Migraine Update: One step in the right direction

Yesterday I had a dreaded Doctor's Appointment. It has been amazing to me to watch how I psyche myself out before going to the Doctor. I am so "convinced" that it will not go well that I play mind games with myself, imagining the worst, to try and figure out what I will say and how I will handle it. I'm really starting to see this negative thinking in myself and looking forward to the day when I don't go down that road anymore.

So a few weeks ago after another hellish week of period migraines, I made this appt. with Dr. J who I have only seen once or twice. Even though he was the first Doctor to ever mention a headache clinic to me, let alone the possibility of sending me there, I was still mentally convinced that it would be a bad appointment. I took my moral support with me (hubby) and tried to be hopeful while FILLED with anxiety.

The appointment started off w/ hubby advocating for me that we are serious in finding some causes and something that will help. Yes, I'm a big girl and can speak for myself but it is very important for me to have him articulate on my behalf that we are not happy with the way things are going for me.

Dr. J had taken as much time as he could before the appointment to look over my files and see what had/hadn't been done/said in the past. He had 3 suggestions. Did you hear that? Options!

Suggestion #1: Send me to Kaiser Permanente's Headache Clinic in Salem, Oregon where a nurse practitioner excells in treating headache patients. ( I was raising my hand saying ME, ME before he could say anything more!)

Suggestion #2: Send me to a local neurologist who is new. He is supposed to be pretty good and if that doesn't go well, do Suggestion #1.

Suggestion #3: Start birth control (hormones) and skip the placebos (a.k.a.) never have a period.

I have an OB/GYN in a few weeks so we can discuss Suggestion #3 with her. I don't want to jump on the pill willy-nilly without doing my homework first. My body has been a chemical guinea pig enough!

Even though I wanted to jump on #1, he suggested starting with #3. He thought I could get in right away, but unfortunately I made an appointment today and its not until June 13th. Yikes! I may have to call him and discuss pain management options to get myself to June 13th. But hey, at least I'm going. I have options and we have a direction. Going, Options, Direction....these are all mental health pick-me-ups when the pain gets bad.

Yeah!!!!! I saw my last Kaiser Dr. for 4 years and he never mentioned the headache clinic once. He totally acted like my migraines were a fact of life. Granted, he never said that, but he didn't try to do anything to figure out what was going on. Yes, he sent me to a neurologist, but it was more like in his mind, my headaches were the neurologist's problem not his.

One good thing I got from that Doctor though, was Imitrex shots. I got my first one last August after 12 days of headache. My daughter and I were supposed to go on a special camping trip, and that morning I woke up on the 12th day with yet another migraine. In his office, I was given the shot which worked quickly. A nurse who gave it to me suggested I ask for my perscription to be changed from the Imitrex tablet to self-injections. She had lots of migraines before menopause and said that I had just seen proof that they worked for me and their efficiency. Since I grew up receiving weekly allergy injections for 7 years during my childhood, I saw giving myself a shot as a viable option. I proved to her in the office that I had guts enough to do it (had to practice) and went home a much happier girl. So, I can't say that I got NOTHING out of this Doctor. It's just to say, that his time was up.

Thank you God! Thank you Dr. J. I know that it's not definite that Mr. Neurologist will have any answers but I am willing to try. I will keep you posted.....