balance and the migraine lifestyle

This weekend was a back-to-back migraine weekend. I had severe migraines both days. Saturday's got better after some Imitrex + ibuprofen and a nap. Sunday's I just had to sweat through as I was at my triptan limit for the week. I iced my head and it kicked the migraine down enough to be tolerable.

I hate spending the entire weekend on the couch. Saturday I did manage to walk down the street to the library to pick up a few books. Sunday I got out to run a few errands with DBF. But the rest of the time was on my couch.

Today, however, was one of the better ones I've had in a while. My pain has stayed at a 2-3 most of the day. It spiked briefly the last few hours of work, but I got through it. And it was a gorgeous and sunny day here. It's so rare to see the sun here this time of year.

Today also marks two weeks since I first met with my new headache specialist. Her office is working on getting me insurance approval for Botox. It can't come quickly enough. The daily pain really wears on me, and I'm just ready to start feeling better already.

Starting today, I'm going to try to take at least a 15 or 20-minute walk at lunch on days I don't have lunch meetings. DBF and I did this today, and it was great to get out and get a little exercise.

I've really been working hard over the past few weeks to live a healthier lifestyle by making changes one by one. Sleep hygiene is key for me, but sometimes the hardest, because I so often have insomnia. The insomnia improved once I started acupuncture back in November, but now that I've stopped acupuncture I'm a little nervous the insomnia will come back. DBF and I are making more of an effort to keep a consistent sleep schedule on weekends, though I blew it this weekend when I woke up with an awful migraine on Saturday.

The second change was my diet. I usually eat fairly healthfully, but I've also cut out wheat, dairy and sugar from my diet. I haven't 100% stuck to this, but I have been very good about it. Too much sugar is a definite trigger for me. Wheat and dairy are a little more debatable, but cutting them out of my diet has definitely made my stomach feel better.

And, now, the third change is introducing moderate exercise into my day. This will also help my stress level. My head almost always feels better after getting some fresh air. I just need to remember this on rainy days.

I'm trying to remain optimistic about my health plan this year. It helps that DBF is helping me. He does most of our food shopping these days, but he is a dedicated label-reader and is more than willing to buy me lots of fresh produce. He and I try a new recipe almost every week, and have found some very good ones that are in my eating plan.

There are a few more lifestyle changes I want to make, but I'm holding off on them for now. If I change too many things at once, I won't stick with it. But baby steps can help me make big changes.

One day at a time.