Several weeks ago I received an invitation from a good friend of mine, to submit a blog for an upcoming "blog carnival", on the topic of Migraine and Headache disorder. While I've been creating posts for my own little blog for over a year now, I've never submitted anything for anyone else on the internet, so I was hesitant to jump in and write. I have also hesitated, because although I suffer from chronic pain, I for the most part have been migraine free for quite some time now. I wasn't sure I had anything relevant to say at this point, until last week.
Two weeks ago today, I had a CT Myelogram which was ordered by my neurosurgeon, to determine if there were any areas of my spinal cord which were being compressed due to symptoms that were concerning to him. It is a procedure which involves injecting dye into the epidural space at the base of my spine, tipping me on my head with my feet strapped into place to hold me on the table in order to get the dye up into the cervical spine. I was then made to roll from side to side to ensure the dye completely coated everything and then I had a CT scan. The good news was that they found nothing "scary" concerning my spinal cord, to which I breathed a huge sigh of relief. The bad news was that about two days post procedure, I developed what is called a spinal headache. This happens because the hole in which they injected the dye did not completely close up, and spinal fluid was slowly leaking out, and making its way to my head. The first day I noticed a dull headache when I got out of bed, which progressed to more moderate pain by the end of the day. I spent that entire evening flat on my back which alleviates most of the pain. The next day when I woke up and stood up to get dressed, I felt as if a bomb had gone off at the core of my head. I quick went to the bathroom and then straight to my recliner and got flat right away, and called the care-line nurse from my HealthCare Insurance program, who then talked to the neurologist on-call who happened to be my doctor. He recommended another procedure called a "Blood Patch" to patch the hole, and stop the leakage of fluid, but that wouldn't be able to be done until later the next day. In the mean time, I realized I was dealing with a full blown maigraine.....ON STEROIDS!!
So, all of that to say that here is how I survived that, and the many other migraines I have suffered in the past.
The first thing I knew I needed to do was to tell all of those that I live with, which right now are my four children, what I was experiencing, what I needed to do to get through the day, and what I needed from them as well. With this and all other migraines I have had, I need QUIET. If the tv is on, it has to be on at the lowest audible level. If the kids are playing and making noise they have to do it in their room or in an area away from me. If anyone wants to listen to music, the same rules apply. The phone ringer gets turned down to the lowest setting, and my cell phone gets put on vibrate only. Finally, I need to have the least amount of activity around me as possible. This means saying no to visitors, and not allowing the kids to have friends over either, unless they can be outside or somewhere else in the house from where I am, and not requiring intervention at all from me.
Another way in which I am able to cope, is to make sure I have the most comfortable, least restricting clothes on as possible, and to get in a place and position which gives my body good support, and that I am warm. Once those things have been taken care of I like to use ice for the back of my head which helps to narrow the blood vessels and lessen the pain, but then put a heating pad on my back to counteract the cold.
I rotate the ice on and off every 15 to 20 minutes for as long as the pain is at the severe point. Once it settles down, I back off on the ice until I can stop it altogether.
During most migraines I've experienced, as well as the "spinal Headache" of last week, I also experience an extreme sensitivity to light. When that happens, watching tv is absolutely out of the question. That is the point at which I retreat to my bed if possible, close the shades if it is daylight, turn off the lights, and even cover my eyes with something if it is still too light. For me that means covering my head with my blankets, but an eye mask would work very well if having your whole head covered would be too much. Again, I do this for as long as I need, taking breaks if the pain and sensitivity let up, and go back if it returns.
Those were, and still are my main "coping tools" for severe headaches, but there are a couple of other suggestions I have based on my experience. As with any other pain, if this is something you have never experienced before, and have never had a thorough examination by a medical professional, I recommend you do that. While it is rare, there may be underlying causes for the migraine which would require intervention. Start with your primary care physician, and then go from there based on his/her recommendations. For me it involved a few different evaluations by different specialists, and when all else was ruled out, I began working with a neurologist. I tried a "preventative" medication when I was experiencing several migraines per week, but did not tolerate the side effects of that medication and had to stop. I was given a prescription for another medication to try at the onset of each migraine, and for the most part that worked very well for me with nearly every migraine. I keep a 3 month supply of that medication on hand at all times, and make sure that I have some available in multiple places so that if I need it quickly it is available. I keep some in my purse, in my car, in my bedside stand, at my desk at home and at work as well.
Another recommendation I have found useful is to keep a headache diary. Every day, write down whether or not you had a headache, the level of severity, what you were doing or experiencing prior to it coming on, and how long it lasted. In doing this, I began to realize that a big trigger for me was stress. Whenever I was experiencing any kind of stress, either good or bad, I would usually end up with a migraine. Sometimes it would come right away, and other times it was a delayed response by a few hours, or even by a day. I knew I had to learn some ways to handle stress when it happened, and how to relax. I was living like a wound up, and bound up time bomb just waiting for the right thing to set me off! Stress has a very powerful way of wreaking havoc in our bodies, and the manifestations of migraines are just one way in which it can do just that.
It has taken me years to learn how to take care of my body, my mind, and my spirit, but I can promise you that if you are open to trying something new in order to achieve relaxation on a regular basis, your body will reap the benefits, and will allow you to live life with a lower frequency of severe "fits" your body may have in retaliation to the constant stresses that we humans have, whether we do it on purpose or not. Here is just a brief list of some things I have tried and that have worked for me.
#1. Daily meditation. Sometimes I use guided meditation with the use of a recording on my MP3 player, and I keep this with me so that I can pull it out and use it anywhere when I have a few minutes to devote to doing so, like on a break while at work, or waiting in a waiting room, Other times I simply read a devotion of some kind with soft instrumental music playing, or even in silence. If I do not have anything available, I simply close my eyes, and bring all of my attention to my breath. When unwanted thoughts come, I acknowledge them, and then let them go with each exhalation. Doing this for even a minute can bring calm to an otherwise stressed and overwhelmed central nervous system, and has the power to reduce tension and pain.
#2. Monthly massage. Most of the time for me this comes in the form of "Watsu", which is done in a warm water pool by a certified Watsu therapist. If this sounds interesting to you, I recommend watching a video and reading more about it at www.couragecenter.org, which is where I go to have this done. Every once in a while I will also treat myself to a full body massage by a seasoned and established, licensed therapeutic massage specialist. Either way, the key to this helping is doing it on a regular basis. If you only have it done in response to pain or some other problem, it will not be nearly as effective for you.
#3. Regular exercise. For me, this is done in a warm-water therapy pool. Because of the problems that I have with chronic neuropathic pain, and degenerative disc disease, among other things, this is the only place where I can tolerate getting my exercise done. I have worked with a physical therapist on and off for the last six years straight, and have learned how to get all of what I need, including stretching, strengthening, and cardiovascular work-outs all in the pool. Whatever it is that works for you, the point is that it must be done on a regular basis, even if it is for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Again, the benefits of doing so are great, and raises the potential for staving off unwanted physical and mental problems.
#4. Yoga and/or Tai Chi. I have tried both of these forms of exercise, and have found them to be very beneficial. There are many different types of both, and finding the right one for you may take some trial and error sessions. There is much to learn about these ways of training your body to not only relax, but to strengthen as well, and doing a search on the internet will yield more results than you could ever possible read! You will also be able to find places in an area convenient to where you live to take some classes. Once you learn the basics, these are practices you can easily incorporate into your own routine at home, or at work if you have a place to do so.
#5. Take care of me. This means allowing myself the time to do something which brings me pleasure more than just every once in a great while. Get a hair cut, a manicure, or a pedicure. Take yourself to a movie, or out to eat. Call a friend you haven't talked to in a while. Take a class and learn something new. Read a good book. The list here is endless. The bottom line is to remember that you are special and important, and just like anything else we value, if we want it to last and work when we need it to, we have to take care of it. We have to treat ourselves with the utmost care. If we don't, we will not be able to care for anyone else, or enjoy our lives to the fullest.
I hope that what I have shared today will be of help to someone. Living with any form of chronic illness is a challenge unlike any other I have faced, and in order to live with any form of illness, including Migraine and Headache disorders, we must have a tool-box filled with tools that we can put to work in the event that we need them and to share with others along the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment