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First Nerve Block

I just had my first nerve block.  I can’t remember what it was called but I got shots in the back of my head and the front.  Everything on my head feels numb, but my forehead feels especially weird. The numbness seems to have confused my brain for a couple of hours anyway. The pain remains but it is difficult to distinguish it from the numbness.  After the numbness finally wore off, the pain from the injection sites is pretty prominent and now the headache is starting to creep back in. Hoping after a week I get some relief. Man has it felt weird. My head was actually numb for more than 24 hours. Praying it works!!!!

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Friends/Birthday Celebrations

Although the headache persisted most of the day I had a couple of bright spots in my day. Thank you to Udenika Wijesinghe for coming to visit. Sorry the dr was here for much of your visit and thank you for your  patience. It was good to see you again. I hope next time it is for lunch for a fun afternoon out

It was so great to celebrate your birthday Dawn Tomlin. Isn’t it exactly how you had envisioned it in a hospital room sitting next to me. The Taco Bell was heavenly! And hopefully the blonde brownies were yummy, I know I have enjoyed them. But having the company was superb. Thank you again for visiting and keeping my spirits high.

Now off to sleep. Several meetings with specialists tomorrow and then I go home at the end of the day tomorrow. Apparently the insurance company is starting to question why I have been here for so long. Because I still have a killer headache and they haven’t figured out how to control it that’s why. But alas they are sending me home. So we will manage. More updates as I know more tomorrow.

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Reaching out to Fellow Migraine Sufferers

One more night at the hospital. Though they have done all they can for me, I had a tough night last night and again this morning both points when the medicine had worn off. I haven’t talked with Neurology yet
today but my thoughts are that the meds are acting as a band aid once again and they haven’t found something to actually resolve the headache. I am not sure where I will go from here except home tomorrow.

Heather Loose Johnson: Ruthanne Ovenhouse could I get your contact info? I know your daughter is a serious sufferer of debilitating headaches. Has anyone else out there had success at clinics with chronic headaches like Mayo or Cleveland or U of M. I don’t think my journey is over with this headache and while the extra day here is good comfort wise I don’t think there is anything more they can do.
Ruthanne Ovenhouse: They have a pain specialist scheduled to meet with me tomorrow to talk with me about injections .  You just never know. The neurologist was afraid they probably wouldn’t work because all of my pain is in the front and top of my head but also thought it was worth a try.  Oh I have been praying they could help you because I haven’t wanted to share with you all of Carrie’s disappointments on this journey of over 6 years. She does seem to be having more good days but she deals with another debilitating issue also. Why don’t you pm me your phone # and I will give it to her. That way you can talk or text. You can be sure I will continue to pray for relief for you.

Conversation with family Robin and Rick Wood:

Robin Wood: Heather you really should ask about injection at the base of your like my son Rick had. Took a couple of days before it worked. He had a headache for over six months. Has not had another.
Heather Loose Johnson: Rickandmegan Wood who did you see for your headache and what kind of headache were they?
Rick Wood: They figured mine was a nerve in my neck somewhere but they weren’t sure exactly where was they sent me to a pain specialist but since I AM on blood thinners they wanted to try a different approach so she gave me like 7 injections in the back of my neck and skull about 3 days to a week after the injections and all the sudden I woke up and it was gone haven’t had one sense they tried a bunch of medications before that nothing worked and it was a Henry Ford Dr I will have to get you the name a neurologist.  By the way it was the worst six months of my life hope your headaches go away soon Heather Loose Johnson: They have a pain specialist scheduled to meet with me tomorrow to talk with me about injections smile emoticon. You just never know. The neurologist was afraid they probably wouldn’t work because all of my pain is in the front and top of my head but also thought it was worth a try.
Rick Wood:  That’s exactly where mine were so they so they wanted to do the nerve block they were just going to block all those nerves going through your neck but they didn’t they ended up giving me some kind of cortisone and something else and my whole head face and everything was numb for about 6 hours and after that the headache came back like I said for about 3 days to a week and then they were just gone
Heather Loose Johnson: Here’s hoping and praying Rick!!!
Rick Wood: I know exactly how you feel.  Mine were constant from the minute I woke up does a minute I want to sleep all I want to do is lay around or something over my head and try to sleep
Heather Loose Johnson: Sounds about right. I’ve been in bed for 4 weeks straight and was in bed for much of the 3 weeks prior on and off. I wonder if we have a genetic predisposition for this type of shitty headache.
Rick Wood:  I can imagine it was. I am at 48 days with 3 pain free days.

 

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ER Visit #4

Part 1 of my family doctors plan is being carried out right now. Back to the Emergency Room we go.  I believe that the Topomax had begun to wear off again and the headache was back and in full force.  And since the Dr. recommended that I go to the ER if the headache returns in the same severity, it was off the to ER I went.

All set for the trip in. Bright sun not good for rebound headache at any level.

March 7th

All checked in to the ER. Going to get another CT, more blood work, an pelvic ultrasound because why not.  My period started when I left the hospital on February 19th and hadn’t stopped. So I suppose it’s just a precaution.  This was the worst test ever and I am already in so much head pain…did they really need to throw that fun test in.

Pelvic ultrasound is used by doctors to examine female reproductive organs. This includes the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, cervix, and vagina.”

I have quite the collection of hospital bands, I should make a collage:) (Oh that collection just keeps growing and growing).

By the end of today I have been admitted for the 2nd time in a month. This time I brought a change of underwear, my rice bag (which has already been heated up for me once PTL), ear plugs and my pillow. (I actually keep a bag packed at all times now, just in case, even a year later).  I am one room over from my last stay and have already been seen by the same PA and the same night nurse should be here soon. Great staff here on the 8th floor at Sparrow.