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[05 Sep 2008|02:39am] |
when do i even get to pee
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| Unidentified furry one |
[04 Sep 2008|10:49pm] |
Sorry for the poor photo quality, but I jut found this creature in my bathtub. I was ready to run the water when I saw her. Do you know what it is? I recently suffered a spider bite which made me very sick so this little thing is making me very nervous. I couldn't get a picture for size comparison because it curled into a ball when I came too near. It's at least three inches long. Big for a house spider. I live in an apartment in Kentucky. Help! Will she nibble me in my sleep?
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| vascular caused migraines? |
[04 Sep 2008|07:15pm] |
okay. So... i got a ct scan done, and it came back normal. all neuro tests are showing normal, and the common migraine meds aren't helping.
My chiro suggested this, so i've been thinking about it and trying to pay attention to what are my 'triggers'
( Read more... )
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| Prednisone to get out of Migraine Cycle? |
[04 Sep 2008|09:31pm] |
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I'm new to this community, but I have a question, so I'll give a little background:
I've been getting migraines since I was about 2 years old. I've tried a variety of therapies, including every medication in the book, Biofeedback (worked wonders when I was an adolescent; works less well now), acupuncture (made matters worse), chiropractic (did nothing for me), magnesium (no noticeable difference), etc. I get hemiplegic migraines (in which I lose feeling in one side of my body) and one of these triggered a stroke/TIA when I was 23.
I was getting about 5-6 migraines per week, but was taking 150mg of Topamax QD and was down to about 1-2 per week which is completely manageable in my book. I have 11 month old triplets, an ADHD 5 year old, and a full time job, so the fewer the better, as far as I'm concerned. I take Ultram and Tylenol with Codeine PRN for pain - neither of which do anything, but with only 1-2 per week, I can handle it. Unfortunately, about three weeks ago, I started getting them every single day (usually waking up with them, so I know it's not things like food triggers causing them), with no relief in sight. I kept thinking if I could just grin and bear it, I'd get through the cycle, but it never ended. Nothing touched the pain: not Ultram, not Codeine, not Naproxen Sodium, nothing.
I was feeling a little desperate and was not due to see my neurologist until January, so I called him on Tuesday. He recommended increasing my Topamax dose to 100mg BID (200mg per day total) for a couple of days to see if that helped. While I noticed a slight decrease in severity, the frequency didn't change, so I went in today to see him. My blood pressure was through the roof (unusual for me - usually it's 90/60 - but not surprising given the level of pain I'm in), but nothing else was amiss (my left side was dragging on my neurological exam, but that was also not surprising).
He prescribed a six day course of Prednisone (60 mg, 50mg, 40mg, etc.). He said that I should probably experience some immediate relief but that if I don't see improvement by Monday to call back. He also said that often what happens is that patients will see immediate relief but that when they get closer to the end of the taper (around 20mg), the migraines come right back, so they have to go back up to the 60mg dose and taper down more slowly.
This is the first time I've been given a steroid course for migraines. Does anyone else have any experience with Prednisone for a stubborn migraine cycle?
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[04 Sep 2008|09:43pm] |
if I take an Imitrex for a migraine after I've had a drink, will I get sick?
I have heard that some migraine mdeications have had this effect on people.
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| Disability assistance? |
[04 Sep 2008|05:55pm] |
i've been told in the past that disability is hard to get when you have migraines.
here's where i am right now:
I haven't worked in about a month. i've had OFMLA to cover me, but thats run out. i can't get more because ihaven't worked a minimum of 30 hours a week.
I am currently going through the process to be seen at a pain clinic. i haven't got the appoitment yet, but we're looking at 6-8 weeks before i can be seen there.
my current day includes vicodin and sleeping to try and keep the vicodin use at a minimum. i dont take enough of it to kill the pain, only to numb it. and by numb it, i mean take it down from a level 10 migraine, to a level 9. on very, VERY rare occasions i get the blend and timing just right (as well as the resting/sleeping timed right) and my pain is down at a level 3 or four. i was at a level three for about fifteen minutes a few days ago, and i didnt want to move for fear it would get worse. of course it did, so i went back to my normal hell.
I'm sorry if i sound like i'm complaining. but, well i am. i'm so tired of living like this. the pain is CONSTANT. the only time i'm in low amounts of pain is when i'm in bed with two vicodin, an eye mask on and laying in one specific position.
okay, i'll quit complaining and get to the point. I'm trying to apply for Short term Disability at my work. it has two parts. First part-approved by work, and second part, approved by disability insurance. First part has been denied, due to the less than 30 hours a week thing. Second part needs to be applied for.
but here's the stupid catch. the cruel part. as per my husband:
"you will continue to accrue points (our job uses a point system. call in for half day= 1 point. full day 2 points. 12 points you are fired) until you are approved or denied the claim. if you reach or exceed twelve points before the claim is approved you will be automatically denied your claim and you will be fired."
but, that can't be right. i have rights, the Americans with disabilities act. they can't fire me right? but can they technically deny my claim because i exceed the amount of points needed to fire someone?
what should i do? should i keep fighting this, or should i seek disability with the government? i'm sorry. if i had a job as a librarian, i'd be okay. if had a job in a quiet room where i could turn down the lights, i'd be okay. but my job requires me to be on the phone, often talking to angry people who are screaming in my ear. we have bright.... 'cheerful' lights. we have a huge number of people there that suffer from migraines, because it's a migraine trigger hell. but it's a good job, i dont want to quit. i really dont know what to do.
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| Freak hailstorm hits Kenya |
[04 Sep 2008|06:37pm] |
copypasted
Excited villagers pelted each other with snowballs while some ate pieces of the icy sheet that formed over an entire hillside.
"We thought a big white sheet had been spread, so we decided to come and see for ourselves. We thought that it was Jesus who had come back," one villager told reporters.
Kenya's Meteorological Department said Tuesday's storm was caused by the convergence of cold air currents from the Indian Ocean and warm air currents from the Congo.
"The hailstones falling on the ground joined together to form expansive sheets of ice or snow flakes occupying a large area, 30 acres," a statement by the meteorologists said.
More than 12 hours after the storm, the forested hillside was still white despite the hot tropical sun.
video of hailstorm from 2007
SAUCE -Yahoo- (video footage in link)
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[03 Sep 2008|12:00pm] |
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Johnny Cash: Boy Named Sue |
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Esref Armaga is an exceptionally talented artist from Turkey. What sets him apart is he was born without eyes.
Esref, from an early age, had a better grasp of perspective and proportion than many sighted artists, which based on everything science knows about sight, should have been absolutely impossible.
As a visual artist, I found it very difficult to accept and understand that a man without eyes could paint accurate and beautiful landscapes, even seascapes, without ever having "seen" them.
The video's slightly long but absolutely worth watching.
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[05 Sep 2008|07:48am] |
hmm, so I really don't use livejournal as much as I used to. :(
Here are a few accounts I normally DO use and update though; -
deviant art
multiply
plurk
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stolen from ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) syndicalist |
[04 Sep 2008|01:51pm] |
Republican hypocrisy.
I don't really watch the Daily Show anymore, but damn he sure pwns in this.
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| Migraine and Gluten Sensitivity |
[04 Sep 2008|08:01am] |
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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheDailyHeadache/~3/383360545/migraine-and-gluten-sensitivity.html http://www.thedailyheadache.com/?p=1055 In a desperate attempt to treat her migraines, herself (gluten-free) blogger Karen Yesowich Schmucker discovered she was sensitive to gluten. Adopting a gluten-free diet has reduced the frequency and severity of her migraines. Karen explains the connection in this guest post.
While there is data to suggest that a certain percentage of migraineurs also suffer from celiac disease or some form of gluten sensitivity, few neurologists routinely test their patients for it. One study done in Italy in 2003 suggested that 4% of migraineurs also had celiac. You may think this is a small number and that may explain neurologists’ reluctance to test for it. But consider this: few people in the general population are ever tested for gluten sensitivity or celiac disease. Until recently, doctors considered it to be extremely rare, but now there is reason to believe that the number of people in this country who have some form of intolerance to gluten is 1 in 133, or about 3 million. Over 90% of these people do not know of their gluten sensitivity. So how safe can we as patients feel about the small number of migraineurs who also have Celiac? We don’t really know how many of us are out there. Should we care? Would a gluten-free diet really help us? And what the heck is gluten anyway?
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. It is what makes dough from these grains sticky and hold together when baked. Gluten is also used in many other food products from soups and salad dressings to soy sauce and beer. Gluten intolerance is an autoimmune disease which, left untreated, will eventually destroy the villi in the small intestine, leading to malabsorption of minerals and nutrients. There are serious implications from malabsorption including osteoporosis, certain cancers and a host of other disorders. Go to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness to find out more.
Today the only treatment for gluten sensitivity is the complete and lifelong avoidance of gluten. Does maintaining a gluten-free diet help migraine? There is some evidence to suggest that some migraineurs are helped by it. Some report the total disappearance of migraine while others have fewer and less severe attacks. I fall into the latter category. I found out (by accident) a little over a year ago that I am gluten intolerant and I have followed a gluten-free diet since December 2006. Do I still get migraines? Yes, but not as many and not as severe. I have not had a classic migraine (with aura) in about a year. Does my neurologist think that gluten caused my migraines? No, but it could have created a situation where migraine was more likely to occur, especially since I had evidence of malabsorption and was deficient in several important minerals like magnesium, even though I was supplementing at 400 mg per day!
As a direct result of my experience, my neurologist now tests his patients who show gastrointestinal symptoms for gluten sensitivity. But he doesn¹t test all his patients. He (incorrectly, according to experts on celiac) believes that one must have these types of symptoms before testing makes sense. However, with celiac, symptoms often do not appear until the disease has progressed and a patient is not absorbing nutrients. Here are some of the symptoms noted in celiac literature: fatigue, anemia, migraine, eczema, psoriasis, mineral deficiencies, as well as gastrointestinal complaints such as bloating, gas, constipation and/or diarrhea. So the bottom line is: finding out you have gluten intolerance may or may not help your migraine, but the health benefits of discovery and treatment by themselves are compelling. I went gluten-free hoping to rid myself of debilitating headaches, but knowing what I know now makes me glad I did it regardless of the effect on my headaches.
If you do decide to get tested, make sure you do NOT start a gluten-free diet until AFTER the test results come in and your doctor tells you to start it. The test will come back negative if you are not actively eating gluten. If you go on a gluten-free diet please give it a good chance to succeed. I found some of my symptoms disappeared within three days, but the migraine-easing part of it took longer. Months longer. So be patient and don’t cheat. It can take up to 18 months for your system to heal. If you want to see how to navigate life gluten-free, visit my blog. You can find recipes there as well as tips for managing eating out, traveling and otherwise living a normal life gluten and headache-free.
References and Resources:
- Association between migraine and celiac disease: results from a preliminary case-control and therapeutic study. Gabrielli, M.; Cremonini, F.; Fiore, G.; Addolorato, G.; Padalino, C.; Candelli, M.; de Leo, M.E.; Santarelli, L.; Giacovazzo, M.; Gasbarrini, A.; Pola, P. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, Volume 98, Number 3, March 2003 , pp. 625-629(5)
- Migraine and Coeliac Disease. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain 38 (8). J. Serratrice MD, P. Disdier MD, C. de Roux MD, C. Christides MD, P.J. Weiller MD. (1998), 627628 doi:10.1046/j.1526-4610.1998.3808627.x
- Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic. Peter H. Green, Rory Jones. HarperCollins Publishers. 2006. ISBN-13: 9780060766931 (Peter H. Green, M.D., director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. He confirmed that migraines can be a symptom of celiac disease.)
- Living Gluten Free for Dummies. Dana Korn. Wiley Publishing, Inc. Hoboken N.J., 2006
- All in Your Head. Untreated gluten sensitivity can affect your gut, your skin and your brain. By Alicia B. Woodward. Living Without magazine. Winter 2007. Pp. 11-16; 27.
- Celiac Disease Foundation
- Gluten Intolerance Group
Karen Yesowich Schmucker is a freelance graphic designer and translator who lives with her husband in Bellevue, WA. Karen also teaches Naginata (a Japanese martial art) near Seattle. A migraineur since age 12, she has been gluten-free since December 2006. Contact her at karen[at]kysdesigns[dot]com.
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| keeping track |
[04 Sep 2008|05:45pm] |
Upcoming Samizdat shows in Liverpool:
www.myspace.com/samizdatpromotions for details
9/9 - Ponytail, Indica Ritual, Cowtown - Korova
5/10 - Errors, The International, Little Fields - Korova
15/10 - Los Campesinos!, No Age, Times New Viking - Academy 2
24/10 - Indian Jewelry - Barfly
27/10 - Oxes, Bilge Pump, Pulled Apart by Horses, Kazimier
1/11 - Chromehoof, The Laze @ Music Week - Static Gallery
5/11 - SSS, Avenging Force @ Music Week - Korova Free Show
6/11 - Part Chimp @ Music Week - Korova Free Show
21/11 - Jay Reatard - Korova
30/11 - Bark Bark Bark, Anavan - Korova
3/11 - Abe Vigoda, Lovvers - Korova
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