Rhinos and Migraines (or lack thereof)

It's just a cold, but I'm such a wimp.

I usually hop myself up on vitamins, keeping my immune system boosted more than it would be on its own. But then I ran out and didn't get more, so my immune system crashed (in a not so dramatic way).

And now I have a common head cold, but I'm such a whiner about it.

On the plus side, now is also the time I should be experiencing hormonal migraines, but apparently my body is kind enough to only allow one annoyance at a time. I've had one migraine so far this cycle, which was nice enough to keep me up all night, but that's pretty impressive. Hopefully it's a trend, but I won't get my hopes up too much.

I do wonder how exactly the drop in hormones during one's cycle is directly connected to migraines and other nasty pms issues, and how it can be prevented (other than the use of birth control). Since some months seem to be so much better than others, it would be interesting to find a way to chart these drops and see if there's a pattern and/or causes.

NO BOYS ALLOWED

I mean, you guys can read it if you want to. But I don't think you want to.

My PMS symptoms have become so predictable, it's almost boring. Still just as agitating, though.

Usually the first day of PMS (about 4 days before day 1 of my period), I get a random migraine from out of nowhere, with no real or definable cause. Days 2 and 3 consist of TOTALLY irrational thoughts / moods and mild depression, accompanied by random (almost uncontrolled) 5 - 10 second internal temper tantrums (road rage!!).

Then there's the really fun stuff like the bloating, gas, constipation, weight gain, nausea, and sore boobs for a couple days. But by the last day of PMS, I'm lucky enough to almost forget that my period is even coming the next day.

But then it does.

And it SUCKS (you know this). Days 1 and 2 of my period are like someone glued an extra-tight vice to my uterus and left me to die in some dark, creepy alleyway. And the hot flashes. Oh, the hot flashes. And you just feel dirty all the time.

But by Day 3, it's not so bad, and I remember I'm going to live through this one just like I've done in the past and will continue to do.

But damnit it's a waste of my time. 

Post-Vacay Blues

Ugggh. I think my brain is telling me I should've stayed in Key West.

Our last morning in Key West, I woke up completely headache free for the first time in months. Our first morning back home (despite how depressing it was to wake up in dreary Minnesota), I was again headache free. Two whole days without the aid of any kind of pain reliever. I haven't pulled that off in years.

And I felt good. Proud that I had beaten a major obstacle. A sense of better health and healing, whether it was true or not.

Then Saturday morning happened.

It wasn't that bad. I let it slide. Blamed it on bad hydration practices or too many bad foods the day before.

Sunday came. Slightly worse. But Saturday had been a long day. And PMS was on the rise.

Today. Migraine all day - until I finally caved and took Imitrex, anyway. Hard telling what the cause may be.

I may never beat morning headaches, but I have to beat the daily Excedrin. It's killing me - mentally and physically.

If it's a caffeine withdrawal, I can do that. I don't mind having a cup of coffee or tea first thing every morning. I'm also looking into more topical relief, like the use of essential oils. Hopefully, they are affordable and worth it.

Maybe it is a climate thing. Hopefully, I can move somewhere warm soon and put this all behind me. Let my liver heal up a little bit.

Maybe I'll just go be a hermit, selling seashells in Key West. Who's with me? :)

Until then, I'll just keep plugging away...

Any suggestions and support would be greatly appreciated :)

Saturday Night Sobfest

I miss drinking. Really. I do.

Mostly I just miss the social aspect of it, and at least being able to be buzzed enough to tolerate everyone else's drunkenness.

I never used to have an issue drinking. I never noticed a headache forming within an hour of the first sip, or being deathly ill the next day. Those issues either weren't happening, or I was just a lot better at ignoring them.

But now, thanks to something I can't quite put my finger on (liver, kidneys, brain, who knows), alcohol has become the bane of my existence. It's very hit or miss, but often times within an hour of the first sip, my head will be throbbing and it will be time to go home. If I happen to get carried away (which doesn't happen anymore), I put a bucket next to my bed and don't move for at least a day. Not healthy or worthwhile, so I just don't do it.

It's hard to keep coming up with excuses when people ask me to go out with them. "I have to work in the morning" or "Sorry I have a date with my computer screen" don't work forever. And then people feel dejected and don't invite me out anymore.

When on the rare occasion I do decide to go out, I'm bored and stuck babysitting, and saying "I'll get a migraine" doesn't seem to justify why I'm not drinking. "Excuses, excuses. Don't be such a baby."

This is whiny and pathetic, I know. But it's hard to admit that headaches and migraine take a huge toll on my social life, especially in a college town, with so many peers that are primarily my age. I know I have bigger things in life ahead of me, with people who will share more of my interests, but that doesn't help that fact that I'm sitting home alone now.

On a positive note: Drunk people are often annoying, so at least I know I'm not annoying :)

How has migraine or chronic illness affected your social life?

Constant Fatigue

While I realize that a constant feeling of fatigue is often a symptom of (guys close your eyes) PMS, but uggggghhhhh. It is sooo irritating. My brain is in a constant fog and I just don't function the way I should. Point in case: I just got distracted by the TV for 10 minutes halfway through the last sentence... and again just now.

Sometimes, you can't really seem to do much about the fatigue. No time for a nap, caffeine has done all it can do (or made things worse), what's left?

After doing a little research, I think I've come up with a list of fool-proof fatigue-fighters that can be tried anytime of day:

• Hydrate - drink water regularly throughout the day
• Do stretches and take walks every few hours to air out your brain
• Eat several small meals throughout the day (rather than three large ones) to avoid major lull periods in between meals
• Snack on foods like fruit, yogurt, whole-wheat bagels with cheese or peanut butter, and eggs to get an energy boost
• 20 minute power naps (these work magical wonders)
• Find something to laugh at for a few minutes - it'll perk you up and make you pay attention to something :)
• If you must have caffeine, choose green tea over coffee or pop. It has a little caffeine, but also lots of antioxidants 
• Pull on your hair. Gently. This can encourage a little more blood flow into your skull and brain

And here's a fun fact (but not really): If you're having issues with fatigue for an extended period of time, get checked for a UTI. In some cases, fatigue can be the only sign of an urinary tract infection.

So, that's my list, but what I have I missed? What do you do to fight that midday fatigue?