Nutra Sweet= how dangerous it is for you

Hi all,

dangerous
There was a site I went to and looked at the hazards, Yes the hazards of using NutraSweet. To those that do not know, sweet in low, equal, ect.. all of those artificial sweeteners, they all contain the ingredient that can cause migraines and more problems and the one thread between all of them is the NutraSweet chemical.

NutraSweet is actually a toxin and it also has Methanol poisoning in it, it contains 10% of methanol.

The website that has all information on NutraSweet is
http://www.lovethetruth.com/truth_about_aspartame.htm

Nutra Sweet AKA; aspartame

Migraines=how did they decrease?

I feel very blessed. When I was at my worst migraine time in my life it was about 3-4 years ago. Before 3-4 years ago I only had about 10 migraines out of a year...then after miscarriages my migraines went sky high...many per month. My doctor said he thought I would always have them at that level. Well the bottom line was I was not going to take that for an answer. I was lucky enough to have one of the best migraine doctors in the country..but he saw no way out .

After a couple of years, I became extremely in tuned with my body. I truly looked for all my triggers and how to change my lifestyle so I can avoid the pain a migraine can bring. Basically it was a life change for me. An example would be: how an overweight person changes their lifestyle to keep themselves fit and healthy. I am now doing the same thing with migraine triggers. I have changed my lifestyle. To be surprised it was not a drastic change, basically it was foods to stay away from, bug spray I never use, and I must keep myself healthy.

I can't truly tell you why I was able to take my life back. Most people no matter what they do they are still stuck in Daily Cronic Headaches. I had an attitude that I simply would not let this stick with me my whole life. I was determined to go back to how I was 5 years ago (where I could still work with a migraine and I only had 10 or so a year).




Going on this self discovery of my body has brought my migraines down to 1 or so a month....it is a rare occasion that they are horrible.

I am not saying this will be it for everyone. For me, I thank God everyday for helping me with my health.

Hello all,

I know I have taken a break from blogging about migraines for a couple of months. The reason being is I was trying to give my family and I a break. Everyone has in law problems in their family, but often there are some that just do not know when to stop and let people alone. I felt it was best for my family at that point to not post things about myself or family members because there are some that will use anything to be cruel to you...even degrading and berating because they find it funny to see what pain others may be in.
I will return to blogging about this...reason is i will not allow others to push me into silence because of their bulling.
thank you for understanding
liz

different type of blog

IMPORTANT TO SEE
DO YOU BELIEVE TORTURE WORKS?
Yes or No


Bottom line is we have gained info by torture methods. No it is not pretty, but neither is war and people flying planes into our own buildings.
Here is a short video on what happened.

TRULY HOPE PEOPLE TO START THINKING ON THIS



I DON'T KNOW WHICH WAY MY BLOG WILL GO. i AM VERY LUCKY TO HAVE DCH (DAYILY CRONIC HEADACHE ) GONE. i HAVE VERY FEW HEADACHES/MIGRAINES AND AM SO GREATFUL

OOps....i had to correct one of the links...sorry about that

Hello all,



I just wanted to let you know I was contacted by someone from MAGNUM(a migraine advocacy group) and I did not realized I had the wrong link to their site.



Magnum is a wonderful organization with a lot of information for people who suffer from migraines. The MAGNUM link is to the left on this page under 'Migraine organizations and Advocacy Groups.'



If you would like to go to the MAGNUM website now you can click here as well http://www.migraines.org/



So sorry if this has confused some of you when clicking on the site link before but it is fixed now and the link will bring you to the correct website.



Hope you all have a pain free day.

Liz

Got my Botox and I am thrilled that i have fewer migraines now!

Hello Fellow Migraineurs,

I finally got my botox today! I have to say I am VERY happy with how my medication and my migraines and headaches are responding.

7 years ago there was not as much attention payed to migraineurs like there are today, and 7 years ago when my migraines were out of control, I FELT SO ALONE! It was horrible. As the years went by and new Triptans came out, it seemed that more people were taking notice to it.

Well I have to say that in the last 5 years I have had to go to the ER at least once a month .....FOR FIVE YEARS. Since then, with the medical regimen I am on I have now gone a total of 5 months without having to go into the ER! I can not tell you how nice it has been, not only to stay out of the ER but also feel good. I still get my little pesky migraines (the little ones) every 7 to 10 days, but Treximet seems to work really well for me!

I guess what I am trying to say is, don't loose faith, it is possible with the right combination that your life can seem somewhat normal. I never thought I was going to be able to get back to this place. Of course now my job is to keep it here so my migraines do not go out of control again.

It is possible to come out of that black hole of dispare when you think pain will just be your life.

I am a big believer in Botox, it has helped me more than I can say.

I hope all of you have a wonderful migraine free day!

Liz

Books that may help!!!!

Hello all,

I hope everyone is doing well. I have just posted a bookshelf on this blog site. The books range from psychology to migraines and a few others. If you put your curser on the book it says what I think about it. Hope this is a help to all of you!
My favorite book by far is Lillian glass's, called 'Toxic People.' My husband and I are dealing with someone who is like this in our lives and it does help you to navigate those sticky situations with people that have their own issues, or rather try to put their baggage on you. I read this book a long time ago and re read it. It really puts things very clear to the reader...you do not need a degree in psychology either to read this, so it is great to recommend to everyone!

The reason I did this is because I am an obsessive reader, I could read for 24 hours strait, and these are books that I feel can help and some have helped me understand others or what is the best for me. With every book I can pick out something that I may not agree with, but by in large these are my favorites!
I hope this helps some of you, I put the psychology type books on there because as we well know as migraineurs, stress can cause migraines and headaches.
Hope you enjoy!

I hope you have a pain free day
Liz

Migraine and Nationalized Health Care

NATIONALIZED HEALTH CARE

&

DO YOU REALLY WANT A BEAN COUNTER TELLIN YOU WHAT TYPE OF MEDICAL ATTENTION YOU SHOULD BE GETTING????

As I have said before I try to keep this blog clean of politics...but in some areas I feel the need to speak out!

(by the way the reason I am writing so late/or early is because of all of the work I had done at the dentist...I will do a post on that next and what our migraine meds can do to our teeth..so I am sorry about the grammer...anyway)


In a perfect society of course I would want everyone to have the best coverage...but unfortunately we do not live in dream land! Although sometimes I think Nancy Pelosi does!

**There was a study done (I can find the specifics later) that migraine patients....at least at the level that most of us are at that read this blog have their own health care. We all work very hard to have it to be able to see the best doctors available.

The bottom line is if we put our health care in the hands of our government...well good luck on getting any type of treatment like we get now. If you are looking at getting what the Liberals want...meaning Pelosi and Clinton you can forget about

*seeing the doctor you want
*not getting your treatment
*having the government decide what is best for you instead of the doctors
*if you think you can do private pay in a Nationalized health care system...THAT IS WRONG
As a matter a fact even now doctors have their hands tied behind their backs with the medicare system...items such as...what tests need to be done...how fast you can get in....and a bean counter in D.C. telling you what is best

I prefer, my doctor and I deciding what is best for me....I get many e-mails from people in other countries that can't get the care (I am talking about for migraines and other diseases) we have here.

I find it sad....the rate at which doctors are going into medicine is declining because they are up to their eye balls in paper work and every which way they turn they are fighting someone to get their patients the proper care.

With the type of disease that is most often talked about on this blog (migraine) it terrifies me to think a bean counter in D.C. is going to put their sticky fingers in my private health care.
I truly am sorry if this sounds like a rant...I am tired from today and wish I could have written this a little better...
*In the post above it talks about Pelosi, and what type of morality she has...and do you really want someone like her deciding what your health care is and what you and your doctor can do.

The reason why America was started was because we wanted to be free of Government at each and every turn we take, yes we need it, but America was founded for small Government...it is sad sad sad...
Liz

THE YEAR OF MY HEALTH....A WEIGH IN...

I WILL BE SELFISH THIS YEAR AND PROUD OF IT!!!

MY SELFISHNESS REVOLVES AROUND MY WEIGHT AND GETTING TO A HEALTHY BMI.

(a site to calculate your BMI and understand what it is )
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_BMI/about_adult_BMI.htm

As I had said in the post about my goal....this year is a HEALTHY YEAR FOR ME! I have recently dropped a lot of weight and my migraines have come down. (Now there are many other factor...SO PLEASE DO NOT THINK WEIGHT IS THE ONLY ONE BECAUSE IT IS NOT, BUT IT DOES HELP TO BE AT YOUR HEALTHIEST!!!)

In my first post about this (I think I told you) I had opened up and said that with the migraine medication and other factors I gained a tremendous amount of weight. Now I am usually a size 4 so this is a new experience for me. When my migraines went out of control I was not able to run the 5 miles per day that I use to....I LOVE TO JOG OR RUN!

But now with things improving my weight is as well. I will tell you there has not been any secret to my method. I eat less and move more. I do however have a healthy shake in the morning (usually) and I eat very little the rest of the day. I love fruits and veggies so they are a big part of what I eat. As far as the healthy shake, I hate breakfast but I need to put something in my stomach (for all sorts of medical reasons). I have learned that having a health shake helps me. Since I do not believe in diets I know it will not work if I am so stricked with myself. THIS IS MY LIFESTYLE GETTING BACK TO WHAT IT WAS! If I have a craving for something I usually eat it,.....but for me it is all moderation. Instead of having a whole ice cream Sunday...I will have 1 taste JUST ONE and that's it.

So I am not an expert on this, I just have found what works for me.

I must admit I am curious about the gluten free meals and all of the other things migraineurs have tried. One thing that I do is stay away from NutraSweet. It is a chemical and every time I have it I get a migraine...it is awful! So I try to keep chemical out of my meals.

Now for the weigh in....I LOST 3lbs (this last week). Yes I am happy with that! For me my BMI weight should be between 115 or 152...that depends on how big my bones are. I am medium build so I should weigh around 135 or so.

Now my goal is 25lb and minus 3=22lbs more to go!

I hope you all have a well and pain free day!

Liz

My health for life year

Hello all,
(I will do a follow up on the addiction post in a couple of days)
For today I thought it would be good to share what I am doing. Ever since my migraines went out of control I have had a hard time controlling my weight. Well today I am starting to do a weight loss tickler. It is for 25lbs.

I have realized that being my healthiest weight wise reduces some of my migraines. So this year is my 'health for life year.

Every week I will weight in and put it on my weight chart...
so my tickler is...


I hope you all have a wonderful day
liz

ITEMS A MIGRAINEUR CAN NOT LIVE WITHOUT!

HI all,

I hope all of you are having a great Christmas season! It is amazing how fast it sneaks up on us.

As for my migraines are concerned....I am doing 90% BETTER AND I AM ECSTATIC about that! Botox for me has been a savior! I am going to talk about botox and the new results of the testing the government has done to see if insurance companies will cover it in the next post! The news is good.

BUT FOR THIS POST I HAVE TO TELL YOU WHAT I ABSOLUTELY FELL IN LOVE WITH....IT IS WONDERFUL WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A MIGRAINE....BUT WHEN YOU DO, IT MAKES YOU FEEL SO MUCH BETTER!

(I am adding the links to the side of this page so you can always go there to jump right to the web page.

What I have discovered is a brand named nap. It has everything one needs to feel soft and comfortable.

EXAMPLES

~PILLOWS (all different sizes and shapes)=they are perfect when you have a migraine (or just to use every night), they cradle your head in just the perfect way, not to mention the material that all of their items are covered with is the softest material I have ever felt. As you look through their pillows you can decide which one you would rather have to cradle your neck and head. Everyone is different, and they have many different shapes and sizes...I have bought them all and use each one depending on how I feel! This link is just for one of the pillows, there are many different kinds. The link at the end of this post will bring you to the home page so you can look at all of their items!

http://www.brookstone.com/store/product.asp?product_code=503169&search_type=search&search_words=nap&prodtemp=t1&cm_re=Result*R1C2*T

~Blankets(all different sizes)= When we have migraines EVERYTHING CAN BUG US...but with this brand the material that is used for the blankets are so soft you will use them everyday...I have now bought one and put it on my bed, it is so soft...as I said I have never felt anything so soft. It is perfect when you are not feeling well, it makes you feel like you are cuddling. I HAVE 4 OF THEM IN MY HOME AND NOW GIVE THEM AS GIFTS!

http://www.brookstone.com/store/product.asp?product_code=532598&search_type=search&search_words=nap&prodtemp=t1&cm_re=Result*R2C2*T

~Neck Pillow (massages)=This is perfect for having to fly on a plane. It cushions your neck perfectly and when you press the buton for massage it releases some of the tension in your shoulders...it is awesome!http://www.brookstone.com/store/product.asp?product_code=560425&search_type=search&search_words=nap&prodtemp=t1

~socks= I know this may not seem like a big deal...but when you are not feeling well...and even if you are feeling well....these are so soft to put on your skin....there are no words to describe it!

http://www.brookstone.com/store/product.asp?product_code=540302&search_type=search&search_words=nap&prodtemp=t1

~Cold and Heat wraps=OK THIS IS A MUST!!!! I just bought this a week or so ago and I can't believe how wonderful it is. They use the same soft material on one side and then on the other it is pure silk, so you can decide what you want to feel when you are not feeling well. These pouches have a zipper to open them (so when they get dirty they are very easy to clean, you just throw them in the washer) and you take the gel packs and heat them up or put them in the refrigerator if you want them cold (I like them cold and they stay cold for a long time!). In the package comes a very long gel pack that can fit easily around ones head or shoulders, they have one to put on the top of your head as well as one to cover the eyes! It is awesome.http://www.brookstone.com/store/product.asp?product_code=559633&search_type=search&search_words=nap&prodtemp=t1

~**Pillow, blanket, socks (the starter set)= If you are not sure if you want to invest in these items this is a perfect starter set, and the price is very good for all you get! I think once you try it you will fall in love with it just as I have!

http://www.brookstone.com/store/product.asp?product_code=546390&search_type=search&search_words=nap&prodtemp=t1

This is the link (below) to all of the 'nap' items, there are many more items than what I have written about....some I think you will love!

http://www.brookstone.com/search/search.asp?N=0&act=A30&search_type=search&Ntk=product&cmid=hdr_search&cm_re=A_Hdr*Search*N/A&Ntt=nap&D=nap&search_words=nap

I have almost everything this brand has out on the market and love it all, it is perfect when I am not feeling well! Another great thing is, it is all washable. I have washed everything and it still retains it's fluffy soft feel! If you purchase it I think you will love it just as I do! This is a great gift for yourself or for other migraineurs you know! I hope you enjoy!

I hope all of you are feeling well and keeping up with the holiday season, and of course Migraine free!

Liz

HAVE A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS....THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR

CHRISTMAS IS RIGHT

AROUND

THE CORNER

Hello everyone,

I am going to get to what I learned at the Migraine Symposium in Scottsdale, Arizona this week. I just have been very busy.

However I hope you noticed that I am decorating my Migraine Page for Christmas. I just can't wait!

By the way I love this picture with the Christmas Tree and the White House behind it. I wanted to thank all the men and woman who are serving our country so it can be free! All of those that are oversees for this time of year, I pray you are unharmed and that peace comes to you and your family. You are the real hero's. Thank you for all you do, so I have the right to be FREE.

God Bless all the troops and your families. Lets not forget all of the people on the front lines of this country everyday, firefighters, police, detectives, and I could go on and on....

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THANK YOU.....

WE, AS AMERICANS ARE FOREVER

IN YOUR DEBT!

I hope everyone has been good for when Santa comes to town.

Hope you all are Migraine Free today

Happy Holidays

Liz

New info to come on Botox!

Hello all,
Sorry it has been so long.

I have some great news to share with you on the Botox front.....that is for Saturday or Sunday perhaps.

I did want to let you know I am at the Scottsdale symposium for Migraine Sufferers. I can't wait to learn what has just come out this year.

I will post tomorrow on what I fond out.

Hope all is well you !
Liz

Keeping the old but starting the new!!!

BLOG CHANGE FOR THE BETTER

Hi everyone, I first wanted to thank you for using my blog as a resource.

I truly hope it has helped. This blog WILL ALWAYS BE UP! I am putting up a web site that will be more scientific for Migraineurs, I think it will help more!
It will take a couple of weeks to get the Web Site up an rolling.
I will have a link from my blog to the web site!
WHY AM I DOING THIS YOU ASK?
-Things will be easier to find, as far as your questions
- more information.
-Migraine FORUM
-a doctors list, for each doctor in your state to deal with pain and migraine, M.D.s and mentally such as Ph.Ds, PsychologistsI hope you will enjoy the new site!
-support for spouses (It is very hard on spouses as well to help take care of a Migraineur)


As I said...the blog will still be here and I will use the blog for my rants. I want to produce a more clear cut Migraineurs site!

The reason why I posted this on the side and on the 'blogpost' area is I want your input......I will be uploading a lot more than I put on this post.
PLEASE IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT I GUARANTEE OTHERS HAVE THAT SAME QUESTION, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
Go ahead and e-mail or put in under comments! I am happy to put it on the new site!
AS I SAID THIS ONE WILL STILL BE UP, the other one will just be a little more scientific!

Chocolate does not cause Migraines...What??? I think I will have a few pieces this Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

I hope all of you are going to have a wonderful Halloween month! For the Migraineurs out there...remember the new research that they are looking at about Chocolate shows

-Chocolate DOES NOT CAUSE MIGRAINES!!!

-Chocolate has a chemical in it and when we crave Chocolate the new research is showing that is part of the 'aura' or 'pre-migraine' condition.

I have tested this theory myself. It seemed to work out.

-With one Migraine I craved chocolate before the pain hit and did not eat any of it, and the Migraine still came full force!

-With the next bad migraine I ate the chocolate that I was craving before my migraine hit and of course the Migraine hit.

Now this is obviously not a Scientific study, but it was interesting to me that my body went into a Migraine either way. I have tried that more than once and it always comes out with the same results....the Migraine hits either way if I eat the Chocolate or don't eat it!

So...I will have a few pieces of Chocolate this Halloween!

I hope you all are having a pain free Spooktacular day!

Liz

HELLO ALL

Hello all

I am trying to do a RED, WHITE, AND BLUE theme.
Since we are only a few days away from the elections I wanted to do an American theme!
Please don't forget to .

So, since this site is under construction for a day or so, I just wanted to give you a heads up!


liz

Support for those who take care of Migraineurs..care givers are so important!

SUPPORT FOR THOSE WHO TAKE CARE OF A SPOUSE WITH

MIGRAINE DISEASE

I have spoken a lot on this web site on what a migraineur goes through, but I only have one or two posts about what my husband has to see me go through!

DO I THINK A SPOUSE SHOULD HAVE A SUPPORT SYSTEM OUT SIDE THE HOME?

ABSOLUTELY YES!!!!

IS THERE PLACES ON THE NET THAT CAN GIVE YOU A SUPPORT SYSTEM?

Yes

Are they well recognized and know what they speak of?

Yes

The name is 'My Migraine Connection' and they have a forum for all to speak about on all subjects of migraines. But the one that caught my eye was 'significant others only.' They have a forum for you to speak with other spouses in your position and with your frustration.

After you click on the link below you need to sign in and you can use another name so if you do not want everyone to know who you are it does protect your identity. After you sign in go the line that when your cursor is on it, it will have a drop down menu and you want to click on 'migraine community.' After you have clicked on 'migraine community' then you take your cursor all the way down because there is a lot of topics you can comment on...but for spousal support...'significant others only' would be the one you would want to click on for support!

I think you will love how Teri Roberts has put the web site and forum together!

I hope this has helped!

the link is

http://forums.healthcentral.com/discussion/migraine/forums?mod=1701031

The website is a great one for all types of questions. If you are a care taker and wonder what is exactly taking place in your spouses brain to caused such pain, Teri Roberts Ph.D has written wonderful articles to explain almost every question you have.

The link to her web site is the picture on the left that says, "Migraine is a Disease."

The web address is

http://www.mymigrainconnection.com/

I think you will love the web site and the forum!

I hope this has been helpful to those of you that are trying to help someone with this disease!

Truly,

Liz

WHY IS IT JUST ONE DAY FOR A TRIBUTE TO 9/11

WHERE WAS GOD ON 9/11?
A 9/11 TRIBUTE...WE SHOULD BE THIS THANKFUL EVERYDAY!

WHERE WAS GOD ON 9/11?
ANSWER: HE WAS EVERYWHERE!Have you ever thought, "Where was God on 9/11 when the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked?" Well, I know where my God was on the morning of September 11, 2001, and He was very busy!He was discouraging people from taking those four flights. Together they could accommodate more than 1,000 passengers, yet there were only 266 aboard. He was on those four flights giving the terrified passengers the ability to stay calm. Not one of the people who was called by a loved one on one of the hijacked planes mentioned that passengers were panicked, nor was there any screaming in the background. And on one of the flights, God gave strength to the passengers to overcome the hijackers.God was also busy creating obstacles to prevent people who worked in the WTC from getting to work on time. The work day had begun, more than 50,000 people worked in the two towers, yet only 20,000 were at their desks. On that beautiful morning, God created scores of unexpected traffic delays, subway delays, and commuter train delays. A PATH train packed with commuters was stopped at a signal just short of the WTC and was able to return to Jersey City. And far more meetings were scheduled elsewhere than was usual.God held up each of the two mighty towers for a half hour so that the people on the lower floors could get out. And when He finally let go, He caused the towers to fall inward rather than to topple over, which would have killed so many more people. The foundations of six surrounding buildings were demolished by the fall of the towers, but God held them up for many hours until all the occupants were safely evacuated.And when the WTC and Pentagon buildings went down, my God picked up almost 3,500 of His children and carried them to their home for all eternity. He also sat down and cried that 19 of His children could have so much hate in their hearts, that they did not choose him, but another god that doesn't exist, and now they are lost forever.He sent people trained in dealing with earthly disasters to save those that were injured. And he sent in thousands of others to help in any way they were needed. And He brought people together across the world in a way that moved thousands to tears and hundreds of thousands to prayer—and caused millions to turn to the one true living God.He still isn't finished. Every day He comforts those who lost loved ones. He is encouraging others to reach out to those who don't know Him or believe in Him. He is giving the leaders of our great nation the strength and conviction to do the right thing, to follow His will, not a popular poll.So if anyone ever asks, "Where was your God on 9/11?" you can say, "He was everywhere! And, in fact, he is everywhere today and every day." Without a doubt, this was the worst catastrophe most of us have ever seen. I can't imagine getting through such a difficult time without God at my side. Without God, life would be hopeless
BY
anonymous

I did not do a tribute this year. But I do not believe we should only remember 9-11 on the day it happened but everyday!

Do you remember where you were? I do!

It was early (in the pacific time zone) I was sound asleep on my water bed and Linda came in screaming WAKE UP WAKE UP!

I thought to myself (shut up it can't be that important)....then I raised my head and in disbelief on my TV on Fox news the SECOND plane was flying into the the world trade tower! Shepard Smith from FOX NEWS was trying his best to keep the tears from coming and was fumbling all over the place (I am sure this is one time in his career he would not get in trouble for not knowing what to say). Shepard Smith spoke about the first plane and they shown it again and then one tower fell. In disbelief I could not believe it. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN HERE? WHY WERE THE AIRPORTS NOT SHUT DOWN AND WHERE WAS PRESIDENT BUSH. We later found out he was in air force one flying at it's highest altitudes! The presidents plane was trying to also be attacked. Then the news about the Pentagon and on and on. I don't even remember how I got from my bed to the living room. But I do remember just watching in horror!
I will always remember this day! I will remember this day for all sorts of reasons, the dying, the terrorists, but most of all how Americans can together.

I was brought to tears knowing my father fought in a war, my father in law fought in a war (my husband was ready to go right when the war ended but he was ready to go). How lucky I am to be in a family with REAL MEN!

There is so much that I am grateful for. The men who lost their lives, the wives who had to hold it together for their children, and most of all God for being in places that we need him the most!

I AM A PROUD

AMERICAN! SO PROUD OF THIS COUNTRY AND OF THE YOUNG MEN THAT ARE ON THE LINES EVERYDAY TO KEEP IT FREE, OUR POLICE FORCE, OUR ARMY, NAVY, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST MARINES WOOHOO!!!!

THANK YOU FOR THOSE THAT SERVE TO LET US BE FREE SO I CAN SPOUT MY VIEWS AS I LIKE. THERE ARE NO WORDS TO SAY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE!

HAVE A WONDERFUL FREE DAY!
LIZ BRATCHER CARLEY

TIME FOR CHANGE

HELLO ALL

Please bare with me! I am trying to re-configure my blog site. I love the pages with three 3 columns.

I am however worried about the colors, I do not want them to cause a migraine.....so I am testing all of these things!
Thanks
Liz

HOW TO WORK WITH YOUR DOCTOR TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR INSURANCE AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT REALLY HAPPENS!

DOCTORS AND INSURANCE COMPANIES

CONFUSION

VS.

COMMUNICATION

&

WHO TRULY IS AT FAULT FOR LACK OR INAPPROPRIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION!

So many people who are not in the health care field ask this question. They also want to know WHO IS AS FAULT WHEN YOUR INSURANCE FIGHTS WITH YOUR DOCTOR! THE INSURANCE COMPANY WILL TELL YOU ONE THING AND YOU HEAR SOMETHING DIFFERENT! HOW DO YOU SORT THROUGH IT ALL? WHO DO YOU NEED TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE WITH TO GET THE BEST HEALTH CARE! The answer is your doctor!

One must remember Mutual respect always must be there between you and your doctor!. I am telling you this to help optimize your relationship with your M.D. Many think doctors have it easy with the money and lifestyle. THAT IS NOT TRUE! Some patients will be condescending because of this and do not realize how the insurance companies have now tried to tie the doctors hands behind their back and not only the doctor but the pharmacists as well!.

Before I became a psychologist and married my husband I was confused on who was really at fault for some of my medications not being covered! Then being 'OUTSIDE' the health care field and now being 'IN' the health care field I can tell you from both sides what is REALLY happening!

The most common situation most people have come across is the doctor will write a prescription and the doctor wants you to get WHAT HE WROTE!!! When you go to your pharmacy you find out your insurance is denying it and you question why? You may think,

**WHY DID MY DOCTOR WRITE SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT COVERED?

ANSWER=Doctors do not know what your insurance covers, nor is it their job to know (that is your Job) they usually know what will work and that is what they will give you. Another reason is it changes monthly/weekly depending on how much kick back the INSURANCE company gets to put it on there list of approved drugs!

**The pharmacy calls your doctor and the nurse has to handle it...you ask why?

ANSWER=As you know I am the wife of an M.D. and my husband starts work at 4am he sees between 30-40 patients in one day...he does not have time to deal with the pharmacy call!

**It comes back to your doctor that your insurance wants to cover something CHEAPER!

ANSWER= Your doctor does not want you to take the 'cheaper' way out because it usually does not work as well!

**You are wondering WHY HE/SHE (THE M.D.) is taking so long to get it covered? I understand your frustration but look to the answer below!

ANSWER=Doctors have on average 100+ cases like yours that he/she has to deal with by fax and by phone and it takes between 15-60+ minutes with the insurance company for each case! (and people wonder why doctors tend to run behind?????Most Good Doctors are fighting for you!)

**You call your insurance and they have the nerve TO OUT AND OUT RIGHT LIE TO YOU, they usually say, "WE can't get a hold of your doctor." Even though they have his/her fax on their desk!

Answer=You do not know this is going on! You assume it is your doctor SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN LIED TOO!!!!

**Your doctor gets a nasty fax back from your insurance....some M.D.s like my hubby will pick up the phone and fax at the same time and usually gets into a yelling match with some ignorant person on the phone that barley got their high school diploma, BUT THEY ARE TRYING TO TELL THE M.D. HOW TO PRACTICE MEDICINE ON YOU!.

ANSWER= You think your doctor has dropped the ball because it is not getting an OK! THAT IS NOT TRUE!!!! M.D.s usually will not talk bad in detail of what they have to deal with and they get burned in the end by the patient not understanding WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING!!!

**Your M.D. finally gets so upset, after yelling at the supervisor that may have had their high school diploma and a whole 2 weeks of college, that person is telling your M.D. HOW TO TREAT YOU AND THAT ALL MEDS ARE THE SAME! A LAYMEN IN THE SYSTEM KNOWS THAT IT NOT TRUE!

ANSWER=It usually ends with a fax from your doctor to the insurance company saying, "if you do not cover what I wrote and this person is harmed or dies IT IS NOW YOUR RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE YOU ARE TRYING TO PRACTICE MEDICINE."

**WHAT HAPPENS NOW?**

ANSWER=This gets your doctor off the hook if something lethal happens to you because someone that is not an M.D. is trying to tell you what to use! The insurance has tied your doctors hand. FOR THOSE OF YOU WANT FREE HEALTH CARE FOR EVERYONE...THIS IS WHAT IT IS LIKE BUT MUCH WORSE!!!!

**FYI**MOST OF YOU DO NOT KNOW THIS BUT IT IS NOT YOUR DOCTORS JOB TO DEAL WITH YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY! IT IS BEING DONE AS A FAVOR TO YOU, AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PRACTICE OF MEDICINE.

EXAMPLE: If you buy auto insurance, and file a claim your on your own to deal with the insurance company unless you hire an attorney at $400 an hour. Your doctor is performing, like the attorney, in this example, for FREE!!!! IT IS NOT THEIR DUTY TO DO SO! (My husband is rare and will advocate for his patients but some do not realize he is doing it out of the kindness and caring of his heat!)

**Example**: I was in CVS pharmacy (which I am not fond of) and I was getting my prescription (and not in a very good mood) the man next to me was on the phone with his wife and stated, "If that dam F*** of a doctor would get off her ass and just fax the insurance company rather than looking at her rich stock portfolio then we could get your meds covered." (Did I tell you I was in a bad mood?? Remember my husband is an M.D.) I spoke up and said it is not your doctors fault it is the insurance, (yes I broke into a conversation, why because this man was IGNORANT) he looked at me and barked the same thing over. The pharmacist came up, she knew who I was as well as my husband. I told the ignorant man, YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM, my husband goes to bat for people that are ungrateful like you every day and you do not understand it is the insurance company that your doctor has already contacted, most times insurance companies will try to tell the doctor what to prescribe because it is cheaper NOT BECAUSE IT WORKS. He of course said no. The pharmacist cut in and said Dr. Carley (me) is correct. He did not know who I was nor what my husband did up until that point. I asked him, "Would you like to repeat your statement now?" You could tell he was embarrassed for his ignorance and just assuming because you have PH.D or M.D behind your name all you do is sit on your butt and look at your money. The reason why I am telling you this, is that you as the patient need to be on the same page with your doctor. You need to know WHO IS REALLY AT FAULT for you not getting the prescription that your doctor wrote covered. The insurance companies like to use the cheapest drugs. Some of those do not work. That is when I can hear my husband ADVOCATING AND YELLING at the insurance company on the phone! If only a person that is not in the health care field could see what REALLY GOES ON behind closed doors of a GOOD DOCTOR, some patients would be a lot more grateful! By the way this takes, usually, weeks and sometimes months for your doctor to win, simply because they play fax tag and phone tag. It has come to the point where my husband will tell his patents what went on and that he had sent a fax to the insurance saying, "if the patient is harmed I am not taking responsibility, I have called and talked to people with NO EDUCATION that are deciding which meds my patient will take." It is on paper so my husband is covered. But that is what happens, a person with only a high school diploma is making the decision on the phone!

Many people love to believe like the man above that doctors are in their office drinking coffee looking at their money. I can only speak for my husband but he works 60 hours a week and only gets paid for 30 of them. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET PAID FOR ONLY HALF OF YOUR WORK!! He is too busy to look at finances because he is ADVOCATING for his patients. That is why I told that man what REALLY GOES ON!

The reason I put this post up is because if you know what your doctor does for you AFTER you leave that office then you and your doctor can be on the same page to go fight your insurance company.

A perfect thing to say to your doctor would be
1) HOW IS THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THIS PROBLEM (YOUR DOCTOR WILL TELL YOU)
2) WHAT DO YOU NEED ME THE PATIENT TO DO TO HELP YOU WITH GETTING MY PRESCRIPTION APPROVED? Your doctor would love the help and he will know you are on the same page

3) How long should ALL OF THIS TAKE, SO I HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHEN I WILL GET MY MEDS COVERED? This way you do not go out of your doctors office assuming incorrectly that it will only take a few days....IT USUALLY TAKES WEEKS! If you know this, then you will understand how long and how much red tape there is to go through! Therefore you do not think something will happen faster than it can possibly happen!

I find this to be one of the most sad post's I have written because HEALTH CARE SHOULD NOT BE THIS WAY!!!! For those that think that FREE HEALTH CARE IS THE ANSWER YOU ARE SADLY MISTAKEN. It will take 10 times as long to get anything taken care of under a free health care system. It is sad that it has come to this! Perhaps if people join together we can reform the system. But up until then, this is what we have. The only way to make it easier on you is if you and your doctor work together....things will move faster that way!

One more thing....when something like this comes up...ask your doctor if you can help and a thank you goes a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG WAY!

THIS IS MY VIEW THROUGH THE EYES OF A MIGRAINEUR! (I hope it has helped)
I hope you have a pain free day!
Liz

IS MIGRAINE DISEASE THAT IMPORTANT?....WE NEED MORE EDUCATION!

MIGRAINE or Migraine or migraine

Is Migraine Disease Not as Important as the other Diseases...?

Read this

& 

Think about it

There is a very strange issue that has come up.  I was read

ing Teri Roberts Blog and found out that there is a well known site that has a newsletter. The woman that I know who puts the news letter together was told NOT TO CAPITALIZE THE M in Migraine.  Apparently there apa style says that you only capitalize a disease IF it is named after someone! I must admit this made my blood pressure boil when I first heard this.

Let me explain why:

A couple of weeks ago I was at the kitchen stove cooking dinner and I began to feel dizzy and if felt like a frying pan had hit me in the head.  It was the worst pain I have ever had. If you read my blog you know I not only have migraines but I also have a type of cluster headaches called cluster Variant.  Many people say cluster hurts much worse than migraines. I personally do not like saying this.  For me, that may be true, but everyone is different. I do know that suicide is higher in Cluster than in Migraine.

Now back to the frying pan 'feeling' cracking my scull. It hurt so much I feel to my knees. I began to vomit uncontrollably and my husband jumped up knowing that I have A HIGH TOLERANCE FOR PAIN!!!! For something to bring me to my knees LITTERALY....well...he knew something was wrong. Really wrong.  I could not move, I shook, vomited, and was crying because of the pain. I thought that was it for me, I thought it was an aneurysm. I was picked up and put into the car. My husband drove like a maniac to the ER.  There are something called 'thunder Clap' headaches. THOSE HEADACHES KILL!!!  

To make a long story short, I went through all of the testing and it was a cluster variant. NO THUNDERCLAP! Since my husband is a doctor he knows all that can go wrong!

I suppose my question is...IS OUR DISEASE NOT WORTHY OF MAKING IT A CAPITALIZED LETTER? Most of you would think...this is no big deal! It is. When people read they pay attention to those that have a capitalize word and it makes a bigger impression. This disease needs to be publicized to everyone because people need more education!!! Anything that will help then that is well worth doing!

So to the people who WANT TO FOLLOW THOSE RULES....one must remember, as Megan Oltman has said, "Some Rules are meant to be broken."  I will capitalize anything I want!  If it catches even one persons attention it is worth it!!! I believe because our disease can KILL we should be able to capitalize anything we want!

Yes I am rebellious....but more than that, I want people to know just how bad this disease is!

I hope you all have a wonderful pain free Migraine Free day!

This is my view of life through the eyes of a Migraineur!

Liz

Botox and Migrianes...does it work...and what is new???

Botox and Migraines

I have been asked recently about Botox and how much has it helped me. I have also been asked about the big trial that is going on it the USA regarding botox. I have had a few questions from those who live across the Atlantic who do get free health care, but as one person said, "free health care does have it's disadvantages." I personally HATE FREE HEALTH CARE FOR THAT EXACT REASON. Yes you all know my hubby is a doc, blah blah blah. But I will tell you one thing, when you marry someone in the system you learn REALLY FAST who are the great doctors and who are the 'butchers' as some doc's call them.

This is off the topic of migraine, but it to emphasise my point. I have an unusually high tolerance for pain and one day, I was feeling pain in my lower right area . I just happen to have an appointment with my doctor that day. It was getting worse but what took me off guard is that the area was actually becoming warm, my skin was so warm that it heated up my clothing in that one spot and then started to radiate to my back. During the appointment I told my pain doctor, just because I figured he would know. He knew my tolerance was high. He examined me and told me I needed to go to the ER NOW. I thought your crazy, I refused. He new my husband and I said I will go to his office and he can and I can decide. That doctor called my husband while I was driving there and told him he thought my appendix was going to burst. Well, I got to my husbands office and my hubby made me go to the ER. I was rushed into emergency surgery. As we were going in, the only doctor my husband would let operate on me had just had HIS appendix out. My husband was just about ready to loose it....he knew 'the butchers' as they call them, and thank goodness a good doc was on, really she was wonderful. My husband was ready to have me flown, life flight, to another hospital even if it burst. THAT IS HOW IMPORTANT HAVING A GOOD SURGEON IS! By the way, it came out right before it burst and I am fine. But my advise is to go on line and research your doctors education. It should be there!!! I only deal with the best doctors. I do go on line and research them at length. Just an FYI!

Now as far as the new study going on in the USA the data will not be available until 2009. There is a link at the right where you can see this.(It is under 'Papers and Trials') There was also a study done with my doctor/neurologist Andrew Blumenfeld M.D. Ph.D and he was one of the leaders of using Botox for migraine and cervical dystonia. The study Dr. Blumenfeld took part in had very promising results for migraineurs...

*80%(217) their head pain episodes were less frequent, less intense or both

*60.5%(164) reported good to excellent pain relief

*19.5(53) reported some pain relief

*20%(54) reported no relief

This study is the largest of its kind so far, this is until the new study comes out in 2009 in the USA. Dr. Andrew Blumenfeld use to be the head of Kaiser's Neurology department with many awards that he had been given and he then moved and became the head of a group of doctors all with stellar reputations at 'The Neurology Center' in Encinitas Californian in the United States. This group specializes in migraines. The link to Dr. Blumenfelds site is also at the right hand side. Dr. Blumenfeld has published many articles that can be found on the web and his web site.

There was also a doctor on the FOX new channel that was able to look at the new study in progress, and at first he was open and honest in saying he thought it did not work. To his surprise he found that the study was favoring botox and that it was helping migraineurs! You will have to go to http://www.foxnew.com/ and search for that.

Now, I have been asked about the 'placebo affect' for the the botox for migraines studies. There finding that the reason placebo appears at times to work is because both the placebo and the botox can block a nerve pathway that keeps the migraine going. But the botox does a more consistent job and for a longer term affect. The researcher that had found this and is still working on it is Rami Bernstien from Harvard! (If you would like the details about what is happening e-mail me, this can become to in depth for just one post)

As far as for me, the botox is doing a wonderful job. I have minimal cervical dystonia and am a migraineur. I use to get migraines 25 out of a 30 day month now it had dropped me to 10 migraines, but only 1 of those is severe. The others are dealt with a triptan. It also has dropped the intensity of the pain for most of my migraines. Now this is an average and sometimes I can go 2-3 weeks with nothing. But I usually go in spurts. I will get migraine after migraine and then nothing. So the average I am giving you, is across the year and I always get more migraines in July and August! My migraines are not consistent. (This is a picture of a couple of the injection sites they use. Injections sites are on the forehead, all around the scalp, back of the neck, and top of the shoulders.)

I would say to find a doctor that has been well schooled in giving botox to migraine patients. There are specific injection places that can give you optimal relief. It does matter who is giving it to you. (The picture below is that of a brain during a migraine, an MRI)

I hope this has helped and I will be surely doing an update on this when the new study comes out!

I hope you all have a pain free day!

MIGRAINE AND MY PERIOD...TIPS ON WHAT MAY HELP YOU...NOT TO MENTION PMS....

YOUR MONTHLY VISITOR....AND GUESS WHAT IT LOVES TO GIVE YOU....

PMS WITH MIGRAINES

For a long time now, I have noticed not only do we have triggers all around us but one of the things that keeps getting brought up a lot is having a migraine during your menses cycle. For me in my early 20s, IT WAS LIKE CLOCK WORK!!!!! It was horrible, and I could a most pin point to the day of when I would have a (what I would call ) PMS migraine.

For many years I tried many many many things I am going to tell you some of them. Others now are outdated. Some doctors do know about these but do not use them regularly because they usually do not see a migraineur at my level. **Remember this is what I tried or other I know that tried and worked, you must speak with your medical doctor because everyone is different, choose with your DOCTOR, Primary care or OBGYN.

*I cut out chocolate....Now I have to tell you this will not work, some of the new research that has been done has shown that a craving for chocolate IS ACTUALLY PART OF THE AURA (WHAT HAPPENS RIGHT BEFORE THE PAIN). You will have that craving and it does not matter if you eat the chocolate or not, you will still get the migraine. So with chocolate....EAT UP....it does not cause migraines like we use to think. I found this fascinating, some doctors are not up to date on this. It is new, but VERY interesting. Now when I have a craving for chocolate I know a migraine is going to hit....and sure enough an hour or so later the monster migraine has attacked! By the way, no I don't eat chocolate, the reason is it tastes to rich for me!

*Switch to one of the new birth controls that have come out so you only have your period 3 to 4 times a year! During your cycle, at the end of the month your estrogen plummets, most doctors believe that is the cause of the migraine. So if you are not having a period your estrogen will stay the same, hence no migraine. I will say this has worked for me, that is when my period actually did not come that month. Sometimes, for some reason your monthly monster will show up anyway. But the longer you are on those types of birth control, the less frequently this happens.

*an estrogen patch...this may work for some, but this made my estrogen rise to fast and to high. This did not work well as a matter a fact it did just the opposite!

*progesterone...this is another hormone we have and yes it does change through the month but not drastically. I do think this helped, I don't use it anymore. It is actually a cream that your doctor can prescribe. All you do is put 3 drops on your stomach and rub it in. Most doctors will not be so thrilled with this because it does not help that many people, but it did help me for a little while. This was after 3 miscarriages. My hormones were everywhere, I had to get them to where they were before, and it did do that! But you can try it.

Now lets talk about mood! I have to say I really feel bad for men!!!! When I have my period I just tell my husband right when he walks in the door because I can feel the ......hhmmmm...how shall I put this...well witchiness just ready to be unleashed (by the way, take out that w and put a b there). My husband is smart, he keeps lips closed, and keeps to himself until I reach the crying stage! Then he comes over gives me a hug (and says in a shaky voice, I love you, what can I get for you!....) I don't think he can understand what I am saying as I am crying and trying to gasp for air. He will get 'scary questions' as he puts it...like....do I look bloated? Can you see any wrinkles on my face? Do these pants make me look fat? YOU KNOW THOSE TYPES OF QUESTIONS!!!! I really have the best hubby, I try to forewarn him when I fell like I want to tell someone off! It really is difficult being a woman with all of these hormones.

As far as migraine, I think I covered that, the change in estrogen (and a few others) can have an amazing affect on mood! Not to mention when you are in a migraine state, one tends to be short tempered anyway, so to throw all that together.....well you just have ONE REALLY GOING POSTAL PERIOD PARTY!

***To lessen the effect of mood changes during this time they have found that very low doses of certain ssri's (effexor, Prozac, ect...) can really lessen the mood swings. They DO NOT put you on it all month long, they put you on a low dose 2 days before those moods in you tend to start and one more pill on the 3 day. I have tried this, and I can say for me it did work!!!! Remember this is not medical advise you must speak with your doctor. But it did save me that roller coaster of emotion which I hate. That roller coaster of emotion can also increase your migraines during this time and the intensity of them!!!

I am going to do another post on this shortly also being more on this specific topic, it seems more and more woman are having this issue.

I hope you all have a pain free day!

TREXIMET...THE NEW TRIPTAN

ANOTHER TRIPTAN ON THE MARKET

TREXIMET

OK First let me explain... This is actually not a new drug, the formulation is new!

Treximet, is a combo of sumatriptan/imitrex with naproxen. For those of you that do not know, naprosen is Aleve. Now, if you just take an aleve pill and an oral imitrex, it WILL NOT WORK like the combo mix of Treximet. When we are in pain, we know, we just want to get out of it.

*In lamens terms* (I hate that term, lets say, regular speech)
They have formulated the drug where the imitrex gets in faster to try to abort the migraine. If you use injectable imitrex this formulation is almost as fast. Then the naproxen/Aleve kicks in a little later and lasts longer to keep your migraine gone. Now obviously, this is the very short explanation.


Again, if you take just the imitrex pill with Aleve pill it will not work the way the Treximet combo formulation will.

The reason I am giving you all a heads(for those that do not know) up on this is because the pill form of imitrex does not work for me because it does not get in fast enough! But if you use the shots of imitrex this may really help those people (and there are no shots with Treximet, which is wonderful) that needs to get the medication in fast. (my body is so tricky)

I have tried Treximet, and to my astonishment it worked! (many things do not work on me) For me with how fast my migraine went away, I do think that new formulation works, and NO injection. This is great for those who hate shots! The problem is the drug is expensive. Also, it is recommended to only take one per day! Everyone needs to speak to their doctor about their own situations. But I am very happy they are making better and better medications for us. The ideal would be is for no medication, but we know when the migraine monster comes, we need to take care of it.

I truly hope this helps others out there!

*Remember I am just telling you what is new out there, you must ask your own doctor for your own personal use!

I hope you all are having a wonderful PAIN FREE day!!!

Liz

Here is a link on web md about this drug!

http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/news/20080416/fda-oks-new-migraine-drug-treximet

Time In th ER...FAITH

by Salvidor Dali



It struck again and struck hard! I knew yesterday my senses where heightened, I have had trouble sleeping and my migraine came out of the sky like a bolt of lightning.




I closed my eyes on Sunday and my aura was different from the kinds before (visual I am speaking of). I am sure you all remember when we use to have the TV's with the antenna's and when the channel turned off during the night...the picture would flip...hope you understand
well when I shut my eyes... it was that type of flipping I could see with my eyes shut..I KNOW IT SOUNDS SO STRANGE! I just thought I needed .....I should have been smarter, I should have taken a Treximet before bed.



At around 5am I wake up with the migraine monster back......uuuhhhh



if only (if I had a dollar every time I said that.....) I would/should have taken my Treximet. It has worked really well before. But no....it had hit..and by 5am Bill was well at work and I can't drive when I am like this.



Time....waiting...slowly....FOREVER!!!!! I called my neruo, he gave me the ER ok (he has never said no before) but


TIME
(waiting for my husband to get home to take me to the ER)

9AM 9:10..9:12..10...10:30...11AM..11:01 12PM..1..2..3..4..5PM TIME!!!! It was actually 4:30 or so, but it felt like forever.



My poor husband had come home as fast as he could, he had many patients, he runs up stairs as I try to grab a ginger ale out of the refrigerator...sunglasses on..ice pack on my head....

CRAP I FORGOT EARPLUGS...I DID NOT BUY ANY

The ER is torture for a migraineur, everyone is so loud!



Bill runs from up stairs grabs a book and the work he still needs to get done for charting and we jump in the car and are off.....



WILL I EVER BE PAIN FREE TODAY!? By now I am at the end of my rope....


God did help us out with the traffic, there was none...PRAISE GOD!



As we pull up I can already see the ER is full. tears are welling up in my eyes

TIME

TIME TIME TIME TIME TIME TIME TIME TIME TIME TIME TIME TIME TIME We checked in and went into Triage...I blurt out, "please put me in fast track, I know the doctor there." She does put me in fast track....WAIT TIME TIME TIME TIME



I thought it was 3 hours...Bill said, "no honey about 1 1/2."



The nurse I remember comes out gets me and takes me... FINALLY TO THE PLACE WHERE THE PAIN IS TAKEN AWAY.......



Shhhh it is so nice and quite in fast track...Shhhhhh.....ooooohhhh that is so nice.... no loud noises...Shhhh.. just the sound of my husband turning pages as he finishes his paperwork from his patients.



TIME TIME



Now lets try to find my veins....It was as if my body was trying to hide them! First person came in tries... 1st time veins collapse.....MORE TIME ...tries again..same thing



2 persons tries



NOW I AM WAITING AND AM IN MAJOR PAIN..... I CAN'T STOP MYSELF ....TEARS ARE RUNNING DOWN MY FACE. The tears are cool against my warm face! I AM YELLING INSIDE JUST GIVE ME SOMETHING, ANYTHING!


Bill talks to the doctor. They give me a shot (im) to start..at least the edge will be off...

3rd person tries and again..fail...my veins suck!



4th person..I am now praying...I hear her say, "GOT IT!" ... the first time!!!!! I ask what her name was, I had been praying for her (here is God, he is everywhere), she replies, "my name is Faith." Yes, God did hear me!



They come in with the rest of my protocol that I get and TIME NOW, IS...WELL ...WHO CARES...THE PAIN IS COMING DOWN FAST!


Faith and Time hhmmmm



Yes, this was a hard day, but I have to tell you...the faith....well....I can't explain.



I am now out of the monsters grasp!



What would I do without the wonderful people in my life?.....hhmm...I would have faith!



Total time in ER ......6 1/2 hours



Time is difficult to deal with when you are waiting .



Having Faith..well....priceless and Timeless!

FOR MY HUSBAND...WITH LOVE,,HIS STRUGGLE TO SEE ME IN AGONY

GOD HAS GIVEN ME A GIFT THAT I NEVER THOUGHT EXISTED...THE BEST HUSBAND IN THE WORLD!

MY HUSBAND, AND HIS STRUGGLE WITH WATCHING ME IN AGONY!


My husband and I were talking about some poems that others had written about migraines/cluster variant. I read...a poem of mine about my cluster headaches. I have many different types of headaches/migraines...but cluster is known as the 'suicide Headache' The reason being, if the pain does not go away, you could not live like that. There have been an alarming number of suicides because of these cluster headaches and migraines! The bottom line is...I can not explain the pain...my clusters...well it actually brings me to my knees...they are my worst!







I love my husband with my heart and soul. I have to say, I have never loved anyone or adored anyone as much as my husband! I read to my husband what my last 'cluster' was like in the ER. I did not expect the reaction I received, I should have thought more. He was visibly upset. If you knew Bill you would know almost nothing can make him visibly upset, he has been an M.D. for over 20 years and knows how to hide it, but this, well he loves me. Bill knows how bad clusters are, he has never had one...but doctors know it is a pain that comes on rapidly and yes they do literally bring you to your knees. In the poem it talks about how I know how I will commit suicide if one day I have a cluster and it will not go away, where my meds will not work on it anymore. I JUST CAN'T live in that type of pain. Bill always knew those were a different BEAST in the ER, you can actually tell by the way my eye droops and other features, but I don't think he ever wanted to think of my fears about it. He knows I have a HIGH tolerance for pain, but clusters are the Devil. I felt terrible.. Bill did not know those were my planes if one day the medication did not work...my husband said, "I have trouble being in the room when you are in such agony because I hear your cries but can do nothing!" My husband takes care of migraine patients almost daily, but when you see your wife, shaking, pounding my head so the pain will go to the other side and rocking back and forth in the ER with the sounds of my moans of agony...well he said it is horrible for him because he can get medication for everyone EXCEPT ME because I am his wife. Bill told me, "I feel like I am useless!" It utterly broke my heart! I was wishing in my brain I did not read that to him.





My husband has no concept of how him being by my side helps me! He thinks that is useless...he is far from that...it is the best thing he could ever do for me is stay by me. Anyone can get meds and inject them...but it takes one strong man to sit with me, hold my hand, cover my eyes, change my ice pack, and spend hours in the ER without complaint. MY HUSBAND IS MY HERO! He has the strength to be with me in terrible pain. Men are doers, and the things that my husband does instinctively are what makes him a husband that I do not feel worthy of! My husband does more than he realizes, knowing that when I can't communicate(my mind gets jumbled)...he steps in..WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT HIM? I truly do not know! His presence, his demeanor, his capability to speak with the doctor to doctor language, the way he puts the can of ginger ale up to my mouth so it does not spill(the meds in the er make my mouth dry), the way he makes sure my pillow is in the most comfortable position, the way he takes my shoes off and puts them back on when we are ready to go after the meds have totally kicked in. He ties my shoes. He picks me up off the bed and into the wheel chair and then into the car. Then going through the drive through for a fresh drink, the meds make me so so thirsty. I know my husband wants to go home, but he just wants me comfortable! All this time he is watching my purse, so no one will steal meds or money our of it. HE IS MY TRUE PROTECTOR!! The way he drives, as to try to make the ride there and back as smooth and comfortable as possible! The way he makes sure when we are home, he helps me out of the car and into the house so I do not fall. He waits until he knows I am safe. I don't think my husband will fully grasp how much he does for me...the little things are the ones that make the man a true and unselfish MAN! My husband is a Man that other husbands should learn from!!! (Yes ladies, I do know how incredibly lucky I am!)





My husband is a doer...but he hates to see me in agony and he still think he does not do enough. My husband treats me like a goddess. I do not deserve it. I always say I am sorry. He always says it is not your fault, I love you, and are you OK now? After all of that, he still asks!


I am blessed!


I love you Bill, I have told you before and now again, YOU ARE THE BEST MAN ON EARTH! I love you honey. I am striving to be the best proverbs 31 woman I could be because of you!


Thank you
I love you more than words can say!
YOU ARE MY PROTECTOR AND HERO!

God Blessed me so when he brought me to you!

YOU ARE MY HERO AND PROTECTOR!

I love you!

I WISH SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TOLD ME....A HEADS UP!!

*Yes I will return too....the trigger post later....in a day or so*

What I wanted to discuss and actually warn you about is what medications for migraines can do to your overall health and teeth. I know this may sound strange that I am making such a post...but before my migraines went 'out of control' I was a size 4 with perfect teeth and skin. Now if you see my photos I am much larger and I have to say I have dropped a lot of weight. But I did not research the drugs the doctors were trying. One of them, made my hunger go out of control. That is why I am no longer a size 4. I WILL GET BACK THERE, I AM ON MY WAY AND TALKING ABOUT THIS I think is important because I know if it is affecting me it is or will affect you. Now, different meds DON'T MAKE YOU FAT! You do that on your own. But if you are on a drug that is known to up your hunger think about that while eating, you do not need to add another thing on your list to do!

As far as skin, well I have to say, I have been lucky. I think I just have a great genetic code in that respect. But I do know of others that are on triptans, or anti-seizures or even daily narcotics who's skin has been affected. Make sure you have a great skin care program you use. This may sound silly, but when you are in pain...you just want to get out of it. Then when you come out of the pain you have to deal with the results. I would like for you to know the things I did not! Now this is something I did not experience, like I said I think I have just been lucky, but we as woman like our skin to be nice!

As far as teeth, if you are on daily meds of any kind you truly need to get your teeth cleaned 3 not 2 but 3 times a year, you also need to floss and brush your teeth 3 times a day not 2 you need to do it 3. This may sound extreme but the saliva in your mouth can lessen with medications, and the pH level in the body can change and your teeth can go down hill. If you were to look at my teeth you would say they are perfect...WHAT is WRONG? 2 root canals that is what! Just be careful. My teeth looked perfect on the outside but those two popped up fast!

Now I do not want this to stop you from taking your meds...THAT IS FAR FROM IT! If you just know what is possible, be more aware and go that extra mile. Woman are looked at and judged by the way we look LETS FACE IT!!! The last thing you need is to have extra problems on top of it. Also it becomes a cycle...you get larger...you get more headaches...you have problems with your teeth...that can set off migraines...so in a sense you can say these are triggers for migraines. I just want you to know for your own good. THIS DOES NOT MEAN TO STOP MEDS!!! This just means to look at a picture of yourself a couple of years ago and make sure you are on track...healthy BMI...work out every day....eat right....those things.

**The reason I bring up the tooth issue is because your nerves in your mouth are connected to the trigemmenal (5th cranial) nerve that hit migraineurs so hard! If you have a problem with your teeth, it could be bringing on headache...make sure you go to the dentist!

On that note...have a wonderful pain free day!

Liz

WHAT THE ****

OK OK OK I will come back to the post about all the different types of triggers for migraines later

today is a vent day!

Yesterday I went to the dentist because I was in throbbing pain (I have never had a tooth ache before) and guess what not only did I need 1 root canal I NEEDED TWO!!!! So yesterday I had my two root canals and I have to say they went pretty well! I am feeling better, except as I write this an aura is slowly blocking my vision. I truly hope my abortives work! I am in no mood for a migraine!

Such as life....I am going to stop now I can hardly see the screen!

MIGRAINE EXRESSIONS

Hi Everyone,

A couple of days ago I posted about a book that had come out that had received wonderful reviews. I had yet at that time to see the book but I still recommended it because of what I had heard.

I received the book yesterday and could not put it down. We as migraineurs know this is one of the loneliest diseases out there!!! If you do not have a strong support base you can be made to feel isolated, as if it were your fault. This book makes you feel like, and reminds you that you are not alone! The pictures and poems help you to feel like someone out there is understanding your pain. It is a shame we do not have more books such as these. What many do not know is that many of the great artist suffered with our disease and the only way they could express it was through art.

I would highly recommend this book, not just to the migraineur, but also for someone that does not have them. If you are trying to explain your pain to someone, especially migraine pain....well there are no words in the English language to describe such agony, but a picture is worth a thousand words. The poems in the book also help to express the sorrow.

I truly hope this author (Betsy Baxtor Blondin) does another book. The way she put this together was absolutely breathtaking.

The link to buy the book is

http://www.wordmetropress.com/purchase.html

Something that a mirgraineur might want to check out!

The one area in the migraine field which many migraine doctors were very skeptical when it first came out was bite plates at night. The first ones that were made....hhmmm how shall we put it....were not the most helpful. But as each year ticket by there was a doctor in Southern California near my neck of the woods that was perfecting what is known today as the NTI.

In medical language that is the Nociceptive Trigeminal Inhibition. (the trigeminal nerve is the 5th cranial nerve)

Most migraineurs complain about a throbbing near the nose on the left (it can be the right side as well) side and that comes up and around the eye. That is where your trigeminal nerve is located. (It is also known as the 5th cranial nerve) As you can see on the picture on your right in the red above the eye is the trigeminal nerve. You could see how if you were clenching it could disrupt that entire nerve.

The thought behind the NTI is to keep the jaw from clenching or grinding since when that happens stress it put on the trigeminal nerve and it can set a migraine into play.

The nice thing about the NTI is that it is only around 1/2 inch long. You insert it between your top and bottom front teeth and it opens up the mouth enough so your back teeth do not touch, therefore you can't grind or clench.

THIS IS THE ONLY DEVISE OF ITS KIND THAT IS APPROVED BY THE FDA!!!

In the clinical trial 82% of migraineurs had a 77% reduction of migraine pain. Now if you are apart of that 82% that is wonderful.

I happen to be a very difficult migraine case and have different types of migraines, but as far as the NTI is concerned it did help with migraines in the morning. I am a huge clencher and grinder of my teeth. I could tell a difference in the morning because my trigeminal nerve was not being stimulated hence a migraine was not ready to rear it's ugly head. For me this devise was well worth the money. As a migraineur (if you are one you will understand) if you can get relief in any form it is worth it. But this actually did a great job. The only draw back is, it is a little awkward to have that feeling in your mouth, but you do get use to it.

Dr. Boyd also makes day plates, they are about half the size, so you can wear them during the day and they are perfect in traffic, that is a time during the day when clenchers and grinders tend to do that the most. The only draw back is taking it out if you want to have a long conversation.

Also when Dr. Boyd was fitting my NTI we discussed how he had migraines..... every morning when he got up...... and that was when he was trying to find the best way to handle his migraines/clenching... that is how the NTI was born. Now Dr. Boyd says he rarely gets migraines and the NTI has been a huge success for him.

Lastly, not only did I think Dr. Boyd was wonderful, he was very caring an concerned about my migraines. He also was very good with having my bite plate fit perfectly in my mouth.

If any of you are interested there is a link at the right side of this page....it will bring you right to his web site.

You may want to check this out

OK, I must let you all know that I do like to see migraine art simply because a picture can tell a thousand words. I typically would not recommend this book but it came across my path because a migraineur friend of mine had her blog site put on the book. Not only do I like this person's blog, I believe it gives a great balance of how migraine affects the family, her pain, dealing with insurance companies, and she shows how strong she is by dealing with all of this and her wonderful family. It is not just a blog about pain, but about the person behind the migraine curtain/sunglasses so to speak. We have plenty of blogs that deal just with the mechanics of migraine, but so few get into who the people are and what day to day is like for us.




The book lists a lot of great blog sites, but the pictures are what I think will grab you.
Her web blog is on my blog roll and the book used her site....well I can understand why.



Here is the link to the book that is called MIGRAINE EXPRESSIONS it is done in a very tasteful way.




http://www.wordmetropress.com/purchase.html

I use pictures a lot on my site because I believe they are able to tell the story of the pain.... much better than words can. This is a book you might want to have. please check it out.
Liz

how do I look???

my blog.... how does my blog look

Ok...I think I am starting to like what I see....but the pink is too pink, but I love roses and that rose was from a huge bundle of roses my husband gave me, He took a picture of one because they were so healthy. I am happy he did, i like the way it looks. But the pink I think is to much and I don't like white because the real white gives me migraines.

at least is is coming along

liz

what to do what to do.....

Hey all,
Sorry again about how my blog looks, I just don't know what I want to do with it yet (looks wise). I don't think it should be that white because often when I look at white white pages my visual aura starts. So I would like it to be a calm color. Perhaps a sea blue green .....I don't know.?

Anyhoo,
I was reading one of my posts on cluster migraine. It drains me just to read it. My regular migraines are enough, but as some of you know, cluster is another BEAST IN ITSELF!!!!! I have to say I am lucky I don't get those the majority of the time. Once and a while to get those is enough but not regularly.

I hope you all are having a pain free day and I hope and prayed you all had a great weekend!
liz

Changing my Blog

Ok I don't think I like this look, also I think it is too bright. Sorry my blog looks like this
AND TO TOP IT OFF when I changed templates it erased my blog rolls so now I have to find those so sorry
liz

HI EVERYONE!!!

JUST TO LET YOU ALL KNOW I AM RECONSTRUCTING MY SITE....EVERYTHING WILL STILL BE UP, YOU WILL JUST SEE SOME CHANGES, HAVING IT MORE CLEAR, MORE INFORMATION, AND EASIER TO USE..

Praying you all have a pain free day!
Liz

Spoke to soon!

OK, now I think I am out of the storm. Last night was really bad. Yes we visited our little buddies at the ER and they got me out of my migraine storm. The most important is taking a medication to stop it before it starts. I am feeling much better now.

You know, not like someone is driving over the temple of my head like a speed bump and then taking a jackhammer to the left side of my face. Not to mention during the migraine how my stomach turns, as if I will vomit that out as well. OOhh... and that feeling of my skin so HOT that I literally melt bags of ice in the ER. There are other things but we need not talk about those. It can go on and on!

Can we say embarrassing?

My husband is the one I feel sorry for, he sits and reads. I truly do not know what I would do without a great support system in place. This post was suppose to be for that. But, I had to take care of the 'storm' and to thank my husband for being the most patient person in the world. He is so wonderful, there are no words to describe. I have had migraines now for over 20years but at this level for the last 8-10 years I would say. I have learned, not only through me getting my PH.D through these years(by the way, I don't know how I have done it with the pain, but you just push on) that kindness is an act to be rewarded. I feel so blessed to have the people I know walk across my path in life. Not to mention the wonderful people I have met with this disease.

Pain or no pain, I would say I have a really good life. Some would say, I can't take that, yes you would. You would adjust your days, work, and be prepared for the 'migraine storm' that will await in my future again. Pain goes, but wonderful people stay. God has blessed me with the most wonderful husband alive (not to mention he is the best doctor, I just have to brag on that one) the best friends, and the best family. God has given me more than I could ask for, that is why I try to stick by the proverbs 31 woman 'rule' as I put it.

Pain will come and go. But what God has Blessed me with is here to stay!

Praying you have a pain free day!

Liz

NEWS ON THE MIGRAINE FRONT......

I hate being stuck in a 'migraine storm' it as if I am in a tornado and it will not let me out. I am finally out and am feeling better. For some reason this happens once in a while. At least I know how to get out of it.

But I found the perfect picture of how my head feels when I am in pain........

It is as if someone is taking both sides of my head and squeezing so hard my

brain is going to come out. Another great analogy is me laying on the street

and imagine a huge truck is rolling over the temple of my head and it stops

right at the temple. On top of that, picture someone with a *jackhammer*

and using that on the top of my head.

THAT IS WHAT MY MIGRAINES ARE LIKE!!!!

Not to mention the stomach pain and vomit. If I did not have the doctors I have

I truly do not know what I would do.

I am going to do a post on spouses or others not supporting or understanding our condition. I have noticed this has been coming up a lot lately with others that I know!

Hope you all have a pain free day!

Liz

My long standing few days of no.....

Migraines are over. The 'storms' have come back! I had that wonderful monthly fairy come and visit me. Well, I had to battle 'the storm of all storms' it just would not stop. It was a 9 out of a 10 and I have a migraine regimen to do when I get one of these 'migraine storms' but that would only last for a couple of hours, and I never got to the point where I was OK during those hours. So finally the drastic measure was taken..the er. ick ick ick

Let me just say this, it may have stopped it, but talk about side effects, HORRIBLE. Yesterday was the first day I was feeling OK. So I thought I would do somethings around the house, my hubby, as most of you know is a doctor and was against this because he said it would bring back the migraine....he was correct (darn-it)! It felt like it was trying to come back so I just relaxed.

So for those of you who are fighting that '10 ton monster migraine' my prayers are with you.
Although I doubt you are reading this at that exact minute when trying to fight one.

I bet I know what you are doing...

You are in bed, shutters closed, door closed to keep out at much light as possible, putting your poor head on your favorite pillow that you probably spent plenty on purchasing, a lite piece of cloth covering your eyes to take out as much light as possible, you now keep the trash can by the bed because 'we have all learned that little issue' and of course a can of ginger ale beside the bed, as you are praying the ginger will lesson your stomach from aching so much, I would go further to how the migraine makes the whole body not function....but we need not hear we as migraineurs already know

UNFORTUNATELY

So to all of you, my prayers are with you.

ooohh by the way, deb, I hope your vacation was great....with no migraines!

Hope you are having a pain free day,

Liz

No migraines ooo my!

Hi all,
Sorry I have not posted here for a while. But as some of you know we have an in law that is off his/her rocker. One short of a six pack so to speak. When someone puts up a blog and actually threatens harm....well you tend to be a little more careful. I am just very lucky that some of my family is in law enforcement.

But beyond that (it does not deserve any more time)

I have been doing pretty good on the migraine front. Insurance companies still confuse me.
I am praying you all are having a pain free day!
Liz
P.S. we have a family blogspot

THE STORM CAME!!! NOW I AM SUFFERING THE EFFECT....

TODAY I AM...


Hey mirgraineurs, well my good luck with my migraines has ended. I have had a great two months. Now today I awoke about 3am! It is what I call the *jackhammer* effect. It is my worst of worst migraines. We rushed to the ER, and they are always so nice to us there. It took away the pain, but I am dealing with the after effects as I call them...

*wobbly
*tired beyond belief, but for some reason I can't sleep
*my muscles hurt from what they gave me
*today I will be confused with most things and that is why my wonderful hubby is with me
*I still have photo phobia,I hurt to the touch, and I can smell things down the freaking block

*THAT IS HOW RAMPED UP MY SENSITIZATION IS!*

At least most of my pain is gone. I am still wanting to barf. But I just have to be patient it will go.

THANK GOD FOR MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND AND GREAT HEALTH CARE!!!!

I am praying all of you have a pain free day!

Liz

ONE DAY AT A TIME

Some day's are good and some hmmm how shall I put it...it feels like someone has turned your brain into soup, the noise level increases 100 times more than normal, you could smell someone a mile away (no joke), and not to mention the ever pounding pain where it feels like a steam roller is rolling over your body . That is just the start of it.

But the why, the reason I am posting today is because a migraine buddy of mine is....I don't want to use the word afraid....but perhaps apprehensive about getting Botox done again. This persons previous doctor she had did not have any really great results with.

BOTOX

Botox if done correctly can change your life. It has for me. I will tell you my experience with it. I went to my neurologist office and was waiting in a room for him (by the way my neurologist was one of the first doctors in the Country to start using Botox for migraines, so I figured he had a wealth of knowledge, which he does). The nurse walks in and and puts a bunch of filled(17 to be exact I counted them) syringes on the counter. I thought holly ____. I am usually not afraid of needles, I was sick as a child, kidney problems, so I am sort of use to them, but 17!!!!? So my neurologist explains where he is going to put them for maximum effect (this is where, if you do not have a doctor that has not done this on thousands and thousands of patients, I personally would go to some more experienced. That is just what I would do.) Now I also have this little problem called cervical dystonia(layman's terms, muscles are so tight they can not release themselves so your head tilts ever so slightly to one side. Botox works for that as well.

WE GET STARTED

I was ready for the worst amount of pain ever. I truly hardly felt anything. Also even though there were 17 needles, I actually received about 25-30 shots around my head, neck, and shoulders. The only thing that really bothered me was a devise that they put a needle at the end of it and then it gets hooked up to a machine, your doctor will use that to make sure he is in the correct muscles. If you hear a horrible static, and a sharp sensation of pain comes, that is where they will put a good part of the botox.

I have heard horror stories about the pain some people are in. Well right after I had my botox done I said, "That is nothing compared to a migraine.' That is true for me.

So to sum it up, If you have a different doctor now, ask how many he/she has on botox. Ask them how long they have been doing it. That will give you some information into their back round. Remember THIS IS YOUR LIFE, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET QUALITY CARE!

I truly hope some of what I have said has helped some of you. The fact is NO it does not hurt that much, the needle they use is the size of a baby needle. I wish you all the best.

Hoping you all have a pain free day

Liz

BOTOX AND MIGRAINES AND TRIALS O'my

Hey all!!!!!! Hope you are feeling good!

I hope all of you are doing as great as I am. I have been having great success on the 'storm' front. I don't know why.? It may be because I have lost some weight!!! Hallelujah!!! I am feeling great, things are going well.

I wanted to let all of my migraine buddies (the ones with picky brains, you all do who have migraines) know, if you don't already, that botox is nearing the end of its clinical trials. Now, if you do not get botox for your migraines already (or cervical dystonia, by the way it has already been approved for that!) you probably would not know HOW BIG OF A DEAL THIS IS!!! Botox per session is between 900-3500 dollars. (each session every 3 months) So this is sort of a big deal to get botox approved because that is a lot of money to most, our insurance pays for mine. THANK GOD! (my cost is 2000 every 3 months) So, it is nearing the end trails, and many docs who were skeptical in the beginning have seen the data and guess what.?..it is proving that it works. Now us with the 'picky brain' migraine disease, know that it works for some. There have been new finding that show why it does work and the 'why' part of it that I will go into on my next post for those of you that are up on medical lingo and that care to know. The new data was released hmmm I want to say a couple of weeks ago. ( I will put the link up in my next post) VERY INTERESTING, for those that like neuro-science. Anyhoo, the reason I am posting this is because some are having to pay out of pocket, it they do not get this, they can't function. For those of you that this is putting a HUGE dent in your wallet I am so sorry. They first wanted us to pay for it as well, my hubby went round and round with the insurance and actually won. We are the lucky few. For those of you that are not able to get it (and it does work for you) because it is so expensive (and you need it to function) well just know my heart breaks for you. It truly is the equivalent of keeping meds from a cancer patient. Just know there should be light at the end of the tunnel!!!! No one deserves that. But it does look good that it should pass. It will be nice when there is a day that we just need to pay our 30 dollar co-pay for it.

FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT BOTOX DOES NOT WORK ON:
Well, the new data came out about a feed back loop in the brain. That will be a part of my next post. It is truly interesting on why our brains get stuck in these 'migraine storms.' For me, I may be doing well for a couple of weeks and them bam it happens. I am in a loop of migraine after migraine. I usually know what or who has triggered it. But like many of you, it feels like you are in a loop.

Anyway, I hope all you 'picky brains' are feeling good. There is hope. There is a light at the end of the tunnel ( and no it is not the on coming train!). We are so lucky to have such wonderful neurologists working towards.. and finding a cure.!!!!!

Anyway, I hope you all have a perfect Friday! The weekend is here!!!! Wishing you the best.
Praying you are having a pain free day!
Liz

no migraine? and still posting?

Usually I post here because I am so frustrated with migraine pain. Well, today I do not have a migraine. (Hallelujah) But I decided just to read through some of my posts quickly. I must say, I do have a mouth when I am in pain. just know, I am frustrated. I don't think I say things that would offend. If I do I am sorry. But being mouthy when in pain, not so sorry for. I think I am more blunt. I get that from my father, he is VERY blunt, much more than me. So today I am great. I knew I was opinionated. It is a good thing my husband likes it that way. Anyway to those of you that are in pain today, my sympathy's are with you. I hope you feel better soon.

Plus an update on my representatives that got that letter about 'headache on the hill' I only got a response from one. Which I was not happy with. But the other did not do anything. I thought we elected them? They are acting like they are doing us a favor to represent us! I like watching politics on TV. But I could never be in it for a career. It takes a certain mind set. They do work for us but I think they forget that (all the time). O well, such as life.

Anyway, I hope all of you are having a great pain free day. If not, I hope it gets pain free very fast for you. My thoughts are with you!

Liz

THE MIGRAINE MONSTER...I AM KEEPING THE MONSTER AT BAY!

THIS IS THE WONDERFUL MAN (THE BEST HUBBY IN THE WORLD) THAT HELPS ME WHEN I HAVE MY MIGRAINES. I PERSONALLY THINK HE IS A SAINT.

For some odd reason a migraine has been trying to get the best of me the past week now. There are Santa Anna's which are probably the cause. I have avoided it, expect for that one monster that got me the last time (previous post). As for now....I am keeping the monster at bay.

I CAN NOT IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST BE LIKE TO NOT HAVE MIGRAINES!

migraine aletrt

UNFORTUNATELY I have had a migraine that has not wanted to go away. It is a monster that secretly attaches to my brain. It is a little beast that is always there. Tonight I think I got the correct stuff to smash it into a billion pieces.

Now I am just resting, awaiting until it tries to start so I can smash it again.

someone please heal my pain...

Liz

OUTRAGE.....BUT SHOULD I BE SURPRISED!

I don't like being upset. It just upsets my whole day.But being a patriot of this country I expect....no....demand....more from our Senators and Governors.

LET ME EXPLAIN

A couple of day's ago I was thrilled to to take part in sending e-mails to our representatives. I felt like I was accomplishing something. There are so many great doctors that are out there that are doing fantastic work with trying to stop our painful disease. THEY NEED HELP, FISCALLY. There was a discussion about migraine disease called 'headache on the hill.' This is of course where a lot of doctors come in and say what is going on. After the professionals leave. The representatives sit there and pontificate about our pain, our disease, and then by the powers by which they think they own the world, they may throw you a bone or two.

Well a week ago, 'The Alliance for Headaches Disorder Advocacy' help us migraineurs to write a letter to our representatives. It was a wonderful letter.

I was proud to be a part of it and so was my husband (we are both in the medical field). Now I will admit, I did not expect anything special from our representatives. I just wanted to be heard and to be acknowledged. For those that know me even a little I have been through the mill with this disease. So I thought I would actually get a letter back regarding 'migraines' what I sent in about to my 'so called representative' BARBRA BOXER.

WHAT I GOT YOU ASK?

I got a generic piece of crap that is sent out to everyone that sends her letters. It did not even mention 'migraine' it just blathered on about how much she carried and how one day she will look into it. WTF LISTEN LADY, YOU WORK FOR US, THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES. WHEN YOU ARE IN YOUR OFFICE REMEMBER WHO YOUR REAL BOSS IS, IT IS US. WE ELECT YOU! (ALTHOUGH i NEVER VOTED FOR YOU) At least give us the respect we deserve by giving us a letter that was written for the situation, NOT A GENERIC PIECE OF CRAP!

WE WONDER WHY WE ARE GOING DOWN THE TUBES.

Here is the letter she sent me: It makes me sick. (by the way my husband got the same exact one!)

Dear Dr. Bratcher-Carley:

Thank you for contacting my office to express your views. I believe that all citizens should become involved in the legislative process by letting their voices be heard, and I appreciate the time and effort that you took to share your thoughts with me. One of the most important aspects of my job is keeping informed about the views of my constituents, and I welcome your comments so that I may continue to represent California to the best of my ability. Should I have the opportunity to consider legislation on this or similar issues, I will keep your views in mind.

For additional information about my activities in the U.S. Senate, please visit my website, http://boxer.senate.gov. From this site, you can access statements and press releases that I have issued about current events and pending legislation, request copies of legislation and government reports, and receive detailed information about the many services that I am privileged to provide for my constituents. You may also wish to visit http://thomas.loc.gov to track current and past legislation.

Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. I appreciate hearing from you. Barbara BoxerUnited States Senator

WHAT A MIGRAINE CAN DO

MY WONDERFUL HUBBY HAD PUT ALL OF OUR PHOTOS ON DISCS! That makes everything easier. But I noticed the difference between me with a migraine and without. WhenI have one it is like DEATH HAS COME...WHEN I AM FEELING GREAT.... YOU WOULD NOT KNOW SOMETHING IS EVER WRONG.

THIS IS ME WITHOUT A MIGRAINE (MY HUBBY AND I WERE IN HAWAII AT THE TIME OF THIS PICTURE)

A PERSON WITH A MIGRAIN= IT LITTERALLY CHANGES YOUR LIFE!!!

MIGRAINE

OK so i have not had a really bad migraine in a while but last night I just needed relief, I got it thank GOD!!!

I AM FEELING MUCH BETTER!

PEARL HARBOR...WHY WE SHOULD BE SO PROUD

As most of you know I went to Hawaii for Christmas. We had a great 2 week cruise there. My husband and I were married there as well (a few years ago). But Hawaii to me is more than the place that we got married or the beautiful scenery we see every year when we go back. For those of you that know me the slightest. You know that I am a huge patriot. I love our country. For some odd reason it took 3 trips to Hawaii for me to visit the PEARL HARBOR MEMORIAL. For some odd reason I really have not wanted to write about it either, it brings tears to my eyes. As you know i am a psychologist and my father is a Vietnam Vet, He was there for 3 LONG YEARS! The things that happened to him there are too much for me to know. Unfortunately because of my job, I do know them, I know how horrid PTSD is. Along with agent orange that was sprayed on his young body only to find out 20 years later he was practically covered in skin cancer from it. I too am one of the children that came out of that generation that has already had skin cancer from all that was sprayed on my fathers body. For me to tell you all that went on with my father would be a violation to him. But I think that is why it was so hard to go to the

PERL HARBOR MEMORIAL

For some odd reason, i thought i was going to handle it better. I was wrong. My husband had been there with his father who served in WWII and Bill said David could not hold back the tears.

When you arrive there are long lines to get your tickets, we finally got them, instead of going right in (we would have had to have waited 4 hours) we went to the USS Missouri. It is almost the exact replica of which my father in law was on when he served and the USS Arizona that went down on that fateful day of December 7 of 1941 'the day of infamy.' The USS Missouri was awesome to walk around on. They had all the guns still attached, we were able to go into every part of the boat. It is truly an experience EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD HAVE! After we took our tour we came back to the spot. The spot where it all happened. The spot where on the early morning of December 7 1941 woman were waking up. Men were going to work at the base. Everyone thought is was going to be a normal day. Until it happened

We got into the memorial and there were shops of everything you could purchase but they rushed us into a room with footage of that day. Tears still well up, when i think of it. The footage was of the actual day. What you saw was camera men trying to keep their cameras strait in the films, but they couldn't, you heard screaming and crying. People were running in all directions and really not knowing what to do.....then the film just cut out. (they never told us what happened to that reporter, but we knew) It then went into a narrative of how when the USS Arizona went down under the water there were men in an air pocket banging for their lives to be let out...this went on for two solid weeks. The problem was back then, they did not have the equipment to get them out, to cut through all that steal. Those men suffocated in there, it took 2 long weeks after the attack until the men finally were entombed in the USS Arizona. That to me was just beyond...well there are no words. There were 2 attacks from the Japanese that day. After the film we were led to a boat, it took about 5 minutes to get there. We were on a platform. As I walked on it I knew there were men who served their country (as my father did in the Vietnam war) underneath me still in the USS Arizona. The one thing i remember is so many of us, but it was so quite, we all had shown so much respect for them. As I looked over the railing I saw part of the USS Arizona. I thought, is that where they heard them banging, begging for their lives to get pulled out of their, only to be entombed for the rest of eternity. It is true what people say, you can see oil still coming up from the ship. It was heart wrenching. I know my father saw and had gone through atrocities, and seeing this just made it all the more real for me. On the far end wall are all the names of the men and women that perished on that day. THAT DAY OF INFAMY! The only thing i could do there in my mind... is say... thank you. Thank you for serving our country. Thank you for giving your lives. Thank you for taking the brunt so we can be the nation we are today. Although I think our nation now is a bunch of self serving brats. I thank them for giving us that chance.

Brack Obama's wife made a speech a few day's ago saying that this was the only day (2-1-08) she was truly proud to be an American. i was thinking of putting up her speech in it's entirety, but she does not deserve the space on my blog page. If I ever see her i will ask...

where you proud of us on December 7 1941

where you proud of us on 9/11 when everyone came together

where you proud to be one of Harvard's top 100

What exactly does make this cold woman proud. Is it not enough dead Americans fighting for a greater good....... or just her own selfish needs?

Well i will stop now, i could go on...but I would just get a migraine....and she is not worth it.

I am however proud of this country ......every time I look at my father, every time i see my husband for saving lives, or visiting my in laws at their national cemetery for the time my father in law gave for this country. I for one am so grateful on so many levels for so many things, there is not enough space to write it all.

I hope you all have a wonderful and grateful day!

Lisa

Hi Everyone.....

I know that many think I have not been posting on the Internet, but I have a new blog site called..... http://www.fitfor30.blogspot.com/



I wanted to make a blog site for myself that would get me in shape (and I mean REALLY GOOD SHAPE). Hence, the name; my step sister is also doing one. I think that has helped us to reach our goals on time or even faster. Just an FYI to those of you that are loosing weight(or just become healthier) there is a great website called http://www.fitday.com/ it maps out all of your goals and it has an awesome calorie counter. Fit Day has a lot of restaurants and of all foods. You just type in what you ate that day and it breaks it down into percentages of what types of food you have eaten. I would highly recommend this site even if you do not want to input EVERYDAY, if you just did it once you would be surprised at the amount of carbs, proteins, fats,etc.. that you are eating. Very interesting! I also love the graphs for when you are loosing weight. It truly makes you feel like you are accomplishing something.

Many of you may ask why would I put up something about weight on a migraine site. Well, many times when you loose weight your migraines will become less frequent. THIS IS NOT FOR EVERYONE! (I know some of you who are thin enough so you don't have to loose anything) An interesting statistic is that 80% of Americans today are over weight or obese, 80% CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? As all of you know keeping up your health does make you feel better.

Anyway, I will be posting more often again. Since I have posted last about my migraines, I have been doing well. I have lost 30lbs, my migraines are a little more under control. I also feel good.

I hope you all have a wonderful 'pain free' day!
Liz

UPDATE: MIGRAINE (NO MIGRAINE)

NO MIGRAINES FOR A WHILE NOW.

Migraines in the Mist

HELP ME

Have you ever had a feeling a major migraine was coming? I have and it is happening now. (I Know my 'sister'/friend...not my real sister but that is what I feel like with the migraine thing...-deb will know what I am talking about) Can't sleep, flickering lights....for GODS SAKE JUST GO INTO A FULL BLOWN AURA FOR CHRIST SAKES!! I know it is coming but once I see it...the darn thing stops. OOOOOhh then the best, have you ever been able to smell and hear better than your dog (who is perfectly healthy by the way). I CAN DURING ONE OF THESE THINGS. I can smell the neighbor lighting a fire in her fireplace AND JUST TO MAKE SURE I AM NOT NUTS, I ASK HER, HER RESPONSE WAS OF COURSE, "how did you know"? My senses are so highetened that sometimes I feel like a dog. (I love dogs, I am not taking anything away from them, they are the best AND THEY DO KNOW WHEN I AM GETTING A MIGRAINE...IT IS LIKE THEY TRY TO COMFORT ME....ALTHOUGH IT ALWAYS ENDS IN ME PETTING THEM...BUT STILL....I KNOW THEY KNOW)

I feel like a Migraine is like a 2 ton Gorilla. There is no way you can control it fully. I have not slept all night, flickering lights, smells that i don't know where the F they came from.... and let me ask my migraine buddies....do you get pmsy when you are getting a BIG MIGRAINE, because i feel like coming out of my skin.

enough of a rant

i am going to try to sleep yea like that will happen. Can we say lots of meds today? WELL THERE GOES A PRODUCTIVE DAY!

Love to all with migraines
I hope all of you have pain free days!
Liz

PATRIOTS EAT THIS!!!!

I AM SOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY THE PATRIOTS DID NOT WIN THOSE BUNCH OF CHEATERS!!!!!!

Did anyone see how the coach left the field before the game was done.....bunch of loosers. No one even brings up the fact they would have not won there first game if the coach never cheated.


WHAT IS WRONG WITH AMERICA TODAY???? There use to be a saying 'cheaters never prosper.' WELL THAT FINALLY TOOK PLACE LAST NIGHT.

If you do not know what I am talking about.....the coach has one of his goones tape the other games private practices so he (the coach) would know what plays the other teams would use. This of course is illegal but the bastard only got a slap on the wrist.

I HAVE TO SAY THE PATRIOTS DESERVED WHAT THEY GOT!!!!! Cheaters make me sick, what are we teaching our childrend today?

CAN YOU IMAGINE THE NEXT GENERATION THAT WILL GROW UP, GOOD LUCK FOR THIS COUNTRY!!!

anyway had to get my rant out.....

have a pain free day!

liz

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!

SUPERBOWL

A true reason for people to get together, have a barbecue and have a good time. I personally like the commercials better. But what the heck, it's just a fun event.

I hope you all had a great time with family and friends like I have.

I hope you have a pain free day!

Liz

UPDATE: MIGRAINE ....NOT TODAY

GOOD NEWS TO REPORT... NO MIGRAINE TODAY! THAT IS ALWAYS A GOOD THING!

Pain sucks! I am sure you all agree!

I hope you all have a pain free day!

liz

UPDATE: MIGRAINE (NO MIGRAINE)

HI

I am doing great with migraines as far as the last couple of days. Just doing my regular thing and making sure that I am healthy.

Hope all of you have a pain free day!

Liz

GETTING THE MONSTER TO GO AWAY

I have to say migraines are a lot like MONSTERS or "THE PERFECT STORM."

JUST IN THE BRAIN

As far as the monster goes, it is as if something has attached itself to your brain and is not letting go and constantly hurting you.

PERFECT STORM=I must say these are the worst. I have to give Deborah the kudos for calling them 'migraine storms.' That is where I picked that up. It's as if everything in your body is goes wrong at once; your period comes up (hormones), stressed to the max, some moron gave you a diet rather than a regular Pepsi (diet has nutra sweet, there is a huge correlation there between nutra sweet setting off migraines), there is a high pressure system....YOU NAME IT AND IT IS HAPPENING IN YOUR LIFE,

ALL OF YOUR MIGRAINE TRIGGERS AT ONCE!!!

Once it goes off (the migraine), it is like a volcano is erupting. Horrific pain, uncontrollable and you are probably headed for the ER.

Sorry for the rant here but why can't we just take migraines out of the genetic code? Do you know that it cost millions of dollars each year from employees calling in because they have a migraine? Now there is a wide spectrum of how severe one case is to another. But if only there was something we could do to stop them.

I am at the end of a migraine storm and my body is just beat. It feels like a steams roller rolled over my body them rolled over me again.

oooo..well I'm tired

Hope you all are having a pain free day!

Liz

UPDATE: MIGRAINE

It was the storm of all storm's (on deb's site, she calls them storm's, which by the way, is a very accurate account. You can jet over to her bog site as well. Just look to the left and there are a bunch of sites.....Deb's is the first.)

Anyway, it was Thursday, mid-day, and it came on so fast (that S.O.B. of a migraine ) and with such furry, it was like a grenade going off in my head. (TRUE Migraineurs know what I am speaking off!). From the time it started, to the time I started vomiting, ( sorry, I know that is gross) it had been 45 minutes at the most. (By the way, my rescue meds did not work AT ALL and they usually do.)I called my husband who is a friend of my doctor to explain the situation. (If you don't know by now my husband is a doctor as well) I was so cognitively impaired (when you have a horrible migraine, or at least migraines at my level, your brain has difficulty putting together the most simplest of sentences while you are trying to deal with the pain.)I could barley speak, that is why I did not make the phone call myself to my doc so my hubby did. (If any of you have had that type of pain my sympathy is with you, I truly would not wish that on anyone ....welllll.....no no that would be too cruel. I know woman who have gone through labor and have migraines like mine and they say they would rather give birth naturally, with no drugs, than to have my type of migraines. For those of you that have what I have, you have my condolences!). Anyway, my husband took off from work (I could not drive, I could not see very well,the aura and the lights were just killing me) so we were off to my doctor, and the whole neurological exam my doc had to perform. (They always do that just to make sure there are no signs of somethings else) So my doctor gave me the meds to make it go away.

GOOD NEWS= it went away for that night;

NEXT MORNING=that vicious little monster migraine storm was back, and IN FULL SWING. So back to the doctor for help. What the doc gave seems to have helped, we shall see.

The Good News=I FEEL LIKE I HAVE STOPPED THE STORM, for now that is! (Thank God)

I will write more Posts this weekend, depending if the "migraine storm" is in fact gone.

I hope you all had a wonderful and pain free day!

Liz

TAKING THE BIG THINGS FOR GRANTED...

and why do so many take it for granted???

Most of you who know that I am a Republican and am darn proud of it. Now I must say I am not happy with what George Bush is doing...but who is? Also, when I say Republican I mean Conservative. I found this in my e-mail from a friend who lives in Orange county. Even though California is known to be liberal, San Diego, and Orange County are known to be Conservative. Just for those that do not know that.

I do not know how all of you feel about the boarder thing, but I think her letter puts it all into perspective. By the way, the OC register would not print it, they were afraid it was too controversial. GIVE ME A BREAK!!! Have you ever noticed the liberals can say almost anything they want to, but when a conservative says this (read below) we are criticized to no end. Please read on. I truly think we have forgotten how grateful our great grand parents were to even step foot on our soil.

Dear Editor:
So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry.
Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.
They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture.
Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity. Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France and Japan . None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defending the United States of America as one people. When we liberated France, no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German American or the Irish American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl.
And here we are in 2006 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags.
And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty, it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.
(signed) Rosemary LaBonte

First off from my perspective I can't even fathom some asinine buffoon suggesting that we tear down the statue of liberty...what's next...the PEAR HARBOR MEMORIAL (i WAS JUST THERE 2-3 WEEKS AGO), OR HOW ABOUT THE MEMORIAL OF 9/11. Since nothing of American history means anything to this man or perhaps he just needs a bleeping history lesson. As a matter a fact while we are at it why don't we just tear down the wall with the Vietnam Solders names on it is well. Is Mr.Lujan for real? There are historical events in our country that we must learn about. ALSO, ENGLISH IS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE SO GET OVER IT!!!! When you come here you assimilate into our society, we don't fit into yours!!!!! If you do not like it LEAVE!

As far as the Oc register not posting her very well written letter, it truly does not surprise me. For some reason people are afraid to say what most people are thinking. Where this will get us? Well, that question scares me. But I do hope you all will vote in the election. It is our duty as citizens.

enough ranting for now

have a great evening, tomorrow I will talk about my experience at Pearl Harbor, it was not what I was expecting AT ALL!

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU AND AMERICA

UPDATE: MIGRAINE

ON THE MIGRAINE FRONT......

I had one of those pesky ones that tried to break out into a full storm. Thank goodness it did not. I was able to abort it before it got REALLY BAD. I am feeling a little sluggish, but OK now. (the woman in the picture is not me, I do not know who she is, I found it on the Internet)

Hope you all have a pain free day

Liz

I am on a ROLL...

Hey, eveyone!!



Just an update, I will do a longer one on Wednesday. I have had hardly NO MIGRAINES!!!! THERE IS A GOD!!! I don't know why I am on a roll but I am. I wish you all the best. I know some of you are in migraine 'storms' --- I so feel for you. I will pray it gets better for you.



I wish you all the best and a pain free day.



liz

P.S. For my friends in cold states and my family in Colorado....I am so happy I am in California (he he), sorry about that one. Although I will be in Colorado in 4 weeks so I have been asking God to bring the sun out during that time, yeah like that will happen. OOOOh have to post new pics of the new house. I will do that later. Got to go see ya

HELLO AGAIN

HELLO...


I hope everyone had a holly, jolly, Christmas and New year. (If that is not PC because I did not just use the words HAPPY HOLIDAYS than 'get over it') My husband and I are Christian and are proud to celebrate our savour/Lord. If that is too much for someone to handle than oh well.





I truly hope everyone had a wonderful season. If any of you flew like we did, my sympathy is with you as well.





I hope you had a truly joyful time. With love and hope in your heart for the new year!


Truly


Liz

UPDATE: MIGRAINE

Yesterday, I had a migraine that I was able to take care of. I think as I said before they are due to stress.

I am great now. .

Happy Holidays!
Lisa

UPDATE: MIGRAINE...and THE STRESS AROUND THE HOLIDAYS

I have had a migraine the last two days. I have also had to take my **** which finally did release it. For some reason the bio feedback didn't do a darn this time. I think this was due to the stress of the new home, re decorating this home, getting ready for the cruise, getting the bills paid ahead of time so there is not a problem when we are gone. Also, of course the regular holiday stuff.

But the holidays are fun even though they may be hard!!! I love giving gifts because I love to see the look of excitement on their faces. I am strange that way. I would rather give a gift that get a gift. It is strange,I KNOW I KNOW!!!!

Anyway hope you have a peaceful and painless evening!

Lisa

COMPUTER AGE

Many younger people will not remember this, so I hope I am not dating myself here, but A LONG TIME AGO we ran out and purchased the commodore 64. For those of you that are to young to remember, it was the first computer for home use. You could play games on it (frogger,ping pong, and such) and type and....well....I think that is about it. But that was a huge deal back then. But at that point in time we never thought computers were going to take over our lives like they do today.

As a fast note here.... computers were really boosted in effecency after the technology of NASA. We have been able to make things that we never thought possible because of the geniuses that worked on each of the space shuttle missions. Before, we had to have computers the size of entire rooms to compute information. NASA has been able to condence all of that information that was once in an entire room on one small GB board that we put in our laptops today. It is amazing the strides that NASA has made, that has effected all of our lives.

Each morning my husband calls me at 6 am (I love him so, I love to hear his voice in the morning)not on a regular phone line like the ones you stick in the phone jak, these are digital (aka computerized for those that did not know the difference between digital and the older phone ). You plug them in the wall(normal plug), and our 'service' is digital as well, it is formatted that way. This is why when your TV goes out your computer will not access the Internet and your phone will not work, they are all linked by computers. Anyway, I get out of bed, shower, brush teeth, hair, make up, (all the usual girl crap) and then it is strait to my computer. WHY YOU MAY ASK??? You see, I do not carry a day planner any more. Those to me are obsolete!!!! I figure what fool would have a day planner when they can have a tickler on their computer to tell them when Birthdays, anniversary's, weddings, appointments dental,yearly check up, hair, nails, eyelashes,brow wax and you get my point, that are coming up. First off, day planners were nice before we got computerized but you still missed things back then. The tickler on the computer is a constant reminder of what needs to be done and when the deadline is.Not to mention all of the addresses, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and everything else imaginable that the computer can handle. This is so you can access anything off hand.

Since the computer has a day to day planner, it is set up to tell me what I have for the day. Instead of being totally overwhelmed, I check off each hour at a time to get things done.

When everything is going well with your computer it is great!!!! When the computer goes on the fritz, so does it's owner. Since all of your phone #s, address, e-mails etc....(are in the computer) you feel like you are going to throw the thing out the window because you are scared you will loose it all. Hence, the flash drive. Bill and I both now have our main lab tops and back up laptops. 4 laptops in the home and only 2 people. Although we do need it for our work. I need the computer more than he does. I have to write reports on patients (takes for ever) and my post graduate work. Bill needs his for some work, but still needs a back up. With as much as we use computers if would be stupid if we did not use it for our daily planners.

HAVE WE BECOME SLAVES TO THE COMPUTER

Well with everything I have shared with you, I think the answer to the question above is a big fat YES!!!! I panicked when my computer went down and I will say my husband was not to calm either. We were fine with purchasing back up, laptops, the good ones have really come down in price! I was shocked when I purchase a top of the line SONY VIAO, I don't know if it is competition or what. But instead of computers helping our lives they seem to be costing us money, making us work harder longer hours because what use to be a 1 person job has now turned into a 5 person job. We JUST HAVE TO HAVE A COMPUTER WHEN WE TRAVEL. I admit, I am in that group. Although it did help us with the fires when it hit our little town. But still, we are strapped to them like a six month old and it needs to stop. The reason I even have a blog is to chart my migraines, but sometimes like this I like to speak my mind......like in journal form. Will this be as far as computers can take us, or how far will computers interrupt our lives. Don't get me wrong, they are great for a lot of things. But sometimes we do need that balance that is so hard to find in life.

Wishing you all a pain free day

Lisa

COMPUTER CRAP

FYI=COMPUTER HAD TO GO INTO THE SHOP TO GET SOME EXTRA STUFF (I WANTED) PUT ON IT.... SO..... I AM NOW USING THE HOUSE LAB TOP. I WILL HAVE MINE BACK BY THE END OF THE WEEK.

UPDATE: MIGRAINE...and THE STRESS AROUND THE HOLIDAYS

Last night and today I have had a migraine flareup, I think it has been because of all of the stress of the new home, our 3 week cruise coming up, organizing someone to house site, deciding on which puppy to purchase (I will be doing all of the training), we are reorganizing or home (for making moving easier), redecorating ( we are still staying here a 2 more years and this place needs a woman touch), my aunt is sick, husband overworked, NOT TO MENTION THIS ALL CAN BRING ON A MIGRAINE!!! Not to mention when you go into the mall it is like a bunch of cattle moving around!

Anyway, I was able to deal with the migraine through Bio-feedback. I am shocked that it actually did work.

So now I am feeling

AFTER A FIRE COMES A MUDSLIDE....I FORGOT THAT

After the large fires that struck our area nothing looks really the same. Everyday I take the same route out of our complex, and I drive by "Battle Mountain" the one that has the cross on the top. It was the one that was engulfed in flames but the cross still stands today. Well it is a whopper of a mountain. I do think it helped us during the fire because that mountain took the brunt of it. I did notice however on the opposite side of the street some sand bags that were piled up. A few days after that I saw them in three lines(on the mountain) and it looked to me like they were circling the mountain, I thought, this might become a problem,but....we rarely get rain anyway. No need to worry about mud slides. Yeeeeaaaah suuuuuure!


On Fridays, my hubby gets home early because of all the hours he puts it during the week. So, last Friday I was getting ready for him to come home,(I usually do not work Friday's) it was raining outside, it was a cosy day! Bill was going to stop off at the store to get the last things I needed for the dinner I was making for us. We usually get something done on Friday's but last week we just wanted to sit in front of the fire watch a good political show, talk, and just enjoy the rain. For most of the country, you probably are wondering, why would we like rain? We like rain because we NEVER GET IT. The last two years I can probably count on 2 hands when we had rain in San Diego. I can count on one hand when the rain was actually more that 1/16th of an inch. Hence, a cozy day, curled up with my hubby appreciating all God has given us.....IS WONDERFUL!!!


About 5 minutes before my husband came in the door the phone rang. I didn't recognize the number so I did not pick it up. I was up stairs so I could not hear the message, but I did notice are digital phone was lite up for some time which means a long message, since you can play back the message at any phone I did.



It stated that we needed to prepare to evacuate, and that we were in a mudslide area, (battle mountain, they thought was going to come down on our heads) and get all belongings that are important blahblahblah. WE JUST WENT THROUGH THIS IT WAS JUST WITH THE FIRE. Apparently the fire burned the mountain, and when rain hits it after that, we are in a lot of trouble. It is a big mountain, and we are VERY close to it.


I paged my poor husband ( I look back on it now and it was funny) and when he called back he was so sweet on the phone, I was pissed off big time. Our evening was ruined (so I thought at that time). Were going to have to pack everything up again uuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrggggggg!!!! Tell me, how do you deal with a mud slide ? Talk about cleaning. As my hubby came in the door reverse 911 called us again. Bill reminded me we still have all of our personal things in one spot.

We were truly at the point of it is all just things. Bill and I have been on a 'new path' I suppose you could say the last 4 or so months. Out with the 'old' in with the new. We have been organizing the house top to bottom. When we looked at it, almost all of it is replaceable.The one thing my husband was very smart about was family pictures. Bill had all of the pictures of us on disc's. Over time he had put all of the pictures of his kids on disc's. Bill had kept the negatives of all the pictures of his children, (back in those days we can all remember we needed the negative to make another picture or make it bigger and such) there were thousands of pics he has of his kids from birth all the way to prom and many things after. It is nice to have them on disc's, then we don't have to worry about fire or flood or whatever the problem may be. I have to say it is a lot easier to search for a picture that way as well! It takes forever to get all of those on a disc but I am happy he did that.


So, as Bill and I talked there were a few pieces I would grab, but most things are replaceable. So we looked at each other, put the news on down in the corner (slit screen), while we watched political shows on the rest of our nice HDTV 1080i, THAT CAN BE REPLACED!!! I started dinner. It went in the oven and my hubby and I enjoyed the afternoon and evening.

With God's Grace we never got that call to evacuate and we had a wonderful evening.



I suppose, my point is don't let money or valuables be the things you cherish because they can all go up in smoke. Yes, we are fortunate beyond our wildest dreams, but 'stuff' can be replaced. Have you ever noticed the people who are unable to find happiness within have the most worldly possessions, and seem to have made 'money,' their God, still seem to remain the loneliest of all? Or, they will try to purchase people with things. (Sorry for the shrink in me here) They are just not happy with there lives, they almost make money their God is just frightening, and the morals go out the window. My husband was talking to a woman and asked how was she doing (they had known each other for a long time) she said that it was better when her husband was not there. When I heard that I felt complete and utter pity for her, and her life! has money, but what to show for it?


THINGS THAT I WISH ALL PEOPLE KNEW AND FELT


If that mud slide would have hit, my husband and I would be in a hotel with what we could carry, paper, discs of all the photos, some other crap to put into the car, things passed down, and most of all...... my husband, standing with me side by side! We can purchase all the other crap again. But I can never find anyone like my Bill! He is irreplaceable.
The thing that most sadness me is people who do not have that. I know how JUST HOW blessed I am and I thank the lord every day for it.
Lisa

TO DO WHAT IS CORRECT EVEN WHEN YOU MAY NOT FEEL LIKE IT

We have all been in situations that someone else has not handled well. As I have always said, " disengage with these people." If they are truly hurting you or your spouse you must protect YOUR FAMILY! Focus on those who love you and pray for the person who is having ' issues' at that time. I love these quotes....

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

THIS ONE IS MY FAVORITE!!!

People will say you don’t have the talent or ability to do something.Do it anyway.Every individual has the ability to do or be whatever he or she wants in this life. Don't allow anyone to be dismissive of you, or tell you that you can't.

Just do it.

Have a wonderful pain free day!

Lisa

UPDATE (MIGRAINES) NOT THE BAD ONES

THAT CAN BE SAVED......

Sometimes I wonder if one of the anti migraine drug was worth going on. It did help in reducing migraines, but with some of them I do not get my usual 'visual aura.' Instead I get heart palpitation and I sweat for about 30 minutes. I feel like I am really sick. The difference is, my cells are dilating and I am getting surges of different types of chemicals/hormones that my body is producing right before the migraine. Sometimes I wonder what is worse. Doing what I am doing now. Having a massive decrease in migraines and having my aura like this. Or having a lot more migraines but having enough time to stop them with a non narcotic migraine med. I can't tell. I have been able to cut out so many meds, I just wish I could get rid of the last daily one. At least they are all non-narcotic so there is no worry there, I am just contemplating those two.

Tonight, I had the physical aura (which is awful), although I caught it before a big migraine hit. So that was a success.

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN.......

EVEN MORE PROUD TO BE MY FATHER'S DAUGHTER!

Just like I did this year, most of you, let Veterans Day just pass by, not without a thought, a thank you, or a consideration of what men like my father in Vietnam, or my Father in Law in WWII,or my husband almost did (but the war had ended by the time he got out of medical school, hence no need to go over to be in a mash unit) for us. We forget what they sacrificed. IT WAS NOT JUST 2-8 YEARS OUT OF THEIR LITTLE LIVES, IT ULTIMATELY BECAME THEIR ENTIRE LIFE THAT THEY HAD TO DEAL WITH WHAT THEY HAD SEEN, AND THE UNSPEAKABLE ACTS THEY HAD TO DO IN ORDER TO SURVIVE!

At this point, whether you disagree with the politics of war is irrelevant. The reason they went off to war in the first place is because they loved their country. They were told they were fighting for a larger good FREEDOM! (So many in there 30s and younger take that for granted now)Yes, the politics between the two wars are drastically different, but should we blame that on the solders who reported for duty, as what you are suppose to do,called to do, as a citizen of the United states of America? My father followed the law, (he is a real man).My father in law followed the law (he is a real man). My husband had all of his papers ready to go, literally even his medical check up and was prepared for a mash unit, to deploy. The war ended literally days after graduation, his children don't even that because hero's don't brag. (he, my husband is a real man)


My father is a REAL MAN, when duty called he went! How many of you can say that about your parents and beam with pride when you say it? At 18 he was in the jungles of Vietnam. He saw 2 of his good buddies blown to pieces in front of him. As a therapist it is worse to know about what your Father went through, you know what they have had to endure, and the private silence to keep all of that in all of these years. Sometimes, I wish I was not a psychologist, it is easier to be naive. To list all the things he had seen and had to do would be a violation of His privacy, but he is one of those silent hero's. He never brags. He doesn't talk about it. He came back with severe PTSD which most solders did. At 40 melanoma, at 44 prostate, they still think there is a problem with melanoma, of course due to the agent orange that was spreed on his young 18 year old body that was still growing. My father was an lot more mature than his age, he told me that there were some kids (18 years of age like him) that should not have been there. Some would be so 'messed up' as my dad put it, that they would collect the ears off the dead bodies of the Vietcong and put them on a string and where them around there necks. My dad is someone who has a mind of steal, I am lucky to taken after him in that department. But when he told me that my heart melted because I wanted so badly to take that memory and so many more out of my dads head. My dad is a silent hero, looking out for everyone else, making sure their OK, just out of the goodness of his heart. My father when he came back never wanted applause he never wanted attention, that is just not his way.

There are no Clintonians in our blood, no draft dodgers,and the one thing that I am most proud of my family is, they honor those who risk their lives to help the lives of others. My husband Bill and I have learned a lot about family over the last year, and the one thing that stuck out in my mind is he said, " you have the typical healthy American family,a lot of people, they are all just happy being with each other, being christian, and very patriotic, always looking out for each other." I had to remind him, we are not typical, we are far from the norm, most people do not have a healthy family like we do. We just happened to be blessed.

I happen to be the typical 'latch key kid' with my mother trying to use me as a pawn against my father during their terrible divorce. But I have to say no matter how hard she tried, no matter how manipulative she got, I found out the truth in the end. I think our generation ( 30s to 40s, although I will always say I am 20 even when I am 100) is one of the messed up of them all. We do not appreciate those Veterans that made it possible so we could still be speaking English, or whatever we darn well please today. Divorce is at an all time high (morality?) no one thinks twice about filing for bankruptcy any more(people who do file forget it is everyone who then has to pay off your debt, your friends your family and even you by the time taxes hit, CAN WE SAY TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT?). The thought of fighting for our country is just inconceivable to most.We don't treat our Vet's the best medical care instead we give them the worst! We are a nation of spoiled rotten 20,3o,and 40 year olds and we need to snap out of it!!!! Stop using credit cards, start watching the news, and stop babying your children as if they can't handle rejection; think about what generation will come up after us... we certainly want it to be better that ours!!! What's the deal with people borrowing money from family? GROW UP! WHAT IS SOCIETY COMING TOO? We have become a nation of now and it will explode in our faces. Hero's are not Baseball or football stars, who shoot up in the bathroom (which is illegal) while making 50 mil. True hero's start with the mom and dad who work 80 hours a week, who sit down at the dinner table with you. Hero's are people that even though this is a chaotic world do the best they can to raise you with the most love they have. You don't have to be rich for that! Hero's start at home. My father, my step mom and so on. I will get into a whole post on this. True hero's are silent hero's. True morality is doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Those are our Vet's and our hero's in Iraq and the ones spread across that area we are fighting. When my father in law died only 3-4 people new the story of his enlistment at his funeral, I was able to give the speech on what really happened, everyone was surprised, they didn't know how wonderful (they knew he was wonderful but this was truly patriotic)David was, I just thought, that is a real man (last paragraph explains). He never bragged about it because he was a true hero,like my father and husband.

'

Here is what Defines the WWII Generation =My Father in Law David

My Father in Law passed away a couple of years ago. He had his PH.D in Chemistry. He wanted to serve in WWII. When he went to enlist they told him, he was not allowed. Now, this Obviously did not make any sense to him. He was white (it could not be a color thing, you have to remember this was in the 40s) he had an education?MMMMMM, So he went home to ask his father who was pretty high up in politics, and his father already knew of the news. My husbands father David (my father in law) demanded to go. What I left out here was David was no ordinary scientist, he was working on a project so advanced that you had to have clearance it was a bomb for our protection (did I mention PH.D in chem?), back them not everyone knew of it, today, we do, it is called nuclear weapons. My father in law was so good at it they did not want to risk letting him go. Well to David (I can still remember him telling the story) he said he was not going to sit in a lab while his friends where being carried home in body bags. David was a true American hero. His father finally understood his sons urgency to go. Many of Davids friends were coming back, one funeral after another, moms crying, new wives crying, and David just knew this was something he had to do. There were the stars in each of the windows of how many sons lost,not if they were at war, it was if they were killed in battle. (for those that don't know, back then if you lost a son you would put a star in your front window, it would signify the loss of your child(ren)) David was married to Barb, by the way, she was the best mother in law in the world. I know those are hard to find, she truly was just magnificent, she passed a few months after David, they were married for 60 great years! Anyway, David's Dad pulled some strings, and he went off to war. He came back healthy and had a baby much later named Bill, who I married.

David could have just kept his mouth shut, but true hero's don't do that there is a theme with all three of these men, none of them spoke or bragged about it. Bottom line you do the correct thing when no one is looking or will ever find out that is a hero and good character.

.

UPDATE (MIGRAINES) NOT THE BAD ONES

I know I have been busy so I have been neglecting to typed this in everyday! Bottom line is If I do not type it in about a migraine, I do not have one. That makes it much easier.

NOW TODAY: For some reason my stomach is upset, my head hurts (yes migraine) I have not taken anything for it yet, and I feel a little off. Now I am going to lay down and try to do some bio feedback and see if that will work. Hope so.

Hope you all have a pain free day!

UPDATE:MIGRAINE(An ER Visit with Love)

This happened on Thursday, yesterday, now it is Friday early morning and I still am having a issues but it is slowly getting better and better.

Horrible morning. At around 12:30am on Thursday I was having a dream of beautiful lights that were all around but then,apart of the lights seem to be block out of the lights and then my dream switched I could feel in my dream a tremendous amount of pain. Instead of the beginning of the of the dream, now I was on the freeway laying down and a car ran over my head, but it then stopped right when the car was on the temple of my head. It was as if my head was in a vice.

It you can imagine that, to add to it, it, felt as if a jack hammer being was also being put in the left top of the head. Yes this was a BAD HORRIFIC MIGRAINE!

When I awoke I realized it was a horrific migraine I was in and the rescue would not help at that point because I was way t0 far into the migraine.

Unfortunaltlely this was an ER migraine which Bill insisted on going there than taking care of it at home he is always so worried about my health. I Love you BILL my #1 hubby in the world!

UPDATE:MIGRAINE (NO MIGRAINE)

Today I just wanted to remind myself if I look back the days I did not log in I did not have a migraine. The days that I did catch up with post dated stuff I wanted to make sure I would remember when I had those migraines. Today no migraine just so tired I can hardly type this. After the thought of almost loosing our home and God being so good to spare us then we had two weeks of work that we had to fly many places i am just.....I could sleep for 4 days. As a matter of fact I think I might. I am however later going to put what I learned on the new and cutting edge for migraines. It is awesome. The genetics part is wonderful. It is a really exciting field. But now I need to sleep before I pass out.

I will write more later.

Please have a pain free day!

Lisa

UPDATE:MIGRAINE (November 2)

Today I had a migraine that I was able to control. I think it is from all the travel and the stress.

This is from November 2, and this day I was so tired.

UPDATE:MIGRAINE

31 OF OCTOBER 2007

We had just arrived in Phoenix, Arizona and I got a Migraine from the plane but a regular migraine imetrx worked to stop it. We arrived at the National Headache (migraine) Conference today!

TODAY I FEEL Pouty src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_19_5.gif" width=70 border=0>very tired today.

God's Grace

(THIS PICTURE WAS ACTUALLY TAKEN ON A HILL CALLED BATTLE MOUNTAIN. IT IS 25YARDS TO THE LEFT OF OUR HOME. GOD'S GRACE, THAT IS ALL I CAN THINK OF! WE ARE SO LUCKY,WAIT NO I DON'T BELIEVE IN LUCK, I JUST THANK GOD) By the way BATTLE MOUNTAIN has a cross on top of it and even after it was totally engulfed in flames--the cross still stands!

With God's good grace He has been so good to me by not allowing me to have a migraine during this extremely difficult time. As most of you know by now our home was in the line of fire. But, God was with us. It is astounding just how wonderful GOD can be. I will be posting our story later today or Monday.

UPDATE:MIGRAINE (NO MIGRAINE)

Yes, it is true, I do not have a migraine! Thank Goodness for that!

Wishing you all a pain free, safe, and happy day!

FIRE --THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR CONCERN

THANK YOU

THANK YOU

THANK YOU

(that picture was taken during the day around 1 or 2pm it just shows how much smoke filled the air and the sky went dark)

WE ARE SO LUCKY TO HAVE FRIENDS AND FAMILY LIKE ALL OF YOU!

Thank you all for all of the calls of caring and concern via cell and e-mail, thank you for your out pouring of support, thank you for offering anything we may need, and thank you just for being the wonderful people you are. (Bill and I were just talking about what great friends we have and how wonderful my Dad's side of our family is).

Yes, we are OK. We were in Vegas at the time. We (Bill and I) did not even know about the fires until we heard someone speaking about it. I am going to write a post about what we learned through this.

By the way, for my migraineur friends, no migraine! Bill has been such a wonderful hubby by trying to keep me indoors at all times. That would be one thing I would not need now is a mind blowing migraine. Thank God, I am praying I stay migraine free during this time.

I wish you all have a pain free, wonderful, and healthy day!

Lisa
I have to go, I will write more on this, we still do not know yet about our home, it is there or burned to the ground, but I do feel very lucky because of all you!

UPDATE:MIGRAINE

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUu I knew it would not last

I feel like this and I know it is from stress! At least I have the meds with me! So today my feeling is .

My Wonderful Husband...

I happen to be in Las Vegas now at a conference with my loving husband. We are actually (also) celebrating 8 years ago we decided to be exclusive. 2 years after that we told his kids we were dating (they still don't know that detail) and 5 years into our relationship we knew we were not going to be with anyone else. We kept it from his kids for 2 years simply because they were closer to my age ( they still don't know my actual age and his oldest son thinks he is older than me, I am fine with that, I figure when I am older I will REALLY feel like I am young!)

The one thing Bill and I went into our marriage concerned with was children. What if we had them ( you can guess Bill is older than me). What about his kids. My concern to this was immense considering my childhood was horrific. I was abused in every way a human can be and even though his kids were older I still felt motherly towards them. My guardian who had taken care of me was an alcoholic, that makes you a care giver at a very early age because alcoholic's can't take care of themselves at all so it was all on me. So when Bill and I actually got married we made sure all of our paper work was IN ORDER!!!

But some things you can try to pre-pare yourself for and some things you couldn't see them coming if well is does not matter. But as a step-mom I was so surprised to have a step-son so beyond his years, He is smart, he already know woman are manipulative (ahead of his time) good boy, respectful, loves his father, wants the best for his dad ( which I love), just an all around good young man that I am proud to call my step-son. I had nothing to do with it I have to say that it is all on his mom and DAD. But I am proud to be married to the DAD.

As far as children between Bill and I yes we are planning and can't wait to have a family of our own. As Bill puts it, "it is nice to have someone to be on the same page as yourself." We have talked and talked and it is great to have someone who is also in the medical field we both view things the same way. We are not tree hugging hippies were there's no science behind what they are doing. I love the quote " women having been giving birth for thousands of years I am pretty sure I can do it. YEA STUPID! Woman have also been dying for thousands of years without medical help! The time comes when you actually need a doctor or a c-section then you will thank your lucky stars medical science is there. Bill and I work as a team with most everything we do. My family was enamored at how much he loves me, when he was asked about it he said, " I just want the best for my wife, I love her." I could not have a better hubby

UPDATE:MIGRAINE (NO MIGRAINE)

I have been feeling great, the reasons why in the next post.

UPDATE:MIGRAINE (NO MIGRAINE)

No migraine today, just extreamly tired. I don't know why I am so tired!

At least no headpain, but I feel like I could sleep for days.

WHAT IS A REAL WOMAN?

A REAL WOMAN: A PROVERBS 31 WOMAN

Many of us go through life worried about our own little problems never to worry about the neighbor next door, the widow down the street, or the chronic pain patient we talk to over the Internet. We think about them on occasion but do we really pray for them and their good health? This to me makes the difference between the 'proverbs 31 woman' and the typical woman.

THE TYPICAL WOMAN: Takes care of her family, makes sure to her family and friends that everything in her life is happy, and in her own selfishly unique way truly believes she has covered all her bases except for the one that truly care for her fellow man/woman. Does this typical woman go through her day and pray for the woman on the opposite end of the country, does she think how she could perhaps make a difference in that persons like with chronic pain, or the typical woman thinks only of herself, her choir list that needs to be done and in her mind THAT'S THAT!

So many people today have for one reason or another moved from the church that they do not realize that it truly does ground us, making us better human beings than we ever thought we could be and for woman making us strive to be that 'proverbs 31 woman' I so highly look up too.

THE PROVERBS 31 WOMAN


Proverbs 31:10-31: Qualities of a God-Fearing Woman

1) Is trustworthy and honest.
An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. (verses 10-11)

2 ) Has a servant's heart.
She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. She looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight. (verses 12-13)

3) Feeds those in her home.
She is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar. She rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household and portions to her maidens. (verses 14-15)

4) Is good at managing money.
She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard. (verse 16)

5) Takes care of her physical body.
She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong. (verse 17)

6) Works hard.
She senses that her gain is good; her lamp does not go out at night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle. (verses 18-19)

7) Is compassionate to those less fortunate than her.
She extends her hand to the poor, and she stretches out her hands to the needy. (verse 20)

8) Provides clothing for her home.*
She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She makes coverings for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies belts to the tradesmen. (verse 21-24)
*-I don't think this verse is saying that women have to sew, but we should take care of clothing our house, whether that's through sewing or shopping.

9) Has a positive outlook on life.
Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. (verse 25)

10) Exercises self-control over her tongue.
She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. (verse 26)

11) Is not lazy but does what needs to be done.
She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. (verse 27)

The reward for striving for these goals? God will reward us in Heaven. AND...
Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: 'Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all.' Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. (verses 28-31)

I know I'VE got a lot to work on...what about you? Are you working on these things? Or, are you distracted?

WE all have different things to work on in life. But it is our progression forward to this, that is what counts. I have met many people in person and some chronic pain sufferers like myself that I truly cheer and Cherish that I have come across their path everyday. They get up they try to go on with their day as best they could with the trails that this world has put on them, I give each one of you kudos for being such stewards of the Lord, and with all your difficulties that you are going through, you still manage to take care of your family. Here's to being woman, the interesting creatures that we are! We can truly handle it all, but with friendship and stewardship towards the Lord nothing could ever stop us in our tracks!

Here is to WOMAN, the PROVERB 31 WOMAN, WHO NOT ONLY SERVE GOD, FAMILY, BUT ALSO LOVED ONES AND FRIENDS!

UPDATE: MIGRAINE (NO MIGRAINE)

I must say I have been lucky no migraines in a couple of days just very tired. I have more to add but for now I am feeling little tired but happy.

UPDATE:MIGRAINE

Well I am lucky that the pain in my head has not come back but it is going to my stomach. I know I am in the migraine aura phase, just is in my stomach now. UUUUUUUUUUUUU I feel like I have the stomach flu it is just not the flu. But other than that, I am doing well.

just need to get my stomach better

UPDATE:MIGRAINE (NO MIGRAINE)

Great news- I am still a little tired but, no migraine!

I am thanking God for that one

UPDATE:MIGRAINE (CLUSTER)

God help these are the worst

it did feel like that big thing going through my head. Except it just stopped and kept exploding. This happened at 1am this morning.I felt well only migraineur's know the feeling.

Now I am just tired---I hate ER visits, although the doctors are always so nice to me, it just is a waiting game and with that type of pain, wait is not in the dictionary.

Now I feel

I also thank God every day that I have the doctors I do. What WOULD I DO WITHOUT THEM?

UUUUUUUUUUUUUU REST TIME

UPDATE:MIGRAINE

UPDATE: FEELING A LITTLE TIRED BUT NO MIGRAINE! THANK THE LORD.

I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE TOXIC PEOPLE POST IT WILL JUST TAKE UNTIL LATER TODAY!

UPDATE: COMPUTER

FYI If any of you have problems with your computer like we did PLEASE CALL THE HP people or whatever brand you bought. I brought mine into circuit city ( they have always been nice to us in the past) and they said my screen and hard drive where gone, not good.


So my wonderful hubby, called saying we were sending the computer to get fixed. Well they led him through a bunch of steps and viola! It is fine. That saved us six hundred bux.

Now we have do have an extra computer which I will just give to Bill. But at least it's fixed.

If you put out good Karma good Karma comes back to you!!!!!

MURPHY'S LAW

Of course last night I spoke to soon. It did come back and it came back with gusto. That is the problem with migraines they can come back (just like toxic people, which will be my next post) at any time! Or without any warning, but I am feeling a little better today!

UPDATE: TODAY WAS OK, NOTHING THAT BAD.

PILLS PILLS PILLS

I JUST WANT A CURE NOT MORE PILLS!

(ALTHOUGH I KNOW I AM LUCKY IN A SENSE AT LEAST WE HAVE SOMETHING!)

SOMETIMES I GET SO FRUSTRATED: I woke up today Again after my hubby left and I could feel that cloud had lifted. Sometimes I don't even like to say I am getting a MIGRAINE because my husband gets tense.














ANSWER ME THIS



Why must it be in our genetic code for MIGRAINES?



Why must it be soooooooo hard on us?

Why is it many people in our lives that love us never understand and this is truly such a lonely disease?!?



WHY CAN'T SOMEONE FIND A CURE? I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT A TON OF PILLS, I MEAN A REAL CURE?




THIS IS NOT A CURE IT DOES NOT WORK FOR THE PERSON WITH HORRIBLE MIGRAINES.



END OF MY LITTLE RANT SORRY

WOWEEWOW WOWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW

UPDATE: MIGRAINE, THE MEDICATION WORKED.

FYI I AM GETTING A MIGRAINE SO THERE ARE SPELLING ERRORS AND GRAMMAR ERRORS I WILL FIX IT Later

I have a felling a huge migraine is coming on. For the past 2-3 days I have been having not only my visual aura, I also have not slept for days ( I just look at the clock). I keep having disturbances with remembering words when speaking. Half of my body has been going numb on and off for the past 2 days, and I am scared if the pain comes it will be like a cluster HEADACHE (cluster varient), rather than my transform migraines. The hardest thing is knowing the pain is coming but all you can do is pray that the medication worked and wait. DEAR GOD IT IS ON IT'S WAY.

For those of you that do not know the difference between those migraines and cluster headaches (or a sub group which is cluster varient which is what I get sometimes) the difference is huge. BOTH do not HAVE EQUAL (that is rare migraines can be close to the pain of a cluster headache, migraines come in all forms of pain, but cluster is the most severe, there is not a large variation in pain when it comes to cluster, it is just the worst pain you could have) PAIN they are DIFFERENT. CLUSTER IS LIKE A horrific RELEASE OF negative painfull ENERGY---IT IS A VERY STRANGE . i WILL EXPLAIN WHEN I AM FEELING BETTER

______Later that day.....

The TRANSFORM MIGRAINE is what is 'typical' for the 1% I am in for 'type of migraines'. You have the visual aura. Days before the actual pain you are forgetting words, having numbing of once side of your body, and the scalp has a terrible sensation that is called allodynia. That feels like someone has taken a razor blade and made horizontal and vertical lines on your scalp and it feels as if the razor blade just sliced up your scalp. You can't brush your hair it brings you to tears and you can't handle anyone touching your scalp or hair. This only gets worse as the aura gets closer to the migraine and when it is full blow you can hardly put your head on the pillow it hurts so bad. My scalp now feels as if someone took a razor to it. The aura is not just the visual part as some think it encompasses all that i am talking about. The visual aura is just before the head pain. I have also been dropping everything I have picked up for some reason. For some reason this time I have had the visual aura all day today. The pain is coming I can feel it

For the CLUSTER HEADACHE (CLUSTER VARIENT) this is a category where you think of suicide, it is THAT bad. There is no waiting for the doctor in the ER, the pain is so bad (on one side of the head) on the left side that I pound my head against something to try to get it to the other side. I think often if it does not go now,
i just

i just.......................just......................o God (my heart rate is up, my nose and eyes are running)

I can't

take it.....the jakhammer, it is happening

I can't live like this, Got please take me now

no this is not

living

GOD HELP ME (I can see me husband watching outside the ER room eagerly awaiting our doctor, he feels helpless, my husband is a doctor yet he can do nothing for me, he can help EVERYONE ELSE BUT ME, he can only hear my crying and pounding, and pray the doctor is fast)

I can't take this____________I DONT HAVE THE STRENGH THIS TIME

how can.................oooo it feels....it feels.....NAILS ARE BEING DRIVEN INTO MY EYES....it feels like a jakhammer is at my head, how can this be

NO, NO MORE.....

I want to die

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If this

goes on

ON

I know the meds to take ( to stop my pain, to stop it all...mean suicide SO THIS NEVER HAPPENS TO ME AGAIN)

GOD PLEASE I NEED THE DOCTOR

WHERE IS HE??????????????????????

i just can't any more(I am on the bed rocking back and forth, my husband in the hall, flagging at someone)

The doctor comes in I say it before he does (i blurt it out) I am at a 10 out of 10 on the pain scale( I am shaking at this point, uncontrollably because the pain is so bad) i beg for help, I tell the doctor what he already knows there is a protocol from my neurologist for him to follow I repeat it to him, (i am talking so fast i am surprised he got it)

The doctor looks at my husband and talks to him and leaves........

why no questions for me

o god what is happening

is he going to make me wait....I CAN'T

WHAT WHAT WHAT???

i am panicked

o god are they going to do what my doctor said

he is one of the top in the country they have to

they never have said no before

(I see my husband walk calmly over to me)

Bill (my hubby)Calmly says everything is OK they are getting it now (he knows not to touch me, touch feels like fire on my skin, he is close but not to actually touch my skin, he walks back over to the chair and puts his head in his hands and is shaking his head.....I know he feels guilty he can't help me, he can help EVERYONE BUT ME!!!! IT IS THE LAW, I know it I don't blame him.....I want to say something to tell him i understand but, i don't have the strenght)

i just start to cry harder-------------------knowing the end is near

i can't take it THIS

no more

to much

o god

thank god for the doctors i have

The nurse quickly comes in (I know her, she has helped me the last time i had a cluster, they are my worst) she finds a vane which is tricky, mine are hard to get and she begins (I can see through my teary eyed vision, she tries to smile, she knows just her touch is hurting my skin) she is nice and fast....she knows my pain is at its worst....

The needle is in......OOOO GOD IT IS SOOOOO LOUD....she is opening bags of fluid

**********she is trying to get me to relax on the bed (not possible)**********my husband gets up and tried to help me

my vision is blured through the tears

but

but

I can see her filling the syringe that will take care of the monster that is causing all the pain

then, the needle goes in the IV line

I can feel the cold liquid

and..........and

--------------------------

I start to calm

because i know

this should work

it is so cold, my arm is so cold

she is standing above me with a smile

then

then

it is

taking off that edge of the cluster (cluster headache ) that is that would in fact drive me to actually commit suicide if they could not stop the pain

Nurse then says something to my husband but

I feel slow.........the pain is lifting so I could give a **** what is said.............

OOOO GOD THANK YOU

I can'T FEEL THE NAILS IN MY EYE ANY MORE

i am tired

now,

O THANK GOD (AFTER 15-20 MINUTES) IT IS LIFTING

O MY GOD

WHY, WHY

I can see the nurse now, even though I am tired, she is a pretty blond, they come in with more meds it is not all gone but they know not to let me go home until it is all gone or else it comes back

MY BODY IS SO DRAINED, I FEEL LIKE I RAN A MARATHON

***later**

My husband picks me up and puts me into the wheel chair, aahhhhh, no pain, I can feel the cold air of the night on my face, I am being wheeled out to the car, my eyes are closed, but I know it is my hubby that is picking me up and placing me in the car

he drives through....to get me a fresh drink.....the meds make me so thirsty, he holds the cup as i gulp a bunch down

and then.............

The next thing i remember is waking up at home, I am so tired. (he must have carried me in, I am now in my night shirt, very comfortable) It takes me two days to recover. The pain is gone, but my body hurts, (nothing like the migraine or a cluster) just soar.

I TRULY CAN UNDERSTAND THOSE THAT HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE! I AM ONE OF THE LUCKY ones (if you call this lucky)THAT MEDICATION WORKS ON, THERE ARE OTHERS IT DOES NOT WORK ON FOR CLUSTER HEADACHE PATIENTS.

I have the best husband in the world....thank you Bill!

MY CHOICE TO LIVE WITH MY HELD HIGH WITH INTEGRITY

What do you do when someone who is not informed questions you about your pain?

I encountered this recently. I must say it was done in a loving manner so if the person reads this I do not want to offend them because they are terrific they are just not well informed about how bad my migraines really are. I had a neurologist who wanted to present my case as 'one of the worst migraine cases he has ever seen' at a conference. For those that are in that less than 1% like myself you can often feel very alone when someone questions you and it is difficult to explain it to them in (as i put it) lamens terms. I have now been dealing with migraines for near 20 years 10 of those at the 1% I am in which is the worst of the worst. I have spent 8 out of 10 of those years to find the neurologist that I have and to be put on the regimen that I am on. I am happy with it because I CAN LIVE A LIFE. To others out there who are reading this and do not understand what I am talking about let me explain it like this.

YOU CAN'T LIVE A LIFE WHEN YOU:

1) Can't get out of bed because the pain is so bad it literally brings you to your knee's
2) You keep a trash can at the side of your bed because you never know when the projectile vomit will come up at any moment.
3) You can't have the TV on or radio and you must have no light in the room because it burns your eyes.
4)The Pain is so bad when you have to go to the doctor your husband has to come in and dress you because you can hardly move your head it hurts so badly
5) Forget about working you can't even get dressed by yourself
6) Forget about going and doing regular outings like the supermarket etc.
7) Forget about having fun with friends you can't get ready to see them and you don't want them to see you like that
8) You will never ACTUALLY LIVE
YOU ARE CONFINED TO A BED PUKING YOUR GUTS UP WAITING TO EAT AGAIN TO PUKE IT UP AGAIN FOR THEM TO TRY THE NEXT DRUG ON YOU FOR IT NOT TO WORK!

I have been there that was my life for a while, I will never go back to that. I may have some side effects now. Example I have to go to sleep when I am getting a migraine. But now I can live a life. I can go on cruises, I go to school, I shop, I have fun with friends, I love to laugh, and I LOVE TO LIVE!!!

This is a very lonely disease, most don't have it to my extent or to the nice people I have met that have it. But I have found a regime that works for me, and I can live. I LOVE TO LIVE WITH MY HUSBAND AND NOT BE TAKEN CARE OF BY HIM!!! I love to be an equal, and for us to enjoy mornings, afternoons, and evenings, weather it is loud sunny or cloudy and I can handle it and I am not in pain. For those that do not understand, CHRONIC PAIN, it is like living in a bubble and watching the world go by. I don't want to watch, I want to interact with my husband, family and friends. I don't want to be confined to the bed puking my guts up just to satisfy someone else's worries.

I want to live and I am going to live. Sometimes there is a price. For me, that is me having to sleep sometimes because I have a disability. BUT I CHOOSE, TO BE AWAKE FOR THE REST OF THE TIME! NEVER CONFINED AGAIN to that darken sullen room, where no sound could come from, the TV or radio always turned off because it would just intensify the pain, the trash can to my left in arm lengths away, so when my body deciedes to get rid of any of anything I ate it is there. As a migraineur knows, that once you start to throw up it just keeps coming and will not stop. That room is like a coffin, except you are still alive and the migraine is just not going to realease it's grip on you.

I AM NOT GOING TO APOLOGIZE FOR MY PAIN IT HURTS TO DARN MUCH. I AM NOT ASHAMED OF HOW MY DOCTORS AND I ARE DEALING WITH IT. I AM PROUD TO HAVE LIVED THROUGH IT ALL AND STILL CAN SIT HERE TODAY AND TYPE THIS.

MY CHOICE IS TO LIVE AND LIVE PROUD WITH MY HEAD HELD HIGH BECAUSE I DID IT WITH INTEGRITY.


as for the person who question me or for anyone questioning you about what you take or your doctor does with you remember this,IT is your life no one else's. You have to get out of that bed in the morning, it is your trashcan you will be throwing up in, not theirs. You make a decision of integrity, and never let anyone make you, question, YOU.

LABTOPS=MINE IS IN THE SHOP AFTER ONLY BEING 5 MONTHS OLD

Hey all,

I WOULD HAVE FINISHED THE PMS POST EXCEPT MY COMPUTER WENT ON THE FRITZ AND WE HAVE TO SEND IT IN TO GET IT FIXED. THEY SAID IT WOULD TAKE A MONTH. WELL I HAVE TO HAVE A COMPUTER FOR WORK SO I HAD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER LAB TOP! THAT IS WHAT I AM ON NOW.

SO I AM GOING TO LOAD SOME THINGS ON MY NEW LAB TOP AND THEN I WILL FINISH THE PMS POST

HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A PAIN FREE DAY

PMS-migraines

Menstrual Migraines

Is there a correlation with your migraines increasing around your period?

Do we as woman have PMS or PMDD? (Duuuuu)

Do we have bloating, cramping, short tempered, emotional ride of your life, breast tenderness, horrid food cravings, bad hair days, nothing looks correct, you are always dropping something, and overall feeling ekky, ooo and not to mention your wonderful hubby who never had bothered you before now everything he does is like nails on a chalk board, but then again these are just to name a few?

Do we have increases in estrogen and progesterone during 'our time of the month?'

The answers to all four of these per the AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION AS WELL AS THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION all say YES!!!!!!!!

If our hormones are on the fritz (lamens terms) and
we feel like we want to drive a hummer through all those cars in 5pm traffic that we are waiting in,

or for some reason your loving husband who does not annoy you ever, for some reason today his voice sounds like nails on a chalk board.

Perhaps you stepped on the scale and gained 4 pounds BUT THAT CAN'T BE POSSIBLE OR GODS SAKE BLEEP BLEEP **** **** ***** BLANK BLANK (fill it in your self) because You have been on a diet and have consistently lost weight and there is no way in blank you could have gained.

So now you are on what I call 'THE EMOTIONAL ride of your life HANG ON BECAUSE YOU AND POOR HUBBY WILL HAVE LOTS OF FUN!'

Sort of like the type of fun if you went sky diving without your shoot!

For 5 hours you will cry, then you will find something to yell at your poor husband about, then you will laugh and be fine again, it is truly a scene from 'one flew over the cooc coocs nest.'

Personally I feel sorry for men. I am surprised they don't move into a hotel, I would move if I could but then I realize IT'S ME and then I am REALLY upset!


I also Tell my poor husband I am getting PMS and I am sorry- I just apologize ahead of time! (you should see the look on his face when he realizes it's coming) It's almost like the poor man braces himself. Nuclear war would be easier to get through!



If you experience any of these feelings during your menstrual cycle then you just might have
PMS--- just a thought?

If your hormones are flying up and down, almost every migrainiur knows that our bodies DO NOT LIKE CHANGE! The hormones that I am referring to are correlated to headaches and migraines. (THERE IS BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HEADACHE AND A MIGRAINE)

As most of you know the hormones at the end of your cycle drop dramatically, so in lamens terms our serotonin, estrogen, and progesterone will plummet. Therefore the dramatic change in your system and the 180 degree change in personalities we can thank for hormones! If only we could keep our hormones steady during that time, but we fully can't. So here is to the time of the month that every man wants to pack up and leave the house for 5 days!

OK I am getting off my soap box. But truly you have to agree with me. Enough is Enough

From acrylic to Pain Relief

How many things have you tried for your migraines. Pills, shots, acupuncture, nerve blocks, bio-feedback, eastern medican/herbs, predisone (but that hurts the body long term), botox, and that is JUST TO NAME A FEW! The one that was new to me was from my neurologist at the time. I am very lucky to have the neurologist I have he is world renowned. His web-site is the first was on the left hand side. The neurologist informed of a great new devise. Apparently at night we tend to grind our teeth, then it causes a chain reaction in the muscles in the jaw, which then can start a migraine.


I will put Dr. JAMES BOYD e-mail address on the left hand side if any wants to go to his web site. It is very informative and is the only devise to date that has been approved by the FDA to that they have found a clear and distinct evidence that this devise does in fact help migraines to stop or become less and that is because of the muscles in the head are having less stress put on them. Pictures are below and on Dr. Boyd's web site. Also he is a very nice person, he did my NTI and yes it did lower my headaches when I wear it.

I must say, I did get an NTI and it does help to some degree for me at least. I would like to hear your responses on what it has done for you. I have to say I was very skeptical at first. I Thought how can this tiny piece of acrylic that I bite down on really help, but it did help. Yes we did have to pay out of pocket but it was not that bad! It was only 5 hundred or so. For pain relief that is nothing.

FROM PAIN TO SERENITY

From the past two posts you can see I was battling a migraine, thank goodness today I am migraine free!!!! THANK GOD, as most migrainiurs I was experiencing alloneyia (which is depicted in the picture with the head and it looks like pins are in the scalp), for those that do not know how allodenyia feels, it's like someone has taken a razor blade and cut your scalp into little pieces, you can't touch your hair or brush it, you will cry, it accompanies a lot of peoples migraines. I also have photophobia, phonophobia, and finally we had to go to the ER because there was nothing else to do. I talk about picturing a place in your mind that is the most peaceful. For me this place looks like a Thomas Kinkad painting. I close my eyes (I try to picture it) and as we are on the way to the ER I can feel every bump in road which feels like exploding grenades in my head. Sitting up right makes me want to vomit even more, but I know if I do It will just make the pain worse. My scalp is burning to no end. I can hear the other sounds of the road and it just hurts my ears. My husband is a doctor and knows to keep the radio OFF AND TO NOT TALK! As we arrive they have a room (thank God) and my husband knows the doctor that will take care of me (thank God). 4 hours later I am migraine free but very tired. NEXT DAY= TODAY I feel much better, but like every migrainiur I know I am going to have that pain again. I just HOPE AND PRAY I WILL NOT HAVE ONE LIKE THAT FOR A LONG LONG TIME.

how it feels today/please make it stop

This a good picture of how it feels today. I am almost out of all tricks to stop it. I just can't take it any more

MIGRAINE SYNDROME STARTED

Migraine started yesterday I am in a lot of pain. It started from a sense memory event. I am trying to control it. I feel like reaching in my brain and pulling out the pain. It hurts
i feel weird
my left side is tingly
i want to throw up
i hate this
i am due for my botox this week. This is a menses headache as well.
i would not wish this on the most hated person in the world, i am tired and feel like crying

Things to Never Say to a Migrainiure Unless you Want them to go Postal on YOU

In the spirit of fun I found some of these on another site that someone had done with a great sense of humor. Some people are totally clueless to what we as migraineurs go through and what stimuli make our pain even worse. So for those with migraines if some have said these to you just let them roll off your back (even though you may want to hurt the person who says it to you)

THINGS TO NEVER SAY TO A MIGRAINIEUR

1) Sm