Medical Un-Professionals

I’m in awe of how fast 2014 slipped away.  I feel like that Days of Our Lives opening sequence with the hourglass and the narrator saying, “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.”  That was the show to watch back in my high school and college days.  I had to record it on VHS and watch it later, which makes me feel old because that has now been replaced by DVR.  I no longer watch Days.  I had to quit that show when Marlena was possessed because the storyline was too ridiculous.  (I guess I didn’t think it was too ridiculous for Kayla to be buried alive by Vivian with a supply of oxygen in her casket and some sort of communication system so she could taunt Kayla, but Marlena being possessed was.  Please don’t question my teenage logic.)

2014 was an event-filled year.  We spent time at a family reunion at TeBri Vineyards in Monroe, Oregon.  Time spent with family is always a treat, but made even more special because several relatives from Norway made the trek over.  I spent many hours during the spring and summer working with shelter dogs, which was good medicine for my soul.  Working with a homeless dog to earn their trust can be challenging at times, but spending time with them to make them more adoptable makes my heart happy.  Breaking a dog of a bad habit such as car chasing, or patiently working with a scared dog to get them to come out of their shell, is quite rewarding.

 
The biggest bit of excitement came late last summer when my husband and I moved from our small town filled with family and friends to a bustling city.  The hubs was offered a career opportunity that he couldn’t pass up and I was fortunate to be granted a transfer with the government agency for which I was already working.  The biggest change for me work-wise was instead of working glorious part-time hours, I am back to a full-time schedule.

We bid adieu to our cute little home on an acreage nestled next to a river that we could enjoy from the privacy of our back deck and moved into an apartment.  We said goodbye to all the deer, turkeys, coyotes, and other critters along the creek and said hello to traffic lights, thin apartment walls, and noisy neighbors.  We moved from our panoramic view of Mount Adams and Mount Hood, to the view of a sandy hill that is technically a mountain, but looks more like an overgrown anthill.

Mountain views back home.

"Mountain view" at our new place.

 
It is a treat to have civilization (AKA restaurants, movie theaters, grocery, concerts, hockey and department stores) nearby, but I often find myself homesick for that quiet little house on the river.  Now, instead of having a doggie door that my pooches could use to come and go as they please, we have to take potty break walks up and down a flight of stairs several times a day.  That is fine, except for the days that my 13 year old lab is sore from playing too much Frisbee at the dog park earlier in the day and she cannot navigate the stairs to our second story abode.  Her 60 pound frame isn’t too heavy to hoist up on my bed at night, but it is a different story lugging her up a flight of stairs.

Pee o'Clock is between the hours of 1:30 - 4:30 a.m.

Settling in to city life has been an adjustment, as I knew it would be.  The chaos of moving, saying goodbyes to all of my extended family, co-workers (most of whom feel more like family member than co-worker), and friends (including my beloved shelter pups), leaving my support system and my comfort zone, packing, unpacking, changing our address, meeting new co-workers, learning some new job duties, doubling my work hours, and adding a short commute, culminated into stress, and triggered many a migraine headache.  Sometimes life feels like a constant struggle to live a normal existence.  During the bad days, my frustration reigns supreme and I feel like a salmon swimming against the current.  I wish I didn’t have to battle just get through the mundane tasks of life on such a regular basis.  I try to celebrate my good health days, but there is a cloud of apprehension following me.  Even on my good days, a migraine will usually start creeping into my head at some point.  I am terrified of the days the migraine gets out of hand and I end up having to call in sick or leave work early.  Thankfully, I am still receiving Botox migraine treatment.  Even though I’m experiencing regular migraines, I suspect they would rate higher on the pain scale if I didn’t have Botox on board.

Medical Unprofessional

December was lousy.  I had 30 out of 31 days with migraine pain.  I was able to get Christmas dinner on the table, but by the time dinner was ready, I was too sick to sit down and enjoy the meal with the family.  Bah humbug!  When the pain is out of control and I am in a lousy mood, I try to remind myself what I am thankful for.  I am particularly grateful for the support of my family and friends who help me deal with chronic migraine.  My parents are always more than willing to help in any way they can.  My husband will pick up the slack on housework when I’m down for the count.  He will also bring me medications, water, or whatever I need at the drop of a hat when I’m under the weather.  Then there are my crazy dogs who keep me feeling a little less isolated.  When it seems life is passing me by while I’m stuck in bed in the middle of the day with a sleep mask on to hide my light sensitive eyes from the evil rays of sunlight, I am comforted by their company.  The rhythmic sound of their deep breathing next to me, and the weight of one of their heads, heavy with sleep, on my feet makes me feel a little less isolated.  These are some of what I call my “medical un-professionals” who are just as important, but in a different way, than my medical professionals.

I don’t have much more to share right now, except to tell you that I have started a new migraine treatment recently approved by the FDA.  I plan to post all about it soon, after I’ve had a chance to see what kind of results I get.  Fingers crossed that I’ll have some good news to share.