Poor Derek. I suspect that he is like most men in that he really doesn’t know what to do after he asks the question, “Are you okay?” and my answer is “No”. He doesn’t know what to say or what to do and it makes me feel bad for him that he is trying so hard to help me, but he really doesn’t know how. Heck, I don’t even know how.
But I am pretty sure that I know what is causing how I am feeling. About a year ago, I started having really bad stomach and back pains along with the feeling that I couldn’t breathe. It was almost as if somebody had walked up behind me, ambushed me and wrapped duct tape around me so tight that I couldn’t suck air into my lungs. I hadn’t been overly upset about any particular thing, so I doubted that it was the anxiety that I had experienced before. I chalked it up to just being tired and tried to ignore it.
Last December, I started having unbearable jaw and ear pain. After knowing a 26 year old woman who had mouth cancer, my mind starting going to the worst places possible. So I went to an ENT specialist who did a nose scope and scheduled an MRI. Both found nothing (go ahead and make jokes about the nothingness that they found in my brain).
I waited a little while and when the pain refused to leave, I broke down and went to my dentist, who suggested that I get a mouth guard. So now I have a mouth guard, which seems to help sometimes. I also went to the local clinic (no, it isn’t THAT kind of clinic) and got a prescription for Zyrtec and Flonase (thinking that it might be allergy related in some way). The combination seemed to work for a little while.
And then WHAMO! Yesterday I had a horrible headache that literally brought me to tears and running to the bathroom to puke (sorry – not many other ways to say that). My body and minded had reached the breaking point and by the time I got home from work, I could barely see. I locked myself in the bathroom, took two Advil PMs, and sat in a hot bath for over an hour. I needed to check out of the world for a little while and that is what I did. Of course, the kids felt the need to continually harp at me about things through the door …. I ignored them until they went away (if that makes me a bad mother then so be it … they are teenagers not toddlers and I had told them when I got home that I didn’t feel well, so ignored is what they got).
I came to the conclusion last night as I was drifting to sleep that my life has just become too hard to live. No, I am not thinking about doing anything to harm myself or others. I am just thinking that something has got to give here. Something has got to change, because I simply can’t do this any more. I can’t.
If light, noise, puking, are all things that bother you and your head feels like it’s going to explode and it feels like a sinus attack, jaw hurts to the point that it feels like its gonna split in half. I bet even your hair hurt!
Then my friend you might have just joined the many other of us who have migraines- maybe! See your doctor or better yet see a neurologist.
I went un-diagnosed for years. They told me I had allergies, sinus problems, and all other nonsense, but it was migraines. Now I take medication and all is well; rocky road getting there however.
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The jaw pain is what is really bothering me right now. It just feels like somebody is trying to squeeze my head until it pops (lovely imagine there I know). I am going to make some serious changed to my lifestyle and try to “calm down”.
I was going to say the same thing. Those are text book symptoms of Migraines! Off to the doctor with you now!!
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I had migraines when I was on birth control years and years ago … so I am wondering if this isn’t somehow hormone related.
Also, when people used to complain of having migraines there was a stigma about it all being in your head. This is not the case anymore. I was reading an article about Marcia Cross (Bree on Desparate Housewives) and she suffered horribly from them, to the point where it was having a debilitating effect on her life. I know you hate to hear that there’s “a pill for it.” But…there’s a pill for it!!
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I am sure that there is a pill for that … the problem is that I don’t know for sure what “that” is. When I wear my mouthguard and am more relaxed then the pain is less severe. I am going to make some serious changes to my lifestyle in the hopes that my stress level goes down.
That’s terrible. I hope you can find what it is. I used to have similar problems (but not jaw or ear pain) and it turned out to be the pillow. Some would say a $140 pillow is a luxury but I wouldn’t be able to have a normal life with out it.
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I haven’t thought about getting a better pillow … and now that I think about it, the one that I have is waaaaaaay too fluffy for me …. a new pillow it is!
Definitely a migraine… and there are a lot of different triggers from food, drinks, stress, environment and hormones. When I get them, they knock me on my ass for 2 or 3 days. I can’t get out of bed… medication doesn’t seem to help me (although it does others)… I’d go to a neurologist and see if they have any insight as to what your triggers could be and how they can help. Since you’ve already had an MRI, you probably won’t have to have another one.. they can request the scans.
I switched my pillow as well… I got one of those tempurpedic contoured ones.. OMG.. heaven!
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Gosh … I wonder what in the world I could be so stressed about. (baaaaaaaaahahahaha … “hey everybody – Slappy brought jokes”)
I suffer from migraines too, mostly sinus-related, so in addition to my Zyrtec and Flonase, I add a Sudafed (not the new Sudafed PE crap) if I start feeling sinus pressure. Caffeine also helps because it does something to the blood vessels. I use Tylenol plus Advil if the pain has started, and when not pregnant or trying, I was taking Maxalt MLT. I liked it because it dissolves in the mouth so it starts working faster than a swallow-pill, and I could convince myself that rubbing it into the roof of my mouth would get it to my brain quicker.
Since I’m pregnant, the only ‘safe’ thing is Vicodin-type stuff, but I wouldn’t recommend it based on your history, unless you feel you can trust yourself. But the Maxalt DEFINITELY works better, and isn’t a classified controlled substance (C-IV to II are all counted regularly and have stricter checks than the non-classified drugs. They tend to be the ‘addictive’ ones.)
However, if you hadn’t just had an MRI, I would have urged you to do that. I brushed off my husband’s headaches as migraines, but it turned out he had an aneurysm! Luckily his doctor ordered an MRI so it was caught early.
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Yeah … I have learned that when I have a headache NOT to Google “brain tumor”.
I am pretty sure that it is stress related along with the grinding of my teeth and the dry weather (causing sinus problems) … that is why I am embarking (don’t you just love that word) on a journey to reduce my stress.
What a horrible day. I think you captured beautifully the feeling of just being done. I’m just done. I quit. At least for now.
I hope it got better. I hope you are finding some answers. I am on a renewed quest for answers and know what a pain that is.
On those days when I am just done, I put a note on my door. “I’m sleeping. Solve it yourself or wait!” My kids are 13-21 and they have a dad. Surely, they can take care of most things without me. Sometimes I just need to slap them in the head and remind them of that.
I jumped over here from SITS. I’ve read several of your posts now. Your honesty is wonderful. I’m staying.
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