Charlie Turns 15 and a Difficult Week
Charlie turned 15 yesterday! He's slowed quite a lot in the last year but he still enjoys going for walks and getting a nice treat upon our return. One late afternoon last week we went for a 1.7 mile (2.7 km) walk that took us about 75 minutes. He was a happy boy as I walked along behind him while he let his nose lead the way. I know our time together is drawing to a close and that saddens me. I don't imagine us getting another pup after Charlie is gone but I've learned to never say never.
I mentioned in my last post that my cluster headache condition has returned. I've been laying low, not wanting to stray too far from the O2 tank that provides me with mostly dependable relief. I say mostly because there are times when it struggles to overcome a headache, leaving me rocking on the side of the bed with my head in my hands, taking deep breaths through a special non-rebreather facemask waiting for the pain to subside. It's a disturbing scene to anyone who witnesses it, especially a loved one. I'm taking time away from riding, walking, and golfing. I had to walk off the golf course one day last week due to a building headache. I hurried back to my car but by the time I made it there I was in deep pain and the portable O2 tank I depended on for relief was in over its head. I much prefer being home to being in my car in a parking lot when the beast shows up.
It's been a difficult week for me but I remind myself that there are more debilitating health issues that others face.
Not having prednisone (a very effective steroid for treating cluster headaches) in my arsenal this time leaves me a little uneasy as it's been my first line of defense since the early '90s, but I've had to abandon it due to the havoc it has wreaked on my body from decades of intermittent use. I had a prescription filled for Imitrex (a nasal spray that works to abort a cluster headache) but so far I've been relying on oxygen for relief. Imitrex will be a last resort for me as I'm trying one other approach that I've not tried before: psilocybin; a psychedelic drug derived from mushrooms–aka magic mushrooms. I've read that any use of Imitrex will block psilocybin from working. I can't find a specific study to support that claim but it's an accepted understanding within the cluster headache community.
This past Thursday was exhausting. I went through a full large tank of oxygen as I was hammered by one headache after another. It's exhausting because there's a degree of stress associated with this kind of headache and that weighs on me, plus I haven't been sleeping well. I'm typically up 3 times each night to don my O2 mask to abort a headache. Thankfully, I can usually fall asleep again quickly.
Using psilocybin or LSD to break a headache cycle is called busting. The recommended dosage of psilocybin is 1.5+ grams per dose spaced out 5 days apart. Results (aborting a headache phase) are usually felt after the 3rd dose if not sooner. Friday, my 5-day waiting period was over since my 2nd dose of psilocybin and my headaches were still relentless so at 1:00 in the afternoon I took 2.18g of the elixir and retreated to our basement where I had some relaxing videos queued up to watch with some blankets to keep me warm. For whatever reason the mushrooms give me chills. Tammy would occasionally check on me.
Five hours later I was still a little light-headed but I made my way upstairs to let Tammy know that I was doing well and that the experience felt positive. I was free of pain and would remain that way until yesterday morning when another headache developed. I was fine the rest of the day and took advantage of being pain-free to do some much-needed yardwork. The headaches would begin to appear again later last night and throughout the night but I was thankful for the more than 24 hours that I was feeling normal again. I'll repeat the busting procedure again on Wednesday.
My downtime prompted me to make it back down to my glass studio to knock out a sun-catcher for my Etsy store. It was relaxing to be back down in my studio again. It's been a while.
I listened to Cassidy Hutchinson's book Enough which was just released this week. It's an incredible story she tells and a cautionary one at that. I recommend it.
Tammy and I finished watching Shiny Happy People on Amazon Prime last night. It's a 4-part docuseries detailing the Duggar family from the reality TV series The Duggars and the radical religious organization, The Institute in Basic Life Principles, that they're a part of. It's an abusive and misogynistic organization that has left many shattered lives in its wake. I recommend it as well.
I came across a light painting stop motion artist on Instagram recently. His work is so incredible. Here's a sample from his YouTube account.
It's a beautiful morning and unseasonably warm as I write this. I'm sitting on our deck and just noticed that our hummingbirds are still with us. I love the sound of their little chirps that let me know they're at our feeders.
That's all I've got.
Comments
And I know that they run in our family. Dad used to bang his head against the walls frequently when they came on. He had sinus surgery trying to eliminate them.
Claudia also had bad ones. I'm not sure where she is with them these days.
I had bad migraine headaches in the 70's and 80's when I lived in Minnesota and they made me isolate in the bedroom with lights out at night when they normally happened.
When we moved to North Carolina the stopped... like someone flipped a switch and have never returned. I have no idea why.
"magic" mushrooms are legal here in Oregon and there is only one licensed dispensary that I know of so far and there are more therapists that are licensed to provide them and administer them.
And this is very expensive they say.
Not sure how you are getting them and don't care as long as they help.
The stories in the video are disturbing to be sure. I don't know what I would do if I had the kind they get.
Hopefully you will find something that works all the time.
Surprisingly, it's fairly easy to source the specific spores (sporeworks.com) and equipment/kits (midwestgrowers.com) online and grow your own. That's what I did. I also have some friends who are new parents and were happy to give me the remainder of what they had left because they wouldn't have a use for them.
I'm about 2 weeks into what is normally a 4-5 week ordeal for me. I'm so thankful that I'm no longer working while trying to manage this condition. That was always so stressful for me.
The Happy Smiling Faces promo is sickening of course. It does call out home schooling but I know that Melody is providing a better education venue that her kids would get in public school. I see it when I have visits with them. They are so frigging smart.
I have watched Cassidy Hutchinson promoting her book on many shows. She is only one of hundreds I'm sure that has a story to tell but she is bright and beautiful and I'm sure knows people to help her carefully pen her book.
God help us if Trump is not eliminated in some way.
Do you follow Heather Cox Richardson's daily Letters From an American? They're very informative and concise. She's a historian who became concerned about the direction of our country during Trump's presidency. The speech from Biden last week was very poignant. The thought occurred to me a few days ago that a main difference between Trump and Biden (aside from intellect, honesty, integrity, etc., is their reasons for wanting to be president. For Trump, it's all about power and retribution. He's said as much. For Biden, it's about using the office to make the country a better place for all—to help people. It's really that simple.
No doubt there are many kids receiving an excellent education at home but I worry that for every one of those children, there are many others who aren't. Homeschooling became an acceptable option in 1954 after the Brown vs. Board of Education SCOTUS decision that led to the integration of public schools. Many Christians were at the forefront of removing their children from public schools because Christians are oftentimes the least Christ-like. I'll save that for another blog post.
Do give Cassidy's book a look or a listen. She narrates it on Audible. She comes across as someone who is very believable and genuine. She had a front-row seat to the events on January 6th, 2021. Her story is alarming.
I am sorry for your cluster headaches. Sounds awful. We also have a Shih Tzu named Charlie coming up on 15 years. He still enjoys walks and to help we have added a dog stroller into the mix. He gets to walk and rest a bit and we are able walk for many miles. He loves it!
If you are ever interested in giving it a shot with your Charlie, we have an additional dog stroller we are no longer using that you can have. We are next door in Farmington.
Neil
What a coincidence that each of us has a Charlie around the same age! That's so nice of you to offer your extra stroller. I'll occasionally pick Charlie up to carry him up a hill but right away he squirms in my arms and wants to be let down. I can see him hopping out of a stroller if we were to try that but I've seen strollers work for others. Thanks for reaching out, and I hope your riding is going well.
Kevin