Sigh. I know that one day there will be a time you will be reading a woohoo it is over! Today is not that day. It is frustrating as we are entering year 3 of this suffering, but I finally am with a doctor who is on top of this, knock on wood.
Believe me I am so happy that past “ideas” are not correct, such as MS, a brain tumor, but when you are a on the go, non-stop energy type, skidding to a stop is hard. And when it stops the forward motion in your personal life, it is crushing.
In June of 2011, I went to see a doctor at Michigan Headache & Neurology Institute. It was pretty quick in the visit that she felt I was way past an outpatient relieve, and it was determined I was going to go in the hospital for about 2 weeks. A snafu in my insurance, pushed it to December.
I thought it would never come, but finally I was admitted. What was neat was this was just a 20 bed wing of the hospital, we could wear out own clothes, and it was a team of about 15 doctors who were looking at your case along with the main doctor. If you ever watched the tv show “House”, it is that on steroids.
I had some tests done, but mostly I was testing different medication combinations that showed some relief. It took forever to find something that worked, but I did leave with 9 medications to do something. After having a facet block, and some muscle relaxants, my neck “released” and it seemed to allow the medicine to go to work on breaking up my headache. Now instead of one massive headache on the left side of my head, I now had two headaches, both their own identities, which is weird feeling. But this was progress!
The experience in the hospital was love/hate. I wasn’t prepared to see my doctor and his team for a minute or less a day. Yep you read that correctly. Some people walked in to the conference room, and walked back out, I don’t see how they could have sat down let alone gotten a consultation. I hardly got to say anything, he looked over the chart, and then sent me back out. It was only with someone coming to get me did I know I had tests. The nursing staff was fabulous! I have never had such kind and gentle people take care of me.
I left with a routine of 9 medications. As long as my neck is not immobile in a muscle spasm, the meds get through. I am thankful that I found my doctor and someone who isn’t afraid to just go for it and also listens to her patient. My next appointment is 6 weeks and I am excited to see where we are then.
I have been a Watkins associate for 15 years and officially disabled for a year. You can read more about my 3 year ongoing battle to find out what is robbing me of my once active lifestyle here.
