Month: October 2008

I’m not exactly a perfectionist, but I do prefer to have things under control and in order to my specifications.

Kerrie at The Daily Headache, offers her thoughts on how it can feel to fall short of your own standards, repeatedly.

http://www.thedailyheadache.com/2008/10/guilt-how-do-family-friends-really-feel-about-sick-loved-ones.html

Migraine can be so dominating. It is frustrating to get knocked flat and have the things you enjoy taken away from you. There is guilt and anger aplenty. Part of the biofeedback is working to accept myself as I am now, whatever that is, and work with what I have to offer. I am not accustomed to allowing myself limitations, so it has been a difficult path, even though I have been here before. Some years ago I was involved in a fairly serious car wreck and spent a significant amount of time healing.

That event is a major dividing line in my life and accepting those limitations was very difficult. Having someone to blame doesn’t make it any easier, it may make it worse actually. Learning to accept help was equally challenging. I like my independance. 🙂 But its okay to accept help if you need it.

I cam across this on MyMigraineConnection this morning.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/126036.php

It is a highlight of a larger article regarding research on medicine that targets neuropeptides to halt migraines. They say that migraine is more related to “neuronal excitation” rather than blood flow. Which agrees with what my specialist has told me about my case.

For example, two people experience the same stimulus, like weather or perfume–one gets a migraine the other doesn’t. The difference being that the migraineur’s neurons overreact and cause pain while the other person’s nuerons respond in a more normal fashion and she doesn’t experience pain.

It’s just nice to see that the research continues.

This was the first full session with the new therapist. We went over some additional background info and discussed what I had been doing in my sessions. She then hooked my up to sensors that measured temperature, breathing, and electrical impulses. As breathing regulates and temperature increases, the impulses should decrease. The tie in for that is that if the impulses can be reduced, pain can be reduced because pain is a spike in the impulses.

The goal is to get your hand temperature above 95. The breathing is 4-5 slow breaths in and then 4-5 slow breaths out trying to keep a steady rhythm. For the impulses, you want to be able to take them from a level of 6 to 2 or less. I was able to achieve all of those, which, I suppose, shows how much control I do have when I take the time to focus. It was an interesting feeling as well. It wasn’t a sleepy or tired feeling at all. I felt very centered and that I was able to settle the runaway thoughts that generally flit through my head.

Each week I feel more focused and that I am more comfortable with the method. However, I have to be mindful of what I need to do daily. It isn’t something to just pick up and use occasionally. It has to be part of my daily life and I have to practice to maintain the level I have reached thus far. Without practice and making the body remember what it feels like to be in that state, it is easy to lose it.

This week’s session was a transition. We discussed how I felt about my efforts at relaxing during an attack. She hooked me up to the temperature monitor and I practiced relaxing (doesn’t that sound funny?). Then I met the new therapist and reviewed my history and status. I will start full time with her next week.

Teri Roberts, who is a wonderful source for migraine info, posted an article today reminding everyone of the link between migraines and strokes.

http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/123/44697/headaches-migraines?ic=6018

It is a scary thing to think about, but with my family history and my medical history, I have a higher chance of having a stroke before I ever even think about being 50 or older. Mom doesn’t turn 50 until next year and she already has spots of possible damage that show up on an MRI. Which makes it extremely important to find the right doctor and try to keep things as under control as possible.