Capt Deb Visits the Headache Wizard

[Captain Deb]

Grettings PBW crew and fellow AN survivors!!

Well, your dear Captain has finally gone to visit the Headache Wizard in the far land of Greensboro, NC a 2 1/2 hour sail from my homeport.  He works his magic in a headache specialty clinic. I was wary at first cuz he had a nice tie on instead o' bein' smeared with mud and paint and  feathers. He was very nice and polite and told me I was probably having cluster headaches (google 'em, they're really nasty buggers, way worse than migraines) as a result of "surgical insult." Well, I know none o' them nice docs at House MEANT to insult me but hey, **it happens.

 He waved his shaman stick over me and gave me a script for Neurontin and, get this, told me I would have to give myself SHOTS for the bad ones.  I've been using Imitrex auto inject for the really bad ones.  I shoot myself up with a stat-dose pen, which is quite easy, a little gadget that ya hold on your thigh and push a button.  Well, the geniuses at the Imitrex headquarters only make it in 6 mg doses and the Wizard only wants me to use 2 mgs, so I gotta use a syringe and a bottle and jab myself.
 
Now, I can hear alla you guys go EEEEEWWWWWW!!!! But if I use it this way, I can use it way more often.  Gonna practice first on an orange or a watermelon or something, any suggestions!? I'm gonna hafta start wearing skirts instead o' these here pirate knickers tucked into boots I always wear, so I can shoot up in public.

Next step--I go back in a week to get trigger point injections--lots of 'em, he sez!  Yuck! I sez. More needles!  I'm a'startin' ter feel like a pincushion!

Well, anyhow, he thinks he can make me better, he sez.  Great, I sez! Better is good.  Sure would like ta have a little more freedom than havin' ta be near my bunk all the time and able ta pillage and plunder a little more often.
My wing is healing right up and I can type again with my right finger and left full hand.  Should be arm wrestling with Dr. LLLUURVE again over galley duty in no time.

Well, my right wing is givin' out now--too much typin'.  Can't post quite as often as I used to (every hour) cuz of damaged wing, but I can still LURK!!  Special Greetin's to Dale, Gennysmom, Kim and Mtngal--all recoverin' from bein "insulted." Hope you all have an uneventful recovery and get back on your feet REAL SOON!!!

Hugs and big wet ones to all
Capt Deb

[Captain Deb]

Oh, an' ANOTHER thing!!  And this one's the worse!!!

NO MORE CHOCCIE!!!!!

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Or regular coffee. Not a big deal really about the coffee, but the choccie,
Boo
Hoo
Hoo
Hoo
Hoo
Hoooooooooooo
Capt Deb

[Obita]

Deb:

I am in mourning for you - in fact, I think I will have your chocolate today if you don't mind.  Yikes, maybe thats my hot flash problem........caffeine?  I do like my chocolate.  Naw, must be the stress of SSD.

I needed to give my Dad B12 shots a few years ago.  They gave me a gel type pin cusion to practice on.  My Dad was most grateful for that.

Best of luck shootin up and I sure hope it works for you.

Kathy

[nannettesea]

Capn Deb,

Well, the Wizard sure is going to put you through it!  But if it HELPS, hey, go for it.  Shooting up, eh?  Just be sure you don't add any goodies to the syringe--I mean caffeine or choccie, of course!

So sorry about your arm surgery, but glad you are recovering.  I continue to admire your bravery (only a captain has THAT kind).  i've been quiet, too, just cause all of this had made me weary.

Hang in there, much luck on the good drugs, er, meds, and keep us posted when you can.
love,
Nan

[Sue]

So the chocolate triggers the headaches?  How about carob? 

Glad you are back on the mend and REALLY glad you might have a way to end the headaches!!  We want our Captain to get her swash back into her buckle!!

Sue

[Desilu]

Hi Capt Deb,

So sorry to hear about your situation. I hope this doctor does what he says he can do (make you better). If not, then make him walk the plank! You'll be in my prayers, Ann

[staypoz]

Hope you find some relief.  The trigger points have helped me a lot -- one day I got 16.  The good news is that you can't see the needles.  My injections only contain anesthetic, not steroids.

Good luck and keep us posted.

staypoz

[matti]

I am so happy to hear that relief may be on its way. My heart goes out to you, I know this has been a long and painful 3 years.

I had to give myself injections and the best thing to practice on is an orange.

So no choccie on the good ship PBW >:(   What is Dr. Luv going to do without your famous choccie cake?

Sending hugs!
cheryl

[lmurray69]

Wish ya the best Capt Deb. Sorry to hear you got the head aches. I also take neurontin. 400mg 4 times a day but it dont help me with the head aches..I get a little dizzy from the pill. and talk like a drunk when i am on it ..But that is ok...you take care and god bless

[lthompson]

Hi, I am a member of this Board, but I don't post that often, but I do read it everyday and I just wanted to let you know that I have a friend who has a brain aneurysm and suffers from debilitating headaches and has gone to a headache clinic in the Philadelphia PA area.  She has been put on the same drugs that you are referring to and has to give herself injections as well.  She said that it took a few weeks but feels alot better and the headaches are so far under control.  She has been doing this since the winter and so far so good.  I sure hope it works for you.  As for giving yourself injections, I went through in-vitro 8 years ago and had to mix my drugs in various vials and give myself injections a few times a day for weeks.  I honestly, didn't think I would get through it, but it turned out to be not too bad.  My husband was a big help and I now have twin girls that came out of it.  So in my case well worth it.  I wish you the best and sure hope the new medication works.

[Joef]

Hi Deb ... I read this and thought of you!!

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/traveloutdoors/2003122826_nwwboating13.html

[Battyp]

What about white choccie?  Can ya substitue that?  I had to give myself injections for the diabetes...not too bad...do you get a syringe needle that small?  Hmmm...I'm thinking I'd be training Dr. Luv to do the hiney ones 
hopefully it will help.  Feel better....Have you seen the pludering jack movie yet?  Twas good...glad our captains teeth don't look like his...EWWWW~

[Captain Deb]

Hi Deb ... I read this and thought of you!!

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/traveloutdoors/2003122826_nwwboating13.html

What a great article!!  Dr. LLUUURRVE and I are currently looking for a place on a large body of water where we can keep a small sailboat.  I had just styarted kayaking when I was diagnosed and Dr. L bought himself a fishing kayak this spring.  I'd like one of thos sit-on kayaks that doesn't require a lot of balance.  Right now I'm battling exertion headaches so I can't be out in the middle of the lake and get a headache!

Anyway back to the subject--I gave myself my first manual Imitrex SHOT the other night!  I can hear some of you go EEEEWWWW!!!
Wasn't too bad--actually hurt less than the auto-injector.  I numbed a place on my thigh with an icecube first--that helped.  The only problem was filling the darn syringe and getting the icecube and all that stuff while my head is pounding. Also the thing isnt very portable--the vials are 6 mg and I'm supposed to use 2 mg.  The instructions say "discard unused portion" but I'll be darned if I'm going to throw away 2/3's of the medication I paid for!! The vials have a snap off cap that you can't put back on, so I'm looking for someting to use as a cap.

BUT---it really knocked the headache back without knocking me out like the 6 mg's usually do.  I go for my nerve block-triggerpoint injections on Thursday and I've stepped up my Neurontin dose. Hope Laz reads this!  Especially about the Imitrex injections!

Capt Deb

[Larry]

Hi ya Capt deb and others.

Interesting - you are now nominated as the ship's doctor (if the wenches let ya back on board) anyway, I was taking neurontin but changed to Lyrica which is meant to be "an improved version of neurontin) - jury's out on that one!!!!!!

Anyway, i am really interested in the Imitrex injections. I'll do me some research and suggest it to my quck. I saw this high fallutin neurologist the other day at some exhorbitant price and rang him two weeks ago to call me back - I'm still waiting! maybe I gotsto se him and pay for another visit.

I'll email ya fer updates Deb.

cheers



Laz

[Captain Deb]

Laz-bloke,
Have any of these quacks ever suggested you might be having cluster headaches? My new wizard said I have basically clusters with some migranous components thrown in (like the nausea) You have got to try the Imitrex injections.  At 2 mg I can use it up to 4-5 times a week.  I was out to dinner with Dr. Love last night and started to have a meltdown after dinner in the restaurant.  I snuck off to the loo and gave myself a shot in the thigh (hadta roll me boots down!) and it went away in 5-10 minutes.  We were going to see "Pirates of the Caribbean--Dead Man's Chest" and I really didn't want him to take me home crying in the car--usual scenario. We were eating Chinese--maybe MSG in the food?

I stepped my Neurontin up to 1200 mg a day today so hopefully that'll help. I got  Thursday for my nerveblock/trigger point injections. Wonder if my whole left head will be all numb?

Capt Deb