Saturday, July 23, 2016

Typed too soon...

So yeah, so much for the time off pred and lesser migraines jazz.

Last night at 1am, I was head-smashed and viced into a more typical J-migraine, which is to say, excrutiatingly frightening.

Twice during the pain marathon, P wanted to call an ambulance but I protested, remembering the last time I hit the ER for migraines, which was basically just an added layer of hell to the swelling brain cake.  And while inside a crash-banging MRI too.  After a whole day of tests and waiting, they all  showed nada, as per usual.

I violently dragon-puked 6 horrid times last night/this morning and for hours, was reduced to a panting, palpatating mass thanks in part, to my executive decision yesterday to take a second tramadol when the first ran out.

This is bad because the triptans I take for migraines are contra-indicated with tramadol, (risk of seratonin toxicity), so when the head-hammer came down, I couldn't take the migraine meds and had to ride it out with mere icepacks and tears until morning, when the tram was surely outta my system.

I cannot express the sheer joy of being free of that hell at this moment.  I'm dopey and weak and my words are jumbly, and this has taken me near two hours to write, but, I'm blissful.

Probably because that level of extreme pain, (nevermind the rapid heartbeat and shaking, etc.), can only mean imminent death to our struggling lizard brains while it's happening.

When it all finally stops, it's almost like cheating death somehow.

Today, P contacted a big migraine center in Paris, as it's high time I had this looked into by the most expert eyes around.

So boom, just didn't want to leave any false hope for the ones still on prednisone, who let me know how encouraging the previous post was.

To add to the bliss of the storm being over, here is a  birthday flower-avec-feet photo I photoshopped up yesterday which turned out nice.

The bouquet is from P and it smells wonderful.

The orchid is from a Dutchy friend here in town, whom I enjoyed lunch with yesterday, along with her pleasant pal from Germany.

Hard to believe, but that was my first girly-lunch date here in over three years.

Helluva good start to a new year, I'd say--aside from the brain blowout later--which I'm choosing to not include in my birthday opening ceremonies RAM.

Now, time to enjoy some of the belle day here.

++++vibes,

: J







Friday, July 22, 2016

Five Sweet Thangs

G'Day, Readers,

This is a birthday/update post to share some good things I've happily been experiencing since reaching 0 mgs of prednisone back in February.

1. Over the last month+,  I've been having a few better days, days with just a smidge more chi and a slightly lower pain floor in ye ole joints.

2. I have also noticed, that while I am still dealing with regular migraines, the ones I've had lately are like kittens compared to the raging lions they have been for way too long.  So glad to share that during the last 3 migraines, I have NOT puked like a dragon repeatedly!  In fact, during one of these recent attacks, I was actually able to be upright and even managed to ride that one out SANS-migraine meds, (triptans).

WOW.

YAY.

3. More promising news: I recently had a routine eye exam and was tickled to see that my myopic prescription is now back down to what is was pre-chemo/pred, etc!  The preceding check-up was done while still on pred and at that time, the correction had increased significantly.

4. Also in the prednisone-recovery dept: over this past month and-a-half, I have delighted in seeing a marked increase my stress-handling chops.

No more shaking/shuddering when upset, (which was disturbing until itself, lemme tell ya's), no more BP spikes and being bowled over by the smallest things and instead-- now a LOT more lovely ole me.

Yyyyyyyup, I do believe that my adrenal glands are much closer to online than they have been for too many years.

And #5?  I noticed this yesterday, Juan Day at a Time now has over 40,000 hits!

Thanks to everyone out there who takes the time to read it, with high-five's to all who leave comments and send me messages.  They're much appreciated.  As are the new friends I have made since creating it.

Makes me all the more glad to have not chosen to delete it last year while in the throws of another mojo-mashing round of prednisone withdrawl.

I hope this post gives anyone out there currently dealing with that monster of a drug, a good dose of hope for the future.

Getting off and over long-term prednisone use takes not only gob-smacking amounts of time, but full-tilt tenacity and when that runs low, sometimes, more chemistry.  Bromazepan was what my docs offered when things got just way too dark and thanks to it, I managed to reach precious sleep many dark nights when anxiety blew those z's outta the water.

Sleep is everything.

I'll close with noting also, how more than one specialist over these treatment years has suggested cannabis--for not only the physical pains, but the soul type, too.

It is a cruel and crying shame that medical cannabis is STILL illegal in way too many lands.

Now, back to my birthday boingin', which already started by singing and dancing with Tony to some classic 80's Toronto rock while the mornin' joe perked.

+++vibes+++,

: J