Friday, June 01, 2012
Andie
  • Andie
    is Trying to Hang On
  • Location: Burlington, VT, United States
  • Gender: Female
  • Birthday: August 10, 1959
  • Bio: Female, 50, former teacher, single, living alone, recently moved
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HEALTH INTERESTS:

Migraines

DRUGS I AM TAKING:

Amlodopine,  Prozac,  Klonopin,  Ambien,  and vitamins

ABOUT ME:

My first headache started when I began puberty. I was taken to the hospital and given a shot that put me out. After that I was able to manage my headaches with ibuprofen/acetaminophen. They were associated mainly with my period. The first time I went to a Dr. as an adult was when my son was 3 months old and I was living with my parents temporarily while my husband looked for work. I had continual headaches for the 3 mo. we lived there. The doctor said it wasn't technically a migraine, even though I was nauseous, but extreme tension headaches (this was 1986). After we moved to our own place, the headaches went away so there was clearly a mind/body connection. The next time it happened was when I substitute taught for ONE day. The stress impacted me so intensely that I was flat in bed for two weeks. I was married to a doctor at the time and he tried every conceivable drug with no effect. Happily, it just went away after two weeks and I resumed a normal life (2004). But last year (Sept. 08) I took a 2nd shift factory job b/c I was in transition from divorcing the doctor who turned out to be abusive. My body has not recovered since. I've had continuous, level 6-8 pain every day now for over a year. I've been to at least a dozen different health care providers, including a headache specialist, and have had no significant relief of any kind. I'm scheduled to see another headache specialist at Dartmouth Hospital, but not til February! I feel isolated b/c this has impacted my whole life. I'm not even the same person anymore. I used to be extremely active and now exertion makes my headache worse. Even so, I exercise, meditate, do no caffeine, keep a daily journal...take the meds even though they don't help, anything anyone has ever told me to do or not do or anything I've read about. It seems so clearly related to this job as I was fine until I took it, but I cannot understand why my body had not recovered after all this time. I'm currently not working b/c I cannot handle work with this much pain. I need a part-time, relatively stress-free job and so far nothing has worked out.

PHOTOS:

ROLES:

Living With It in Migraine

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