October 2006 - The Migraineur

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The Migraineur - October 2006

Making a list.. and checking it twice...

October 31st 2006 07:22

I'm already starting to think about Christmas. Like every year, this year I vow will be different, less stressful, more enjoyable, better planned, fewer headaches, of all kinds.

Christmas shopping is my worst nightmare. I always leave it to the last minute despite reams of good intentions, but NOT THIS YEAR. This year, will be different.

So I've made myself a list and set myself a budget. I'm on eBay. I'm on Deals Direct. I'm on overstock.

I'm getting it over and done with and by golly, I feel good about it. I could of course always decide now that I'm going to do Christmas cards as well and stress myself out about that... and sometimes that seems to be the way it goes. Christmas is never plain sailing. It sort of doesn't feel right it it's not stressy.

Maybe that's the problem. Combined with tress immunity until after the fact.

I read something today about "Christmas Letdown". Not the letdown that occurs when you didn't get what you wanted from Santa, but the letdown that, like a deep sigh, you take after the holiday and let all the tension out.

Apparently that's what causes the post Christmas migraines.

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Posted By: Julia - Category: Living with Migraines

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Maybe, just maybe...

October 29th 2006 23:17

I had a call from a friend last night - she gave me a hard time for not keeping in contact with her more often.

Sometimes I really feel like people just don't get it. I've been sick with various stuff (adrenal stress, CFS, migraines etc.) For a couple of years now. I just CANNOT be the social butterfly I once was. Talking in the phone can trigger a headache, so I tend to avoid long phone conversations, something I once loved.

I also got married, and I don't have the time to spend anymore as we try to stretch ourselves between 2 very different sets of friends. If I had the energy I'd just throw parties and invite the lot like I used to, but I don't, and as we have two households squashed into a 2 bedroom unit, we have no space for a party either.

I had last week off work as I had a "floating module" for the course I'm doing. 9am - 6pm days, and I had to work before I went to college and most of the time work when I got home too.. AND it was seven days in a row, on top of the jetlag I STILL have.

I'm feeling annoyed because I'm doing the best I can, but people expect more.

And sometimes I keep thinking that maybe, just maybe I've kicked this thing. And that I'm "all better now". It would be easy to just be guilted into acting like nothing is wrong with me. To try to keep up the phone calls and parties etc. But I simply can't without it taking a huge toll on my health. I tried it. It doesn't work and I just end up more tired and sicker and off work some more, and I just can't afford to do that at the moment.

Sometimes, I just wish people understood.

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Posted By: Julia - Category: Living with Migraines

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Migraine yesterday... :(

October 24th 2006 08:35

Not having had a migraine for a while now (over a month!) I've forgotten how bad they are. I had college all weekend and now all this week as well.

When I got home, the lingering pain at the back of my neck that I've had since Friday exploded. All down the top of the neck area, and a swear I could feel my atlas bone sticking out - I can't feel it today, so there definitely is a difference.

I'm guessing the organic milk chocolate I had, combined with PMT had something to do with it. I've been getting better on the chocolate front, able to have a bit here and there - but maybe not in combination with other triggers.

I guess I keep hoping I'm better, and things are going to get back to some kind of normal.

Although some days, I think I've forgotten what "normal" is.

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Posted By: Julia - Category: Living with Migraines

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ESCAPE Migraines

October 20th 2006 02:55

I fell asleep on the couch last night. Which was really a STUPID thing to do - I got a bad nights sleep and my neck feels out of alignment. I still don't have a headache, but if this neck pain continues, I'm worried it will spark something.

I usually start a cluster or a migraine with a neck ache.

I was reading yesterday that there is a trial on for the hole-in-the-heart issue website is http://www.escapemigraines.com
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Posted By: Julia - Category: Research

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NO headache today!

October 19th 2006 02:53

Well, I'm tired and feeling pretty wiped and run down (the myofascial guy said this would happen) but I dont have a headache to day and that's a marvellous thing!

The session was interesting - a bit like remedial massage on steroids. I didn't know I had so many achey muscles. He suggested that we do the craniosacral stuff a little down the line

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Posted By: Julia - Category: Living with Migraines

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You are dying tomorrow - what will you eat tonight??

October 17th 2006 06:24

I've just been reading about another migraineur who has had to give up peanut butter, because it triggers her migraines.

It got me to thinking.. if I knew I was dying tomorrow, what would I eat for my last meal? What delicious migrainous triggers would I indulge in, knowing I was going to be immune to their effects

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Posted By: Julia - Category: Living with Migraines

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Well that explains it. I'm cortically thick!

October 17th 2006 04:51

New research has shown that migraine sufferers have 2 areas of their brains with unusual cortical thickness.

This, apparently, means that migraines will be "easier to diagnose

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Posted By: Julia - Category: Research

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Low Level Hell and myofascial release

October 17th 2006 00:33

Well, I managed to avoid a full on onslaught yesterday, I must remember homeopathy in my bag of tricks if I feel myself stiffening up.

I called the craniosacral guy. He recommended that myofascial release would be better for me at the stage, so I'm booked in to see him tomorrow at 8am. Should be interesting - I'll need to google that to find out what I'm in for

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Posted By: Julia - Category: Living with Migraines

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Finally rid of the cluster headache.. BUT

October 16th 2006 00:51

nux vomica

I just spent 23:45 minutes, on the phone, on hold. The line had a horrible crackle on it.. and it has triggered something. Sensitivity to sound is termed phonophobia, which is really a misnomber as "phobia" means "fear", and I'm not scared of the sound.. it's just irritating!

I can feel that tightness in the back of my skull, and my temporalis muscle has tightened into bands..

I've got some homeopathic Nux Vomica here. It usually calms me down if I find myself getting too iritable so I'll take some of that and see what it does. I'll plaster some migrastick on the back of my neck, too

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Posted By: Julia - Category: No Category

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Meet my Bunny - serious cuteness

October 15th 2006 03:51

Splotch the wonder rabbit

In a very vague attempt to link this post somehow to the subject of my blog, I'm going to mention pet therapy!

A few months ago, we found two rabbits abandoned on the verge outside of our block of apartments. We caught them and stuck them in the bathroom for the night

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Posted By: Julia - Category: No Category

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CranioSacral Therapy for Migraines

October 15th 2006 02:30

Dr. John Upledger, D.O., the discoverer of craniosacral therapy. has this to say about how it works with migraines..

CranioSacral Therapy has been used successfully to relieve a variety of sensory and/or motor neurological dysfunctions. In addition to headaches, neck and back pain, it's been used effectively on jaw dysfunction, chronic fatigue, muscle coordination difficulties, depression, eye problems, hyperactivity, central nervous system disorders and many other conditions.
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Posted By: Julia - Category: No Category

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Day 5 of cluster headache...

October 13th 2006 00:25

and I'm starting to get the shakes from lack of sleep.

I'm at work, with productivity of around 0. Hopefully I won't be going into the negatives by stuffing something up

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Posted By: Julia - Category: No Category

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