Category Archives: Health

Headache Clinic

I have an appointment this morning at the Headache Clinic. It has snowed all night, but it’s not too bad, so as long as I drive carefully, it shouldn’t be a problem getting down there. The snow has mostly stopped for now and won’t start back up until later this morning. The snow that is still to come is supposed be fairly light. According to the weather report I saw this morning, the roads are pretty clear and that was confirmed by checking out the Vermont Transportation Authority’s road cameras.

I need to go to this appointment or else I would probably reschedule. I need to talk to my neurologist about the issue I’m having with my headaches when there are weather/air pressure changes. Most of the time, the headaches come as the weather is changing before any precipitation, but as soon as the precipitation starts the headache usually eases. Hopefully, she can offer some advice or a solution.


Rough Day

I went to bed really early last night. I’d had a bad migraine all day and had worked long enough to teach my class yesterday and then went home. Luckily, I’m feeling some better today, but I still have a migraine. I think it’s just more manageable today. We’ll see.


Busy Week

I have a busy week filled with classes and meetings.I had several classes yesterday and a VIP tour. Today, I have another class and a few meetings, plus preparation for a class I’ll be teaching next week. I also have some prep work for upcoming programs/events at the museum. Tomorrow will be continuing with the same tasks, but I also have another meeting. 

I am scheduled to be off Friday for an appointment with my neurologist, but I may have to reschedule due to the winter storm we are expecting Thursday night and throughout the day Friday.  Hopefully, if I do have the reschedule, it will be fairly soon, though they might change it to a telehealth appointment since it’s really just a routine checkup about my new medicine that I’ve been taking for the past three months. The new medicine (Qulipta) has been successful except when there are changes in the weather which has been affecting me all week. I’ve woken with a migraine every day this week. Yesterday, it eased up as the day went on. That was not the case on Monday, but that was also aggravated by the dental work I had done. I’m hoping that the headache I currently have will get better throughout the morning.

Then, I have to work on Saturday. At least Saturday workdays are pretty easy. I basically just have to be there to open and close the museum and be there. I usually don’t have much to do on the Saturdays that I work. While I’d rather be home or doing something else, Saturday are not the worst day to work. At least I’ll be there by myself.


The Dentist

I hate going to the dentist. For me, it’s never a pleasant experience. My teeth have always caused me problems. I really like my dentist as a person, but I hate dental procedures. Anyway, I have a dental appointment this morning. I took all day off work. Novocaine always gives me a headache, so I rarely go back to work after a dental procedure. Since this appointment is first thing this morning, I decided to take the whole day. Besides, I have a comp day this week because I have to work Saturday.


TGIF

I am so glad it’s Friday. I’m not sure I could handle it if there were more days in this week. I had to take a sick day yesterday because I woke with not only a migraine but also with bad muscle spasms in my back. I ended up laying on a heating pad most of the day. Thankfully, by last night, I was feeling better. I hope I wake up this morning still feeling better, because regardless, I have to work today. I’m off Monday and I have things I need to get ready for an 8 am class on Tuesday.

Also, if you pray, I hope you’ll say a prayer for the people in Alabama devastated by yesterday’s tornadoes. Luckily, my family is fine. Whereas the tornadoes were all around them, the tornadoes were west and north of my parents. They lost a huge tree and did not have power when I talked to them, but they had their generator going and were doing fine. 

Even when I’m not there, tornadoes and hurricanes always trigger strong emotions. I’ve experienced too many of them firsthand. It was always a traumatic experience. The noise alone is something that I’ll never forget, whether it’s the roar of a tornado or the howling winds of a hurricane, the noise is deafening.


TGIF

I woke with a migraine yesterday but had a dental appointment that I had to go to. The dental work only made my headache worse, so I spent the day on my couch. I have another doctor’s appointment today, and then I have to work half a day. I’m ready for Saturday to be here.


My Wrist

All went well with the orthodontist yesterday. A hot x-ray tech (He was tall, handsome with curly dark hair, and a nice butt.) took some better images of my hand and wrist. The orthopedist then showed me the x-tays, having to blow up one of them to a larger image so I could see where the small fragment broke off. She put me in a brace that I can remove. She said that she’d put a cast on it if I wanted her to, and I said, “No thank you.” Apparently, this small chip will heal in about six weeks. I’m not sure if that includes the three weeks since it happened or an additional six weeks.

Regardless, she said it is going to be slightly swollen and hurt but it will eventually heal on its own. She said it shouldn’t bother me too much except that I shouldn’t do any yoga or push-ups until it’s healed because that would be painful. I told her that she didn’t have to worry about that. I told her that writing, especially signing my name hurt the most, and she said that was normal. The motions involved using that little bone I broke, but it would not damage it any further. If my wrist begins hurting worse or it’s not better in six weeks to call her back and she’d look at it again, but she didn’t foresee any problems.


My Wrist

When last I wrote about my arm, I was waiting to hear back from the clinic for the results of my x-ray. They never actually called me back, so I called them. As soon as I got my name out, The receptionist said, “Oh, I’m so glad you called. We didn’t have your number.” I was told that the woman I had seen the day before did not have my cell phone number and had called my office number. She apparently couldn’t find my cell phone number even though I had given it to them and they had texted me. Anyway, I was able to talk to the other PA at the clinic and he told me that I had a small fracture in my wrist. Of course this would be the day when we were getting a foot of snow. He said they needed to put a splint on it. He said if it was any other day of the week other than Friday, he would let it wait for the next day. However, he said that it could not wait until Monday. So, in the snow, I drove up to the clinic to get a splint put on my wrist. He referred me to an orthopedist to have a cast put on it. I’m hoping the orthopedist calls today. I’m not looking forward to having a cast on my wrist, and all of this is going to make it difficult to carry my bags in the airport, but I will manage.

I don’t think I realize how dependent I am on my right hand. Learning to use my left hand more has been difficult. It’s just another thing to get used to. Anyway, I wanted to give y’all an update on what was happening with the results of my fall on the ice.


A Pain in the…

…hand and neck and shoulder and hip, but mostly in my right hand.

I had to go to the clinic my university uses for worker’s comp. What a nightmare! Actually, it wasn’t too bad, but I was there for over three hours and then had to go over to the hospital for x-rays. The provider I saw at the clinic was supposed to call me yesterday afternoon with the result. She never called. However, because I use MyChart for my doctor and the hospital is part of the same network as him (all under the University of Vermont), I received the radiology report. I had to look up most of the words in the gobbledygook that was in the report, but I apparently have a small fracture in my right wrist. My other aches and pains appear to be bruises and muscle strain. Hopefully, I’ll hear from the clinic this morning. Because of the impending snowstorm, I’m not for sure if I’ll go into work today or not. It’s according to how much snow is on my car when it’s time to leave. If there is a fair amount, I won’t be able to go in because I won’t be able to clean it off one handed, or at least not one handed with my left hand. I use my right hand for most everything.


Ice

The biggest drawback to living in the frigid north is ice. I slipped on a patch of ice today while walking out of the museum. I am sore all over, especially my right side which I landed on, and I can’t barely use my right hand. This happens at least once a year. God it’s painful! If I have to go to the doctor, it will be worker’s comp. I’d rather just see my own doctor and not have to go through all the paperwork for worker’s comp.