Not At All The Way I Wanted To Go Out
I woke up yesterday feeling so good. I slept through the night without the interruption of a headache and without any foreshadows of one. I was feeling as good as I've felt in a while, attributing it to the series of shots the doctor gave me in the back of my scull the previous afternoon. It wasn't until 2:00 in the afternoon that I felt the tug behind my left eye of an approaching cluster headache. I hesitated a little to make certain but then headed upstairs to sit beside my size M oxygen tank to find relief. It came quickly. No worries. I would have a couple more episodes like that later in the evening but nothing that caused me any real concern.
I had to venture out to Walgreens around 5:00 to pick up a prescription for a testosterone patch that my doctor wants me to try. While waiting in the drive-thru he called to inquire as to how I was doing. I told him the good news and he seemed quite pleased. I said that I think it was the steroid he injected me with that helped but he countered that it couldn't have been that because it hadn't even kicked in yet. He said if anything I would've been feeling the effects of the numbing agent in the shot only. He attributed my turnaround to the Tizanidine pills I took just before going to bed. The prescription called for taking 1 to 4 pills. I told him I took 4 to which he replied "ballsy!" Yup, I go for the full effect. They would've had the effect of relaxing the muscles in my neck and head and possibly even keeping the cluster headaches quieted. It's hard to know. Regardless, I was thankful for the reprieve.
He said that with this sort of condition people respond in various ways to the assorted treatments and that there is no one specific approach—that "you just have to play the ball where it lays" so to speak. What had been working for me, the prednisone and Imitrex, is no longer helpful so now we're trying different avenues.
Our conversation was interrupted a couple of times by the pharmacist at the window inquiring about the prescription which they weren't finding in my file, which seemed odd because I'd checked my account on their website and it seemed to indicate that it had been processed and was ready for pickup. I said goodbye to Dr. Sethna and drove around to go speak with the people inside because I was holding up drive-thru traffic in a serious way and I hate to be that guy.
It was Friday evening and they'd been sitting on my prescription all day it turns out, knowing it would need some additional input from my doctor to be accepted by my insurance. Without insurance, the cost of the patches is $1000 so I understand why there needs to be some additional oversight. They said they'd get to it on Monday. I was feeling too good to let it get me down so I smiled and thanked the pharmacist for her efforts.
I took it easy all day yesterday and last night, just wanting to allow my body to recover from what had been a difficult day the previous day. I'd love to have been out on my bike earlier in the day but I needed rest.
At around 7:30 I could sense another headache building. It was a disappointing realization and I went up to break the news to Tammy before donning my oxygen mask. It was gone after 10 minutes of 15 liters per minute oxygen inhaled directly through my non-rebreather mask. It dampened my spirits a little to know that my headaches were still with me but I'm a realist. I would get another just before going to bed at midnight, then 3 more before coming downstairs this morning to let the pups out.
Yeah, I'm a little bit bummed by this turnaround as it's got me thinking about how and when I'll make it back to work? Is there a way to have my medical pulled for the next few weeks with any confidence that I'll get it back when this phase is finally done? I just don't know and that concerns me.
I was blogging last night about wanting to work through the end of the year but at this point I could easily see myself going at the end of the month. Not at all the way I wanted to go out.
I had to venture out to Walgreens around 5:00 to pick up a prescription for a testosterone patch that my doctor wants me to try. While waiting in the drive-thru he called to inquire as to how I was doing. I told him the good news and he seemed quite pleased. I said that I think it was the steroid he injected me with that helped but he countered that it couldn't have been that because it hadn't even kicked in yet. He said if anything I would've been feeling the effects of the numbing agent in the shot only. He attributed my turnaround to the Tizanidine pills I took just before going to bed. The prescription called for taking 1 to 4 pills. I told him I took 4 to which he replied "ballsy!" Yup, I go for the full effect. They would've had the effect of relaxing the muscles in my neck and head and possibly even keeping the cluster headaches quieted. It's hard to know. Regardless, I was thankful for the reprieve.
He said that with this sort of condition people respond in various ways to the assorted treatments and that there is no one specific approach—that "you just have to play the ball where it lays" so to speak. What had been working for me, the prednisone and Imitrex, is no longer helpful so now we're trying different avenues.
Our conversation was interrupted a couple of times by the pharmacist at the window inquiring about the prescription which they weren't finding in my file, which seemed odd because I'd checked my account on their website and it seemed to indicate that it had been processed and was ready for pickup. I said goodbye to Dr. Sethna and drove around to go speak with the people inside because I was holding up drive-thru traffic in a serious way and I hate to be that guy.
It was Friday evening and they'd been sitting on my prescription all day it turns out, knowing it would need some additional input from my doctor to be accepted by my insurance. Without insurance, the cost of the patches is $1000 so I understand why there needs to be some additional oversight. They said they'd get to it on Monday. I was feeling too good to let it get me down so I smiled and thanked the pharmacist for her efforts.
I took it easy all day yesterday and last night, just wanting to allow my body to recover from what had been a difficult day the previous day. I'd love to have been out on my bike earlier in the day but I needed rest.
At around 7:30 I could sense another headache building. It was a disappointing realization and I went up to break the news to Tammy before donning my oxygen mask. It was gone after 10 minutes of 15 liters per minute oxygen inhaled directly through my non-rebreather mask. It dampened my spirits a little to know that my headaches were still with me but I'm a realist. I would get another just before going to bed at midnight, then 3 more before coming downstairs this morning to let the pups out.Yeah, I'm a little bit bummed by this turnaround as it's got me thinking about how and when I'll make it back to work? Is there a way to have my medical pulled for the next few weeks with any confidence that I'll get it back when this phase is finally done? I just don't know and that concerns me.
I was blogging last night about wanting to work through the end of the year but at this point I could easily see myself going at the end of the month. Not at all the way I wanted to go out.
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