I'm going to post to this blog every day, even if it kills me.
That said, Let's make up for my hiatus with all sorts of news that most of you probably already know!
Meet Alastair Jeurgen Horace Ross
As most of you know, a year ago (on our wedding anniversary actually) DH and I moved in to our first house. Proud homeowners and all that sentimental stuff. Approximately 3 weeks after moving in, I developed a migraine. The migraine from hell. The most persistent migraine I've ever experienced. I was on an ever changing cocktail of narcotics in an effort to control the pain and in the meantime, we also started renovations. Have you ever had a gas line installed (which requires drilling all the way to the outside of the house) while you're in so much pain you're nauseous? I highly recommend it to the masochists out there.
Try some Neurotoxin!
I digress. This migraine did not go away... I was missing work, vanished from my social circle, and generally was in no shape to do much of anything but sleep. Finally in... September? (yes, that's right, 4 months of migraine later) my doctor suggested I try Botox... the newest and greatest treatment for migraines, but also sort of a 'last resort' treatment. I met my new neurologist, he poked my scalp/neck/face 42 times with a neurotoxin and about a week later... the pain faded. It didn't go away entirely, but it was enough to get me back to acting more human. Sadly, I metabolize drugs much quicker than most people, so the treatment that was supposed to work for 3 months, only worked for 2. Back to the neuro I go... did I mention that Botox is very expensive? no? Did I mention that because it's an "off label" use, it's not covered by insurance? no? Did I mention that I was missing a lot of work at the time? This was a somewhat stressful period of time.
Because of the way that the Botox works, you have to wait for it to wear off before you can get another dose. The only way you know that it's worn off (if it's working), is because the migraine returns. Either way, the soonest between treatments you can do is about 2 months. Once it's worn off, you need to try and get an appointment with your very busy neurologist. This means that every 2 months or so, I'd have between 1 and 2 weeks of migraine before I could get treatment... and then another week for the treatment to kick in... you know, looking back at this I'm not sure that the "2 months of relief, 1 month of pain" schedule was really worth the money I was shelling out for the treatment.
Three treatments later we get to March. I go in and mention that it's a bit of a pain (heh) to be coming in every 2 months when the treatment should last for 3. Doc suggests I try a double dose (at double the cost, naturally) and I mention that I'll think about it for next time. I wait patiently for the Botox to kick in. It doesn't. I start getting violently nauseous and go on the BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast... the easiest to digest foods)... I basically stop eating except for the odd bit of plain rice or bread... tried bananas for a while but soon couldn't stomach them. Can't stand applesauce.
Back to my GP, who prescribes me more narcotics to manage the pain. I make an appointment to get the double Botox done and wait out the time until I can go in for the injections. I spent most of March and April high on percocet and weed. I decide to name the migraine considering it's been living with me for almost a year. Alastair Jeurgen Horace Ross sounds like the right holy terror he is, right?
The Attack of the HOIR
Then DH suggests that I move in with Sir for a couple of weeks... just to see if perhaps it's the house that's making me sick. It had briefly crossed my mind before - the timing was certainly suspect, but I figured that with all of the renovations we were doing that anything that could make me sick would have been discovered. Despite that, I moved in with Sir 11 days ago. 6 days ago I began to be able to eat regular food. 5 days ago my head started to feel better. At the present time I have a mild headache and am learning to live with the fact that after a month with almost no food, I'm not able to eat very much before feeling full.
Sir and I have had a few growing pains adjusting to living with each other, but have worked things out and are getting along splendidly now. I think that Sir will miss me when I move back with DH, despite a few days in to our adventure telling me that I had cured him of the idea that he'd ever want to live with another woman again.
So to sum things up: Yup, it's quite possible that my beloved house is making me sick. I will be staying with Sir the rest of this week to fully recover (and give me a bit of a break) and will then move back home to see if the migraine returns. If it does, I will be moving back in with Sir while we figure out what to do with the house. First step will be a comprehensive air quality test to see if there's anything that's easily fixable. Then we decide how much money we're willing to sink in to the house to make it livable for me, or if we abandon ship and move. Neither option is easy or appealing.
hmm.. this post hasn't exactly been funny or uplifting, has it?
Stay tuned for tomorrow... I'll talk about my patented no-fail diet plan!
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