Yesterday was another headache day. I am going into the museum on Wednesdays and Thursdays, but I left after lunch yesterday. My head was hurting so bad, and I just couldn’t stand the thought of being there all day. I went home and went to bed.
A week from Monday (September 21), I will have my first Botox treatment. I’m praying that it helps. I really need some relief from these headaches. I have not had a headache free day in over four months. It hasn’t been a constant headache, but they come in waves of intensity.
I began my life in the South and for five years lived as a closeted teacher, but am now making a new life for myself as an oral historian in New England. I think my life will work out the way it was always meant to be. That doesn't mean there won't be ups and downs; that's all part of life. It means I just have to be patient. I feel like October 7, 2015 is my new birthday. It's a beginning filled with great hope. It's a second chance to live my life…not anyone else's.
My profile picture is "David and Me," 2001 painting by artist Steve Walker. It happens to be one of my favorite modern gay art pieces.
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This entry was posted on Friday, September 11th, 2020 at 6:00 am and posted in Health, Work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Joe – As crazy as they may sound, your headaches might In part be related to your sinuses. I was waking up with mild headaches that would burn off a couple hours after waking. Over time they lasted longer and longer, eventually going 24 hours. I was convinced I had a brain tumor. Turned out I needed serious sinus surgery. Until the surgery I had very little sense of smell. You might want to check this out with your doctor. Good luck!
My neurologist did check all that. She said even when it’s sinus related, and I do have sinus issues when the weather changes, that it is all caused by chronic migraines. I’m not sure what she will do if the Botox isn’t helpful.
This is a little complicated but ask you doctor about CRPs – they are a new class of medication with.virtually no side effects that erase migraines or significantly reduce them . They work by reducing calcitonin a vey common protien that is fond in abnormally high amounts in people with migraine – there are agents one takes by mouth or a monthly injection- they are expensive so insurance may not pay for it unless you fail pother therapies like botox – i consulted on the approval stuies for botox. Itcan work certainly but the CRPs have less side effects though they are brand new compsared to botox which has a much longer safety profile
I’m not sure if this is the same thing or not, but I have already tried the CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide) antagonists, Emgality and Aimovig. While Emgality reduced my headaches to 12-16 days out of the month of instead of 30 out of 30 days, my neurologists is not think this was effective enough. The Aimovig had no effect on my headaches and I was having headaches everyday, plus the side effects of the medicine (which incidentally I still have done the medicine has a half life of 3-4 months). With these two CGRPs proving ineffective, my doctor did not believe any of the others CGRPs would be effective either. This is why they are going to try the Botox. Thank you for the advice. Let me know if CGRP and CRP are the same thing or if it’s a different class of drugs.
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Joe
The Closet Professor 
September 11th, 2020 at 5:31 pm
Joe – As crazy as they may sound, your headaches might In part be related to your sinuses. I was waking up with mild headaches that would burn off a couple hours after waking. Over time they lasted longer and longer, eventually going 24 hours. I was convinced I had a brain tumor. Turned out I needed serious sinus surgery. Until the surgery I had very little sense of smell. You might want to check this out with your doctor. Good luck!
September 11th, 2020 at 5:47 pm
My neurologist did check all that. She said even when it’s sinus related, and I do have sinus issues when the weather changes, that it is all caused by chronic migraines. I’m not sure what she will do if the Botox isn’t helpful.
September 13th, 2020 at 10:00 pm
This is a little complicated but ask you doctor about CRPs – they are a new class of medication with.virtually no side effects that erase migraines or significantly reduce them . They work by reducing calcitonin a vey common protien that is fond in abnormally high amounts in people with migraine – there are agents one takes by mouth or a monthly injection- they are expensive so insurance may not pay for it unless you fail pother therapies like botox – i consulted on the approval stuies for botox. Itcan work certainly but the CRPs have less side effects though they are brand new compsared to botox which has a much longer safety profile
September 13th, 2020 at 10:14 pm
I’m not sure if this is the same thing or not, but I have already tried the CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide) antagonists, Emgality and Aimovig. While Emgality reduced my headaches to 12-16 days out of the month of instead of 30 out of 30 days, my neurologists is not think this was effective enough. The Aimovig had no effect on my headaches and I was having headaches everyday, plus the side effects of the medicine (which incidentally I still have done the medicine has a half life of 3-4 months). With these two CGRPs proving ineffective, my doctor did not believe any of the others CGRPs would be effective either. This is why they are going to try the Botox. Thank you for the advice. Let me know if CGRP and CRP are the same thing or if it’s a different class of drugs.