Walking into a new and brighter life.

Walking into a new and brighter life.

The healthy me

The healthy me

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This I know.................

This I know.................

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Killer pressure/headache

I have been battling a headache for almost a week now. I have taken Tylenol and it didn't touch the pain.
My primary care doctor only works Tuesday and Thursday and like it usually happens on Wednesday I could take it NO MORE so I went to the walk in Clinic.

He examined me and said it appeared I was having spasms in the muscles at the base of my skull. Makes sense ... That's where the headache originates then wraps itself around my head like hands squeezing.
He prescribed me Oxycodone and Flexeril and told me if it continues more than a few more days to call my doctor and be seen by her.
I went and picked up the prescriptions, came home and took them and sat in my chair. Before I knew it I was half awake / half asleep. I finally gave up and went to bed and slept. I woke up once took more pills and went back to sleep.
This morning I still have the headache, we'll see how things go.

It isn't the usual headache. It isn't so much painful as it is uncomfortable and intense. It just feels like squeezing. Maybe like a sinus headache, only around the back and sides of my head instead of my forehead and face.
All I know is that I have become so sensitive to medication. The last time I had this kind of medication was when I had my breast lumpectomy and that doctor gave me Oxycontin. That made me sick to my stomach.
This doesn't make me sick, just makes me feel like a sock puppet. LoL Kinda limp and clumsy!

The bone scan yesterday morning took all of 5 minutes. She said they will use those results as a baseline for future testing. Of course no results, they will send them to my doctor and it will take a week or so. That's the standard now .. I learned that along the way. Yep, about a week or 10 days ... for everything.

I had been asked to be interviewed on the subject of caregivers by the COPD Foundation. I missed her call yesterday while I was at the doctor, so I called after I got home and did the interview. They had asked me if I wouldn't mind writing a short article about myself and this disease for their weekly column. I told her I had forgot about that, and I would work on it.

I feel privileged they asked me. When it comes out I will copy it to here.

Now ... the meds are kicking in, I'll be napping for a while.

6 comments:

Karen said...

Hi, I just found you blog. I like it. I am 59 yrs old and have had Serve COPD for about 10 yrs. I am on 4 liters on Oxygen 24 hrs a day. I live alone. My husband of 35 yrs was tired of being a caregive instead of a husband and he left and is living with a woman our daughters age(35). It's hard being alone. I had a a couple close friends here,but they had to move,they lost their jobs. My family lives between 3 and 8 hours away.I don't move because I can't sell the house in this market.
But, I am doing okay. It gets hard some days but others are okay.
I plan on reading your blog a lot. Thank you for sharing.
Karen

Unknown said...

Karen,
I am so glad you found me. I couldn't imagine being alone and having no help. I am being nosey and you can tell me to mind my own business...
But, Are you on disability? If so, there are programs available to sign up for to have people come and help out with all kinds of things. You can even get help with your utility costs.
You need a support system. You come here as often as you like, leave me pages of messages. If you'd like I will give you my # and you can call me when you need to vent. This disease has so many side effects that "don't show" that you need someone who understands what you are going through.
I am looking forward to having many talks with you.

Giulia said...

Two suggestions for the headache that have nothing to do with pills. Techniques that I've either used and have found worked, or heard from friends that employed the methods. They may sound stupid, but - hey, can't hurt to try all techniques out there. Anything is better than drugs as far as I'm concerned.

Sit quietly and concentrate on making your hands hot. Just focus entirely on your hands and imagine them getting warmer and warmer and warmer. Spend a good ten minutes at least doing this. The reason it works is because we actually have an amazing amount of control over our bodily functions. What you "think" becomes reality. When you do this you will be drawing heat and pressure away from your brain and transferring it to your hands. Try it a couple of times. If it doesn't work for you - toss it. But there are those who've had success in reducing migraines with this method.

The other method is a bit more involved and really takes someone to be there to help you with the imagining. So try that first.

Oxycodone - oogh, that was prescribed for me after my achilles operation. I took it for about a day and a half and said FOREGET THAT! Hated it! Did nothing for the pain and just made me a zombie. I took theraputic doses of ibuprofen instead and that took all the pain away and kept me sane. Oxycodone is the pits as far as I'm concerned and I will NEVER allow anyone to put me on it again.

Unknown said...

Giulia,

I am always so glad to see your comments. I took the oxycodone for 2 days and like you couldn't handle being so dopey. I am still taking the stronger muscle relaxer and that seems to be working. The headache is still there lurking but just dull now.

I at this point am blaming everything on my thyroid issue. lol Even if I get a splinter it's the thyroid's fault.

Anonymous said...

Amiable dispatch and this fill someone in on helped me alot in my college assignement. Thanks you seeking your information.

Spunkie said...

Glad to hear you were able to go for your walk maybe that means your headack is better ... love checking in to see if you are ok.
I am still fighting the battle to walk going back to dr and PT today it seems to be helping .. my breathing is worse they are going to do another breathing test to see if med;s need adjusted. Hugzz

Can't wait to read the article.