I guess the third time really can be a charm, at least in that the first trimester of my third pregnancy brought me some relief from migraines. That alone makes the weeks of vomiting seem like a reasonable trade-off. I went up to two weeks without a migraine, which is the first time in my life I can remember being pain-free for that long. Even as a child the migraines were a regular part of my life, so this truly was a once in a lifetime experience for me. Sure, my head was in the toilet for two months but that's not uncommon when a migraine strikes anyway.
Two weeks ago brought about the beginning of the second trimester, the end of morning sickness and a searing return of the pain. My gods, I had forgotten what it was like to wake up, try to function, and end the day all with blinding pain. By this point I was more than two months overdue for my injections and off of my daily prophylactic meds (pregnancy Category D, thank you very much) and the daily migraines returned. About a week and a half ago I reached what is considered status migrainous, a migraine lasting longer than 72 hours with less than a 4 hour reprieve from the pain and an increased risk of stroke. Fioricet will sometimes give me an hours worth of relief, long enough to pack up the kids and make a quick run to the grocery store. A week and a half of non-stop pain wears on the body and the soul, not to mention strains family relations. A mother in chronic pain is not a friendly, happy mommy.
Early last week also brought about my first basilar type migraine in over a year and a half, I was hoping that they were gone (and hoping that I may be able to take triptans again at some point in the future). There is nothing like the sheer terror of laying on the floor with my vision graying out and both arms numb while my children play beside me. The coming of the headache is welcome at that point because it means an end to the incapacitating symptoms that precede the migraine. Oh Goddess don't let me have passed this condition on to my children, I don't know what went wrong with the wiring of my brain to cause this condition in myself but I can't stand the thought of it affecting my babies. They are innocent and don't deserve this legacy from me.
After a week of dealing with the bureaucracy of the Naval Hospital and the nurse who was in a pissy mood and wouldn't relay my information to the doctor, I finally managed to get through yesterday. Lovely that it has to come to the point of filing a formal complaint before anything will happen. Luckily the neuro can see me for an emergency appointment this afternoon. We went through all the research and consults with other neurologists during my last pregnancy, weighing the benefits and risks of what can be done while I'm pregnant. Do I risk being incapacitated while home alone caring for my existing children or do I potentially risk the health of my unborn child? I'm hoping to once again find the delicate balance between the two without harming both in the process.
2 comments:
It is not right, nor fair, that you should have this to go through. I am not sure how much it would help, but you ever find yourself needing a bit of time to lay down, give me a call. I can come and play with littles.
Count me in on that, too, hon.
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