And for about the last week, my neck and back have hardly bothered me at all (except for the night of the storms, but that's an exception). I'm starting to wonder if the Botox didn't actually CAUSE the neck pain and once it was out of my system, I'm back to my normal usually not in pain self! It's a theory at this point; a work in progress.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Worried!
My eyes are starting to make me very worried!
Friday I missed work because when I woke up my vision "went out" - black spots - whenever I stood up - and it was accompanied by pain in my eyes and a circular pain around my head - like if you are wearing a hat that is much too tight. And I would get a stream from my neck up into my head of "emptiness." I'm not sure how to describe it. It was a lack of concentration; a fatigue feeling; a sense of emptiness in my head (and I mean physically - not an emotionally feeling). And this continued all day, every time I stood up - once I sat down it would pass and I would be ok. And as the day progressed the severity decreased until by the end of the day it pretty much stopped. Granted I also slept - a lot. I slept in until about noon. And then went back to bed for a nap about 4 until 6ish.
Saturday morning I experience the same thing again mildly, but it quickly passed.
Saturday night, I talked to a neighbor who is an eye doctor and asked to picked his brain. He said this does sound like it could be an aura, but the only when standing up - could also have to do with low blood sugar and asked if I had been eating much. Well, taking Friday as an example - that answer is clearly no, not with all the sleeping I was doing!
Sunday morning I wake up and it is even worse than Friday - when I first get up it is about the same as Friday, black spots. I sit down and get a large glass of juice and a large glass of water. If it's low blood sugar or dehydration I'm going to beat it! After a glass and a half of juice and a an English muffin with cream cheese and jelly - I am already fatigued and go back to bed. I get up about 2 hours later. I go out to the dining/living room to visit with my aunt and cousin and they offer me a bagel. I take my glass and my plate and suddenly my vision is completely gone - I can see nothing. It is black and purple. It is like you are in the light and suddenly someone turns off all the lights and it it pitch dark. And at this point I do get slightly dizzy. My eyes hurt. My head in that same circle like a tight hat hurts. My mother comes over and takes the things out of my hands. I had put my forarms on the two backs of the chairs in front of me to hold myself in place. She offers to take me back to bed and I say no just let me be. In a few moments I can make out the shape of the arm of the couch and I make my way to it.
Over the next 5 to 10 minutes, I get my vision back. First it is shapes - I see the shape of the TV and the TV stand. The shape of the couch across from me. The shapes of the window. And then colors start to come back. The first color was the dark brown TV stand and then others. The last color to come back was the color of the sky. When all the other colors were back, it was still a very bright bright white, but I couldn't make out the distinguishing colors of the sky - the clouds, where the leaves on the trees actually ended and the sky began (think in the movies how they portray the "bright light" or when God or Jesus appears and it is just a that STARK white - this is literally what I was seeing).
I have my new neurologist's appointment Tuesday and I called my eye doctor and was able to get in on Wednesday (just to cover my bases). So hopefully we may be closer to some answers (or at least elimintating some things). Up until this weekend I was (perhaps naivelly) convincing myself it was definitely an aura and migraine related because I don't want any more problems. It's scary to think I have more issues and more problems to think about (especially if it's blood sugar related!), but I'll hopefully know more in the next 72 hours!
In more normal news - I woke up with a plain old normal migraine this morning.... I guess normal is better than everything else at this point. Is it bad I'm excited about that???
Friday I missed work because when I woke up my vision "went out" - black spots - whenever I stood up - and it was accompanied by pain in my eyes and a circular pain around my head - like if you are wearing a hat that is much too tight. And I would get a stream from my neck up into my head of "emptiness." I'm not sure how to describe it. It was a lack of concentration; a fatigue feeling; a sense of emptiness in my head (and I mean physically - not an emotionally feeling). And this continued all day, every time I stood up - once I sat down it would pass and I would be ok. And as the day progressed the severity decreased until by the end of the day it pretty much stopped. Granted I also slept - a lot. I slept in until about noon. And then went back to bed for a nap about 4 until 6ish.
Saturday morning I experience the same thing again mildly, but it quickly passed.
Saturday night, I talked to a neighbor who is an eye doctor and asked to picked his brain. He said this does sound like it could be an aura, but the only when standing up - could also have to do with low blood sugar and asked if I had been eating much. Well, taking Friday as an example - that answer is clearly no, not with all the sleeping I was doing!
Sunday morning I wake up and it is even worse than Friday - when I first get up it is about the same as Friday, black spots. I sit down and get a large glass of juice and a large glass of water. If it's low blood sugar or dehydration I'm going to beat it! After a glass and a half of juice and a an English muffin with cream cheese and jelly - I am already fatigued and go back to bed. I get up about 2 hours later. I go out to the dining/living room to visit with my aunt and cousin and they offer me a bagel. I take my glass and my plate and suddenly my vision is completely gone - I can see nothing. It is black and purple. It is like you are in the light and suddenly someone turns off all the lights and it it pitch dark. And at this point I do get slightly dizzy. My eyes hurt. My head in that same circle like a tight hat hurts. My mother comes over and takes the things out of my hands. I had put my forarms on the two backs of the chairs in front of me to hold myself in place. She offers to take me back to bed and I say no just let me be. In a few moments I can make out the shape of the arm of the couch and I make my way to it.
Over the next 5 to 10 minutes, I get my vision back. First it is shapes - I see the shape of the TV and the TV stand. The shape of the couch across from me. The shapes of the window. And then colors start to come back. The first color was the dark brown TV stand and then others. The last color to come back was the color of the sky. When all the other colors were back, it was still a very bright bright white, but I couldn't make out the distinguishing colors of the sky - the clouds, where the leaves on the trees actually ended and the sky began (think in the movies how they portray the "bright light" or when God or Jesus appears and it is just a that STARK white - this is literally what I was seeing).
I have my new neurologist's appointment Tuesday and I called my eye doctor and was able to get in on Wednesday (just to cover my bases). So hopefully we may be closer to some answers (or at least elimintating some things). Up until this weekend I was (perhaps naivelly) convincing myself it was definitely an aura and migraine related because I don't want any more problems. It's scary to think I have more issues and more problems to think about (especially if it's blood sugar related!), but I'll hopefully know more in the next 72 hours!
In more normal news - I woke up with a plain old normal migraine this morning.... I guess normal is better than everything else at this point. Is it bad I'm excited about that???
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Aura - or is it?
For the past few weeks, I have had several blinding visual episodes. At this point I am not sure if they would actually be considered to be auras. Most of what I have read is auras are different from everyone, but usually blurry vision or lights. Mine are more like hallucinations. The most recent two are the ones I remember best. Early this morning I had one that was almost in the shape of a large red flower that would continue to grow and seem to move toward me. And it is blinding - it is the only thing I can see. And it doesn't go away when I close my eyes. The colors change to be more like when you close your eyes and look up towards a sunny bright sky - even when I'm in a pitch dark room. The one before that was octagon shapes, red and black, also moving toward me and growing larger. And when I closed my eyes it turned to blue and neon yellow.
Until this started happening I forgot that a few years ago, I had similar situation where my vision would just black out and it would happen randomly (from what I remember). I remember situations where I would be driving and have to pull over until it passed and I could see again.
Until this started happening I forgot that a few years ago, I had similar situation where my vision would just black out and it would happen randomly (from what I remember). I remember situations where I would be driving and have to pull over until it passed and I could see again.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
I Just Want a Good Night's Sleep
A few months ago a good night's sleep was unheard of for me. I would go to bed about 10-10:30 ish. Wouldn't usually fall asleep until after 11 and the between 3 and 4 I was back up - and my brain was wide awake. No matter what I tried, my brain was up, making lists, and plans, and not shutting off. If I was lucky I might get back to sleep around 5:30 or so, just in time for my alarm to go off at 6:10 and after hitting snooze a few times I would roll out of bed, still groggy around 6:30. This would happen multiple times a night.
To try to alleviate this, my doctor gave me stronger muscle relaxers and anti-anxiety pills to talk at night. I have been talking these for over a month now. I take them about 2 hours before bed and they will knock me out! I will be going, going, going, and then it's an immediate need to be in bed now, can't keep eyes open, no we are not finished this chapter or last 10 minutes of the show! And if I did wake up, I would roll over and be back to sleep immediately! I have been getting my 8 hours of sleep - still not liking waking up and sometimes groggy in the morning from the pills, but a huge improvement.
Then mom said, I was too drugged up and to stop taking them and I should take an Exedrin PM (only). Well, on Sunday I kind of took her advise - bad idea. I only took 2 mg of my muscle relaxer (instead of my normal 6-8) and only 10 mg of the anti-anxiety pill (instead of 20 mg). And I couldn't fall asleep and when I did, I kept waking up in pain - my shoulder and back hurt! I talked to my doctor at my appointment that day and told him I was going to "play" with the dosage and when I take it to find a better balance with sleeping and not feeling groggy.
Monday night - took 1 muscle relaxer at 5:30 and the other 3 at 8:30. Still never got the "knock out" feeling and kept waking up sore throughout the night.
Tuesday night - took 1 muscle relaxer at 7:30 and the other 3 at 8:30. Again no "knock out feeling". I fell asleep with a heat pad on. I woke up to turn it off. And later woke up to turn it back on.
Wednesday night - took all 4 muscle relaxers and both anti-anxiety pills together at 7:30 - started to get really drowsy around 9:45 and went to bed at that time, but still woke up several times throughout the night with neck and back pain; woke up at 5:40 and put heat pad on until after alarm went off.
I can't figure out what has changed and why I am so sore at night now. I have been doing physical therapy for 3 weeks now. And other than with my mom's suggestion, I just lowered the dose on one day. And the worst part is that a poor night's sleep means an even worse day ahead :(
To try to alleviate this, my doctor gave me stronger muscle relaxers and anti-anxiety pills to talk at night. I have been talking these for over a month now. I take them about 2 hours before bed and they will knock me out! I will be going, going, going, and then it's an immediate need to be in bed now, can't keep eyes open, no we are not finished this chapter or last 10 minutes of the show! And if I did wake up, I would roll over and be back to sleep immediately! I have been getting my 8 hours of sleep - still not liking waking up and sometimes groggy in the morning from the pills, but a huge improvement.
Then mom said, I was too drugged up and to stop taking them and I should take an Exedrin PM (only). Well, on Sunday I kind of took her advise - bad idea. I only took 2 mg of my muscle relaxer (instead of my normal 6-8) and only 10 mg of the anti-anxiety pill (instead of 20 mg). And I couldn't fall asleep and when I did, I kept waking up in pain - my shoulder and back hurt! I talked to my doctor at my appointment that day and told him I was going to "play" with the dosage and when I take it to find a better balance with sleeping and not feeling groggy.
Monday night - took 1 muscle relaxer at 5:30 and the other 3 at 8:30. Still never got the "knock out" feeling and kept waking up sore throughout the night.
Tuesday night - took 1 muscle relaxer at 7:30 and the other 3 at 8:30. Again no "knock out feeling". I fell asleep with a heat pad on. I woke up to turn it off. And later woke up to turn it back on.
Wednesday night - took all 4 muscle relaxers and both anti-anxiety pills together at 7:30 - started to get really drowsy around 9:45 and went to bed at that time, but still woke up several times throughout the night with neck and back pain; woke up at 5:40 and put heat pad on until after alarm went off.
I can't figure out what has changed and why I am so sore at night now. I have been doing physical therapy for 3 weeks now. And other than with my mom's suggestion, I just lowered the dose on one day. And the worst part is that a poor night's sleep means an even worse day ahead :(
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Working Out
So almost everyone I have been working with has a different opinion about what I should (or should not) do in terms of exercise.
Massage therapist: advised me for years to try yoga for flexibility and lengthen my muscles and reduce stress
Neurologist: (after MRI) no yoga because some of the poses could hurt my neck, but Pilate's might be good; he wants me to build up some muscles
Physical Therapist: doesn't recommend exercise beyond light cardio because if you need to use muscles on a regular basis you will build them up; and then if you stop using them regularly they will go away anyways...
Chiropractor/Acupuncturist: a good balance of everything sounds good - just start light and easy - and don't hurt yourself
Me: well, nobody can agree... and I know what hurts and what doesn't... so I'll try....
I had been doing a little walking already... here and there... nothing consistent, but I did realize that with walking, the light swinging movement of my arms usually would release a lot of the tension in my shoulders.
I started by going back to www.SparkPeople.com. I had used this site in the past, but I decided to try it again. It is a great site for tracking well any and everything thing. It tracks meals, fitness, exercise and other goals (even glasses of water drank in a day). They boast being a weight loss tool, but for someone like me that just needs to track everything it's helpful and the other thing I love is all the resources that are available! Workouts, videos, motivational articles, general well being, nutrition, diseases, recent health news, and the list goes on...
So in April I started using this site again and doing some research and I decided I wanted to start doing some very light strength training - and I decided that resistance bands is where I wanted to start. Easier said that done. I went shopping 3 times before I bought anything and even on the day of my purchase I spent at least 30 minutes standing in Walmart's fitness section trying to pick resistance bands. I finally decided on this kit by Gold's Gym. It is a great beginner's start with light and medium resistance short and long tubes with door attachment, a medium resistance band, a medium resistance ring, and instructional DVD.
Now that I was fully equipped (ok only partially, but at least ready), I needed to find out what I was going to do with these bands. My target area is upper body, chest, arms, back, etc. I went back to my Spark People site and they have short workout videos with bands specifically for upper body!
Last week was my first week of semi-consistent working out! The most consistent I have been in... well, longer than I can remember!
On Saturday May 12th I walked for 30 minutes and went 1.28 miles (which is a pace for a 23 minute mile). Oh that is another awesome feature of Spark People - they have a "Map Your Route" where you can just put in your starting address and make the points in your walk/jog/bike and it will calculate how far you went. I have even zoomed in close and used the satellite view to find the path around a park. I think they use Google Maps for it, but don't quote me on that!
On Sunday May 13th I walked for 25 minutes and went 1.46 miles (a 17 minute mile pace). By the time I was getting close to home I could it in my calves! 2 walks in 2 days!
Tuesday May 15th I got adventurous. I tried to jump rope. I made it 4.5 minutes and my calves were burning for about 5 days afterwards, but it was worth it to try!!! I also did my first day of strength training using a Spark People video (this is also available on YouTube so I will provide it here) 7-Minute Upper Body Resistance Band Workout And I wasn't done here! That evening during Kyra's soccer practice I walked around the soccer field and playground for 50 minutes of her hour practice! I did 1.86 miles at a 26 minute mile pace.
Thursday May 17th I did some more strenght training. I repeated the resistance workout above and included and additional workout 7-Minute Seated Resistance Band Workout for Upper Body. After those two; my arms were definitely feeling jello-y.
My current goals are walking 3-4 days a week and resistance bands for upper body 2-3 days. Soon I hope to be able to add to this, but as my mother says "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." And so I will do the same with this; one step at a time, especially because with me the consequences of an injury are so much more severe.
Massage therapist: advised me for years to try yoga for flexibility and lengthen my muscles and reduce stress
Neurologist: (after MRI) no yoga because some of the poses could hurt my neck, but Pilate's might be good; he wants me to build up some muscles
Physical Therapist: doesn't recommend exercise beyond light cardio because if you need to use muscles on a regular basis you will build them up; and then if you stop using them regularly they will go away anyways...
Chiropractor/Acupuncturist: a good balance of everything sounds good - just start light and easy - and don't hurt yourself
Me: well, nobody can agree... and I know what hurts and what doesn't... so I'll try....
I had been doing a little walking already... here and there... nothing consistent, but I did realize that with walking, the light swinging movement of my arms usually would release a lot of the tension in my shoulders.
I started by going back to www.SparkPeople.com. I had used this site in the past, but I decided to try it again. It is a great site for tracking well any and everything thing. It tracks meals, fitness, exercise and other goals (even glasses of water drank in a day). They boast being a weight loss tool, but for someone like me that just needs to track everything it's helpful and the other thing I love is all the resources that are available! Workouts, videos, motivational articles, general well being, nutrition, diseases, recent health news, and the list goes on...
So in April I started using this site again and doing some research and I decided I wanted to start doing some very light strength training - and I decided that resistance bands is where I wanted to start. Easier said that done. I went shopping 3 times before I bought anything and even on the day of my purchase I spent at least 30 minutes standing in Walmart's fitness section trying to pick resistance bands. I finally decided on this kit by Gold's Gym. It is a great beginner's start with light and medium resistance short and long tubes with door attachment, a medium resistance band, a medium resistance ring, and instructional DVD.
Now that I was fully equipped (ok only partially, but at least ready), I needed to find out what I was going to do with these bands. My target area is upper body, chest, arms, back, etc. I went back to my Spark People site and they have short workout videos with bands specifically for upper body!
Last week was my first week of semi-consistent working out! The most consistent I have been in... well, longer than I can remember!
On Saturday May 12th I walked for 30 minutes and went 1.28 miles (which is a pace for a 23 minute mile). Oh that is another awesome feature of Spark People - they have a "Map Your Route" where you can just put in your starting address and make the points in your walk/jog/bike and it will calculate how far you went. I have even zoomed in close and used the satellite view to find the path around a park. I think they use Google Maps for it, but don't quote me on that!
On Sunday May 13th I walked for 25 minutes and went 1.46 miles (a 17 minute mile pace). By the time I was getting close to home I could it in my calves! 2 walks in 2 days!
Tuesday May 15th I got adventurous. I tried to jump rope. I made it 4.5 minutes and my calves were burning for about 5 days afterwards, but it was worth it to try!!! I also did my first day of strength training using a Spark People video (this is also available on YouTube so I will provide it here) 7-Minute Upper Body Resistance Band Workout And I wasn't done here! That evening during Kyra's soccer practice I walked around the soccer field and playground for 50 minutes of her hour practice! I did 1.86 miles at a 26 minute mile pace.
Thursday May 17th I did some more strenght training. I repeated the resistance workout above and included and additional workout 7-Minute Seated Resistance Band Workout for Upper Body. After those two; my arms were definitely feeling jello-y.
My current goals are walking 3-4 days a week and resistance bands for upper body 2-3 days. Soon I hope to be able to add to this, but as my mother says "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." And so I will do the same with this; one step at a time, especially because with me the consequences of an injury are so much more severe.
Extreme Frustration!
Yesterday was a bad day :( I woke up with tight muscles from my middle back up my neck and into my head into a migraine. After taking multiple pain meds, muscle relaxers and migraine medication, I had only reached mild relief. But I have my physical therapist and my neurologist appointments scheduled for the afternoon, so was somewhat hopeful.
Went to P.T. first, and after the electo-heat therapy was feeling rather light headed, that head (temparily) released some of the tension in my muscles. I went into the gym and took my position on the rocking table and told the physical therapist that I was much tighter than normal and his response was that "almost all of his patients had said that today". Did he take any extra time with me to work out that tightness? NO! Did he do any extra stretches to help me? NO! He did our normal routine and sent me on my way!
Then I went straight over to my neurologist's office for a follow up. This is a requirement - we have to do a "follow-up" before we can do another Botox appointment per the insurance company - yay another waste of a $35 copay! And as my Dr. is reviewing my chart he says "Yeah, its a fluke (or luck) that we did the MRI and found these issues". WHAT!!!! REALLY??? In my mind, "these issues" are a pretty big deal!!! And probably a big cause of my migraines!!! A fluke!!! I mean I don't like doctors recommending unnecessary tests either, but to miss something this big for 2 1/2 years!!!
Same thing with my original chiropractor. She never did x-rays. Again maybe not on the first appointment, but after 2 years of playing with my spine, you would think she might be able to feel that something might not be right and that we might want to look deeper than just continue with adjustments!
It just feels like there have been so many times in the past several years that someone might have taken a moment to look at the bigger picture!
So after my appointments last night and after the temporary relief wore off, I could feel the tightness and tension set back in - and I knew last night that this morning would be painful again. I took my muscle relaxers and my pain meds, as per my doctor's prescription and took an Imitrex to try to ward it off... but no such luck!
I know my body better than any of these people and it's frustrating that I can't get them to listen or understand. I'm excited to go see Dr. Jones tonight because he takes the time to listen to me and feel out my body a little and make small adjustments to our plan to try to help what I need on any given day! Best choice I have made in the past few months!!!
Went to P.T. first, and after the electo-heat therapy was feeling rather light headed, that head (temparily) released some of the tension in my muscles. I went into the gym and took my position on the rocking table and told the physical therapist that I was much tighter than normal and his response was that "almost all of his patients had said that today". Did he take any extra time with me to work out that tightness? NO! Did he do any extra stretches to help me? NO! He did our normal routine and sent me on my way!
Then I went straight over to my neurologist's office for a follow up. This is a requirement - we have to do a "follow-up" before we can do another Botox appointment per the insurance company - yay another waste of a $35 copay! And as my Dr. is reviewing my chart he says "Yeah, its a fluke (or luck) that we did the MRI and found these issues". WHAT!!!! REALLY??? In my mind, "these issues" are a pretty big deal!!! And probably a big cause of my migraines!!! A fluke!!! I mean I don't like doctors recommending unnecessary tests either, but to miss something this big for 2 1/2 years!!!
Same thing with my original chiropractor. She never did x-rays. Again maybe not on the first appointment, but after 2 years of playing with my spine, you would think she might be able to feel that something might not be right and that we might want to look deeper than just continue with adjustments!
It just feels like there have been so many times in the past several years that someone might have taken a moment to look at the bigger picture!
So after my appointments last night and after the temporary relief wore off, I could feel the tightness and tension set back in - and I knew last night that this morning would be painful again. I took my muscle relaxers and my pain meds, as per my doctor's prescription and took an Imitrex to try to ward it off... but no such luck!
I know my body better than any of these people and it's frustrating that I can't get them to listen or understand. I'm excited to go see Dr. Jones tonight because he takes the time to listen to me and feel out my body a little and make small adjustments to our plan to try to help what I need on any given day! Best choice I have made in the past few months!!!
Friday, May 18, 2012
New Migraine Journal
I have been having problem keeping track of my migraines and everything in my migraine journal like I was supposed to. Previously I had a 3 ringed binder with lined paper and just expected myself to write in it every day. It wasn't very organized - or user (Kelly) friendly. I also had a handwritten medication list and the migraine tracker from the neurologist in the binder.
Now I have put my medication list on the computer (it is easier to update when needed - just add/delete a medication - or change a dose and reprint). I have also organized it into 3 sections: 1) Daily prescription medications 2) Daily non prescriptions and 3) Migraine medications. Under the Daily prescription medications I first list the meds I only take in the AM, then meds I take AM and PM, and then only PM med. Daily non prescription include vitamins and minerals that I take on a regular basis. Migraine medications list the dose and states as needed. I also include the last Botox treatment for reference. I also try to include the generic name and the non-generic name when I am taking a generic brand, as my doctors usually reference the brand name, but I usually only know the generic name - so this has helped me stay less confused! Below is a template of what that looks like:
After that I have one of those plastic business card holders and I have business cards for all of my doctors, my physical therapist, massage therapist, and chiropractor. Also one for my supervisor at work. This is a a mulit-purpose page. It would be useful in the above situation if someone needed to get ahold of someone on my behalf - and it is helpful for me just to have all of that information in one place.
Next, I still have my neurologist's migraine tracker because this is how he likes to see my progress/problems.
Next I have created an Excel spreadsheet with symptoms taken from Migraine Brain to track many possible prodrome, aura, pain phase and postdrome symptoms - some that may not even seem related.
I have created a daily log. I used a Microsoft Excel template that was a food/exercise chart and slightly modified to better fit my needs. The page is front and back. On the front it has the meals for the day and medications. There is a spot to keept track of glasses of water per day. There is a medictaion tracker - both used for daily preventative meds in the morning and night - and for meds taken if needed during the day for a migraine attack. On the back page is a small spot for exercise. There is a spot to record amount and quality of sleep, general mood, notes of physical complaints. I added the weather spot; I have a weather display that shows humidity, temp and barametric pressure. Finally there is a spot listed Other for any other notes for the day. This is the second amended copy - a few changes have already been made from the first copy - but much easier to use than just blank paper to try to record what I wanted before!
Last I have blank calendars so that I have a quick reference of when I have migraines in reference to other events, such as massage, accupuncture, physical therapy, etc. to see if there is any association. Also when I start to work out I will include that on the calendar as well.
In the pockets of the folder I include copies of my test results (MRI) and my FMLA paperwork for work.
Now I have put my medication list on the computer (it is easier to update when needed - just add/delete a medication - or change a dose and reprint). I have also organized it into 3 sections: 1) Daily prescription medications 2) Daily non prescriptions and 3) Migraine medications. Under the Daily prescription medications I first list the meds I only take in the AM, then meds I take AM and PM, and then only PM med. Daily non prescription include vitamins and minerals that I take on a regular basis. Migraine medications list the dose and states as needed. I also include the last Botox treatment for reference. I also try to include the generic name and the non-generic name when I am taking a generic brand, as my doctors usually reference the brand name, but I usually only know the generic name - so this has helped me stay less confused! Below is a template of what that looks like:
On the next page I have emergency contact numbers - my parents' home, work, and cell numbers. I once had a reaction to 2 drugs I was taking at work - and nobody had my mom's work phone number (or brought me my cell phone to call her!) and a co-worker called my best friend, and she had her mom come get me from work to take me to the doctor. It worked out fine that time, but made me realize that something so simple can be very important!
After that I have one of those plastic business card holders and I have business cards for all of my doctors, my physical therapist, massage therapist, and chiropractor. Also one for my supervisor at work. This is a a mulit-purpose page. It would be useful in the above situation if someone needed to get ahold of someone on my behalf - and it is helpful for me just to have all of that information in one place.
Next, I still have my neurologist's migraine tracker because this is how he likes to see my progress/problems.
Next I have created an Excel spreadsheet with symptoms taken from Migraine Brain to track many possible prodrome, aura, pain phase and postdrome symptoms - some that may not even seem related.
I have created a daily log. I used a Microsoft Excel template that was a food/exercise chart and slightly modified to better fit my needs. The page is front and back. On the front it has the meals for the day and medications. There is a spot to keept track of glasses of water per day. There is a medictaion tracker - both used for daily preventative meds in the morning and night - and for meds taken if needed during the day for a migraine attack. On the back page is a small spot for exercise. There is a spot to record amount and quality of sleep, general mood, notes of physical complaints. I added the weather spot; I have a weather display that shows humidity, temp and barametric pressure. Finally there is a spot listed Other for any other notes for the day. This is the second amended copy - a few changes have already been made from the first copy - but much easier to use than just blank paper to try to record what I wanted before!
Last I have blank calendars so that I have a quick reference of when I have migraines in reference to other events, such as massage, accupuncture, physical therapy, etc. to see if there is any association. Also when I start to work out I will include that on the calendar as well.
In the pockets of the folder I include copies of my test results (MRI) and my FMLA paperwork for work.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Start of P.T.
Tuesday I started my Physical Therapy.
First they did a electo-heat therapy on my neck that is supposed to confuse my brain about whether or not it is actually in pain. They put little pads on my neck and upper back and wrapped my back and neck in heat pads and then turned on the little pads and they just felt like tingling sensations - that would make my muscles jump. And I just laid there for 20 minutes. It was almost relaxing, except for the involuntary muscles jumping.
Then I went to out to their gym and the physical therapist had me lay down on a table, which seemed like a normal table until he turned it on and it started rocking the lower half of my body. Meanwhile he stretched and massaged and pushed all over and around my neck.
The last thing they did there was to adjust or pop my leg and hips. My left leg is "shorter" than my right - my hip is actually up higher than it should be on that side. So one of the assistants had me lay on my back and he literally pulled my left leg out further. I barely felt or heard a thing. Then he had me lay on my back and bend my legs and he pushed my knees outward to pop my hips. Again didn't feel or hear anything at the time. But as I was getting down off the table he told me that I may be a little sore later... and let me tell you, it hurt!!! I was amazed! But I actually felt like I was walking different, the pressure on my feet felt different the rest of the day!
And by the end of the day when my neck and back are usually really screaming at my - I only really had very mild pain! So definitely a start!!!
Next P.T. appointment is Friday.
After work I went back to the acupuncturist/chiropractor. He had taken x-rays the day before and those were interesting to look at. He had noticed the day before the my posture tended to lean to the left. Well the x-rays showed that from the spot of my bulging disk, my spine does then lean to the left. Also my neck instead of having a nice smooth c-curve like a normal healthy neck should, mine is a straight line.
I told him all of the events of the the morning and he decided the best course of action for me with him would be some acupuncture, which is what I had asked for, and also neck decompression. We also talked about adjustments and he had an additional, safer option. So we gave that a try.
Instead of actually manipulating the neck, he used a little metal device (with a rubber stopper on the end) and basically taps up the spine to still release the pressure without twisting my neck around. From what he was seeing, he didn't think a normal adjustment would be a problem, but I still wanted to play it safe for now.
Next we did the neck decompression. So right now for me, the best feeling is literally when someone picks up my head and pulls it upward, releasing all the pressure on my neck. I guess that's where the degenerate disk disease and straight spine come into play. So they have a machine that will do that and the goal is to overtime, have the neck re-align itself. So I lay on yet another table, but this one has big pads that sit under my jaw. And my head is on a board that moves. After I lay down he straps my head in and turns on the machines and it very lightly pulls up on my head and for I don't know how long 10,15,20 minutes it pulls, releases, pull, pulls harder, releases and just stretches out my neck.
Meanwhile, while I am laying there, he also does the acupuncture. He puts two under my nose to help with sinuses. One between my eyebrows to help with overall mood. And then one in my hand, one around my knee and one in the top of my head which were headache/migraine/pain related.
After the needles were removed and I was released from the machine, (I felt amazing from the neck machine!), he put me on the electro things similar to this morning only without the heat and explained that after the neck decompression it was a necessity and that some people will feel sick after the neck decompression.
I go back to see him on Thursday.
First they did a electo-heat therapy on my neck that is supposed to confuse my brain about whether or not it is actually in pain. They put little pads on my neck and upper back and wrapped my back and neck in heat pads and then turned on the little pads and they just felt like tingling sensations - that would make my muscles jump. And I just laid there for 20 minutes. It was almost relaxing, except for the involuntary muscles jumping.
Then I went to out to their gym and the physical therapist had me lay down on a table, which seemed like a normal table until he turned it on and it started rocking the lower half of my body. Meanwhile he stretched and massaged and pushed all over and around my neck.
The last thing they did there was to adjust or pop my leg and hips. My left leg is "shorter" than my right - my hip is actually up higher than it should be on that side. So one of the assistants had me lay on my back and he literally pulled my left leg out further. I barely felt or heard a thing. Then he had me lay on my back and bend my legs and he pushed my knees outward to pop my hips. Again didn't feel or hear anything at the time. But as I was getting down off the table he told me that I may be a little sore later... and let me tell you, it hurt!!! I was amazed! But I actually felt like I was walking different, the pressure on my feet felt different the rest of the day!
And by the end of the day when my neck and back are usually really screaming at my - I only really had very mild pain! So definitely a start!!!
Next P.T. appointment is Friday.
After work I went back to the acupuncturist/chiropractor. He had taken x-rays the day before and those were interesting to look at. He had noticed the day before the my posture tended to lean to the left. Well the x-rays showed that from the spot of my bulging disk, my spine does then lean to the left. Also my neck instead of having a nice smooth c-curve like a normal healthy neck should, mine is a straight line.
I told him all of the events of the the morning and he decided the best course of action for me with him would be some acupuncture, which is what I had asked for, and also neck decompression. We also talked about adjustments and he had an additional, safer option. So we gave that a try.
Instead of actually manipulating the neck, he used a little metal device (with a rubber stopper on the end) and basically taps up the spine to still release the pressure without twisting my neck around. From what he was seeing, he didn't think a normal adjustment would be a problem, but I still wanted to play it safe for now.
Next we did the neck decompression. So right now for me, the best feeling is literally when someone picks up my head and pulls it upward, releasing all the pressure on my neck. I guess that's where the degenerate disk disease and straight spine come into play. So they have a machine that will do that and the goal is to overtime, have the neck re-align itself. So I lay on yet another table, but this one has big pads that sit under my jaw. And my head is on a board that moves. After I lay down he straps my head in and turns on the machines and it very lightly pulls up on my head and for I don't know how long 10,15,20 minutes it pulls, releases, pull, pulls harder, releases and just stretches out my neck.
Meanwhile, while I am laying there, he also does the acupuncture. He puts two under my nose to help with sinuses. One between my eyebrows to help with overall mood. And then one in my hand, one around my knee and one in the top of my head which were headache/migraine/pain related.
After the needles were removed and I was released from the machine, (I felt amazing from the neck machine!), he put me on the electro things similar to this morning only without the heat and explained that after the neck decompression it was a necessity and that some people will feel sick after the neck decompression.
I go back to see him on Thursday.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
My Cave
I found that one of the extremely important things is to have a comfy place to sleep - both to get a good night sleep every night, and to sleep during migraine time.
I have room darkening window curtains from JCPenney's? These are great because I get super light sensitive during migraines and this keeps the light out!!! Hense the term "my cave". I can never tell what the weather is like (sunny, dreary, cloudy, etc.) before I actually open the curtains.
I bought a Dream Therapy Memory Foam from Kohls. Mine is only 1.5 inches think - thin enough to still fit under my sheets, but think enough to provide extra comfort. I am a side sleeper so this helps me keep my shoulders under me (instead of sliding them slightly forward or backward) and still be comfortable enough because they have somewhere soft to go.
I also have 3 pillows to pick and choose from depending how my neck is feeling and how much support I need. First I have a firm contour pillow. Next I have a medium U-shaped pillow that is great for keeping the back and neck alighned. We bought this at Bed Bath and Beyond for $20. Third I have a soft regular pillow. I normally use the U-shaped pillow, but depending on the night, I may use a different one, or switch during the night.
I have room darkening window curtains from JCPenney's? These are great because I get super light sensitive during migraines and this keeps the light out!!! Hense the term "my cave". I can never tell what the weather is like (sunny, dreary, cloudy, etc.) before I actually open the curtains.
I bought a Dream Therapy Memory Foam from Kohls. Mine is only 1.5 inches think - thin enough to still fit under my sheets, but think enough to provide extra comfort. I am a side sleeper so this helps me keep my shoulders under me (instead of sliding them slightly forward or backward) and still be comfortable enough because they have somewhere soft to go.
I also have 3 pillows to pick and choose from depending how my neck is feeling and how much support I need. First I have a firm contour pillow. Next I have a medium U-shaped pillow that is great for keeping the back and neck alighned. We bought this at Bed Bath and Beyond for $20. Third I have a soft regular pillow. I normally use the U-shaped pillow, but depending on the night, I may use a different one, or switch during the night.
New Plan of Attack
Went and spent 2.5 hours with my neurologist yesterday.
I got an EMG done. If you've never had one (or never heard of it, like I hadn't) let me explain. It is a test to see how the nerves and muscles are reacting. So they put little metal tabs on my hand and then shocked different places up and down my hands and wrists and arms and the machine was recording the responses. Sometimes it just made my hand jump - sometimes it actually hurt a bit. Then came the muscle part - they kept a few of the metal tabs on and then took a needle that was also attached to the machine and would stick that into different muscles up and down my arm and then make me push against the doctor to work that specific muscle. This one tended to hurt more! But overall he said the results looked good!
We went over the MRI results in more detail from earlier in the month and (especially after my muscle test) he said I could start doing normal activity; some light lifting - no helping anybody move or anything like that. He suggested the epidural shot (which I supposed is the cortizone). I asked about physical therapy - so we have decided to try that first. I also asked about trying yoga to help stretch out my neck and shoulder muscles; he suggested waiting on that for now because some of the poses could potentially hurt my neck. He did think pilates might be better (going back to the building muscle thing).
He also was concerned about my stress level. I told him (and the nurse) that I get migraines, I miss work, I don't get paid, I don't have money, I get stressed, I get migraines - I'm stuck in a endless loop. The both laughed, but know it's true. He suggested seeing a psychologist to help with my stress level and also prescribed a anti-anxiety med that will help with the stress and also help sleep!!! Maybe I won't wake up at 4am several nights a week - that will be nice!
Next Botox appointment is set for June 7th - hopefully it will help even more this treatment - and hopefully by then these other steps will improve my neck/back.
So recap:
Start physical therapy - 2x a week for 6 weeks
Start working out (perhaps pilates - no yoga)
Continue with massage therapy
No chiropractor - at least not neck adjustments - only lower back
Start accupuncture (this was my own decision - have an appt on Mon Apr 30)
Strongly consider psychologist for stress management
Meds:
Added Naproxen (Stronger NSAID) 2x daily for constant neck/back pain
Added Elivin at night for anxiety/stress/sleep
Continue all other meds
Zalaflex - muscle relaxer - at night
Topimax - migraine preventative - morning and night
Dolovent - specialty migraine vitamins - morning and night
Oh and most important - I am re-making my migraine folder/diary - so it is more Kelly friendly! I have been very lax in using it consistenly :( Shame on me. So that is another big action step!!!
I also got my weather meter set up! It has inside/outside temp and humidity and barameter so I will start keeping track of that as well in my new migraine folder - once that is set up!
I got an EMG done. If you've never had one (or never heard of it, like I hadn't) let me explain. It is a test to see how the nerves and muscles are reacting. So they put little metal tabs on my hand and then shocked different places up and down my hands and wrists and arms and the machine was recording the responses. Sometimes it just made my hand jump - sometimes it actually hurt a bit. Then came the muscle part - they kept a few of the metal tabs on and then took a needle that was also attached to the machine and would stick that into different muscles up and down my arm and then make me push against the doctor to work that specific muscle. This one tended to hurt more! But overall he said the results looked good!
We went over the MRI results in more detail from earlier in the month and (especially after my muscle test) he said I could start doing normal activity; some light lifting - no helping anybody move or anything like that. He suggested the epidural shot (which I supposed is the cortizone). I asked about physical therapy - so we have decided to try that first. I also asked about trying yoga to help stretch out my neck and shoulder muscles; he suggested waiting on that for now because some of the poses could potentially hurt my neck. He did think pilates might be better (going back to the building muscle thing).
He also was concerned about my stress level. I told him (and the nurse) that I get migraines, I miss work, I don't get paid, I don't have money, I get stressed, I get migraines - I'm stuck in a endless loop. The both laughed, but know it's true. He suggested seeing a psychologist to help with my stress level and also prescribed a anti-anxiety med that will help with the stress and also help sleep!!! Maybe I won't wake up at 4am several nights a week - that will be nice!
Next Botox appointment is set for June 7th - hopefully it will help even more this treatment - and hopefully by then these other steps will improve my neck/back.
So recap:
Start physical therapy - 2x a week for 6 weeks
Start working out (perhaps pilates - no yoga)
Continue with massage therapy
No chiropractor - at least not neck adjustments - only lower back
Start accupuncture (this was my own decision - have an appt on Mon Apr 30)
Strongly consider psychologist for stress management
Meds:
Added Naproxen (Stronger NSAID) 2x daily for constant neck/back pain
Added Elivin at night for anxiety/stress/sleep
Continue all other meds
Zalaflex - muscle relaxer - at night
Topimax - migraine preventative - morning and night
Dolovent - specialty migraine vitamins - morning and night
Oh and most important - I am re-making my migraine folder/diary - so it is more Kelly friendly! I have been very lax in using it consistenly :( Shame on me. So that is another big action step!!!
I also got my weather meter set up! It has inside/outside temp and humidity and barameter so I will start keeping track of that as well in my new migraine folder - once that is set up!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
It just won't go away!
Today was horrible!
Woke up at 6 with a migraine, but since it's Sunday I just rolled over to go back to sleep.
When I woke up around 9:30 or so I was feeling significantly better.
Decided I was ok to run errands with my mom and sister. Well errands took longer than expected and I broke cardnial rule #1 - Went out without my meds :(
While shopping (about 1), I came down with a migraine. By the time we got home, I was almost in tears. I took my meds and went to lay down in my "cave" - my room. After an hour of maybe some dozing but not much sleep (stupid neighbor mowing the lawn and sister's dog wanting attention), I tried to join the human race again, and I was feeling better.
A few hours later, around 6.15, it was back, yet again! Some more meds and 30 minutes in my "cave". And I was maybe 50% better, but had to give the little one a bath and dinner and ready for bed.
I took my muscle relaxers, which do a great job at making me sleeping after an undecided amount of time and I fully plan to take a Melatonin before bed to help me sleep through the night.
Right now, I'm better again. The muscle relaxers are kicking in - my eyelids are rather droopy - I'm going to push them a little further to ensure good sleep! (and hope this is the end of it and tomorrow really is a new day - not a continuation of my misery).
Woke up at 6 with a migraine, but since it's Sunday I just rolled over to go back to sleep.
When I woke up around 9:30 or so I was feeling significantly better.
Decided I was ok to run errands with my mom and sister. Well errands took longer than expected and I broke cardnial rule #1 - Went out without my meds :(
While shopping (about 1), I came down with a migraine. By the time we got home, I was almost in tears. I took my meds and went to lay down in my "cave" - my room. After an hour of maybe some dozing but not much sleep (stupid neighbor mowing the lawn and sister's dog wanting attention), I tried to join the human race again, and I was feeling better.
A few hours later, around 6.15, it was back, yet again! Some more meds and 30 minutes in my "cave". And I was maybe 50% better, but had to give the little one a bath and dinner and ready for bed.
I took my muscle relaxers, which do a great job at making me sleeping after an undecided amount of time and I fully plan to take a Melatonin before bed to help me sleep through the night.
Right now, I'm better again. The muscle relaxers are kicking in - my eyelids are rather droopy - I'm going to push them a little further to ensure good sleep! (and hope this is the end of it and tomorrow really is a new day - not a continuation of my misery).
Friday, April 13, 2012
Is the Botox Working?
So on Feb 29th I got Botox injections to try to help with my migraines. I think overall it is helping. With the exception of this week, I have been having fewer migraines and have not had multi-day migraines. This week has been pretty bad though. I talked to the nurse at my neurologist office yesterday and she said that everyone she has talked to has had a horrible week with some of the worst migraines; the general consensus is the weather!
The other "benefit" of the Botox is I have found I have additional problems with my neck. I have had neck pain for some time, usually on and off. But once I got the Botox, it was everyday and very intense. Since the Botox was also injected into my neck (and hence numbing those muscles), my doctor decided to look into it further and thought I may have disc problems.
After an MRI, we found out I have a protuding disc between my shoulder blades, stenonis (narrowing of the spinal canal), and degenerative disc disease. My neurologist is going to be doing an EMG (Electromyography) to find out if there is any additional nerve damage before we start any plan. This will be on April 25th. Does not seem at this point that my doctor thinks I will need surgery; possible cortisone shots, hopefully just physical therapy!
I am hoping that if we can fix these neck issues, it will help with the migraine situation - so the Botox may be even better for me than the normal uses to reduce occurrences of migraines, reduce frequency and allow medications to work better. For me, it may have helped find an underlying cause!!!
In other, semi-unrelated news, I have a finally made an appointment to try acupuncture! April 24th.
The other "benefit" of the Botox is I have found I have additional problems with my neck. I have had neck pain for some time, usually on and off. But once I got the Botox, it was everyday and very intense. Since the Botox was also injected into my neck (and hence numbing those muscles), my doctor decided to look into it further and thought I may have disc problems.
After an MRI, we found out I have a protuding disc between my shoulder blades, stenonis (narrowing of the spinal canal), and degenerative disc disease. My neurologist is going to be doing an EMG (Electromyography) to find out if there is any additional nerve damage before we start any plan. This will be on April 25th. Does not seem at this point that my doctor thinks I will need surgery; possible cortisone shots, hopefully just physical therapy!
I am hoping that if we can fix these neck issues, it will help with the migraine situation - so the Botox may be even better for me than the normal uses to reduce occurrences of migraines, reduce frequency and allow medications to work better. For me, it may have helped find an underlying cause!!!
In other, semi-unrelated news, I have a finally made an appointment to try acupuncture! April 24th.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)