Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Migraines, MRI's, Mairsey-doats, and Movies.

If I could get ahold of the situation with my migraines, my quality of life would *vastly* improve.
I can try my best to avoid a migraine by sleeping enough.

me & my pillow hoarding

For me, that can mean up to 10 hours a night. When this can't happen, I will often wind up with a migraine. I am trying to get up more with Robert and the children in the mornings.

Oh, we recently also realized that I get migraines from red wine. White wine, as I scarily did an experiment with this past Shabbat, was fine.

Yesterday, I did get up with everyone for the morning I did lots of great, healthy food preparation for everyone (including myself). Then I went to visit my "grandma" at the retirement home (been visiting her for a few months now. Met her through someone looking to continue visiting with her mother while the daughter went to the US. I volunteered, and we have a great connection, and I still visit her). I then went on to lots of errands having to do with these renovations we are doing. As the day went on, I felt a headache in the background. But, I "couldn't" rest. I don't remember why. It couldn't have been that important, because resting should take precedence always. Both Robert and I were busy all day. I suggested to Robert we get a babysitter (so I could feel good about resting), because he also is still trying to fight off the virus, but he decided to muddle through. (We don't use a regular nanny anymore. The kids are older, and Dov is out of the house at Yeshiva, and I am getting healthier... that is the general hopeful trend.)

Well, nausea set in, and a hellish migraine came right along with it.

Mid-migraine, I threw up all the healthy food I took so long to prepare.
After that, I drugged myself to sleep.

This morning, with a migraine hangover, I had my bi-annual MRI.
Not great timing, but I didn't feel sick enough to cancel, and wait for another date.

MRI's take about 40 minutes. Here is how it goes:

First, you lie down on your back on a hard surface (very hard on tailbone!), and they place a huge, heavy, padded shield that they call an antenna on your mid-section. Well, I do MRI's of hips, so that is where it is placed for me. They velcro this huge, heavy shield to your body, and you feel like you can't move. That is the point, too- you aren't supposed to move at all during the entire test- 40 minutes.
Then, after you put on huge ear protectors (It's a very *loud* test) you electrically roll into the big white tube.

Then the noise begins.
There are different types of sounds, mostly different forms of jack-hammer speeds, seems to me. The loud jack-hammering is nearly bearable with the noise protecting headphones on.

Oh, did I mention that both arms must be held over the head, also for the entire duration?

At one point the technician told me that I am making too many tiny movements and I am messing up the test. "Please, Sarah, lie perfectly still."

After about a half hour of different sorts of jack-hammering sounds, the bed you are on (more like a rounded board), is electronically rolled out, and you are then given a shot into the vein of the inner arm. They inject some sort of contrast dye or something.

Then, you are rolled back into the tube for another 10 or 15 minutes for the rest of the test, this time with color contrast.

When it is over, my head is usually still banging with the jack-hammer sounds. I try to get up slowly enough so the dizziness and hip pain is in check.

Then there is going back to the locker where you put all your stuff, including all jewelery and glasses.

The wait for the disk is usually 10-15 minutes. I am often have residual nausea from the contrast medicine in my body.

(non-sequitur- I realized today that I have thrown-up at least once a week for about a month now- either from a migraine or a stomach virus I had for a few days. It's CRAZY.)

So, I have the disk with me, but until I get an answer from the radiologist, it means nothing to me.

I do know that my hip where there was PVNS has been acting up a lot lately, and I wonder if the PVNS has returned. That is what we will see in the MRI. The all-too-familiar wait starts.

After I get the answer, I have to get it to Ichilov to the orthopedic oncologists. They do a team meeting, and call me to come in to discuss it. From the time I get the disk to them (at Ichilov) to the time I go in to discuss it, it is usually about a month.
So much hangs on these MRI's.

I want someone to come here to watch a funny movie with me.
I haven't laughed enough recently!

Well, there was that time a few days ago when Shifra and I were in my room, and I was teaching her that song "meirsy doats and dosey doats, and little lambszey divy, a kiddleadivytoo, wouldn't you...." remember that? It is a funny song, which really is saying "meres eat oats and does eat oats, and little lambs eat ivy... a kid'll eat ivy, too, wouldn't you?"

Anyway, we were totally busting a gut while she was trying to learn it! It was so funny- her Israeli accent and her bi-lingual brain was getting so confused. She kept messing up time after time after time. We were laughing so hard about it.

me & my girlie.

So, there is laughter in my life, thank Gd.

And now I have to go to sleep.
The day has been long for me- an MRI the morning after a migraine night is very energy-sapping for me. I was wise to get a babysitter tonight to do the evening routine (after I had a full day anyway after the MRI- I did food shopping, and spent lots of time in the kitchen with food prep. Healthy food takes a lot of time and forethought.)

So, who's coming over to watch a great funny movie with me?
Anyone have suggestions for such a movie? I don't like three-stooges, I have seen all the Monty-Pythons, I love Princess Bride, but have seen it too many times... more ideas please?
Write them in your comments- I'd appreciate it!

3 comments :

  1. How about Woody Allen's Sleeper? That had me rolling on the floor as a kid. I'm sure there are others I can suggest. How about a chol hamoed movie night?

    Love, Miriam

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  2. I like the idea of a chol hamoed movie night! Wanna do it together?

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  3. How about the Marx brothers movies, and "i love lucy" episodes- Sure to provide great laughs!
    Hoping you can enjoy Yom Tov without a migraine!

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