Painfully Positive

On a mission to learn how to live a positive, happy life with chronic daily migraine disease

[sarabbatch]

Great Post re: Opioids & Pain Patients

Great Post re: Opioids & Pain Patients

Such a great post by Dr. Nagel for the National Pain Report! Opioid addiction should be seriously dealt with (although I have almost NO confidence that prohibition is the answer), but not at the expense of legitimate pain patients. According to Dr. Nagel, pain patients outnumber addicts 20:1. I am sorry that a bunch of addicts took legitimate pain medicine and used it recreationally, BUT why does…

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[profeminist]

“ wearing everyday until election day “

 Source

U.S. READERS, REGISTER TO VOTE HERE

[sarabbatch]

Finding Meaning

I have been thinking about finding meaning when one has a chronic illness a lot lately, although finding meaning is something that most people think about, whether they are ill or not. I don’t have any answers, but here is my latest train of thought. The end of my long-term relationship has brought the “meaning issue” back to the front burner for me as well, which is a good thing.  I think that…

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[sarabbatch]

SPG Block

Hello Positive People! Headache on the Hill, Part 2 is on its way, but for now I wanted to show you a SPG block- done at home by me! The sphenopalatine ganglion is a group of nerves, which is linked to the trigeminal nerve, located behind the nose. The trigeminal nerve is very involved in migraine, so by treating it with anesthetic, we are hoping to help prevent migraines. My treatment is with .6…

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[sarabbatch]

Headache on the Hill 2016, Part 1

Headache on the Hill 2016, Part 1

Bless me father for I have sinned.  It’s been AGES since my last post!  Lots of good, bad & ugly since then.  Let’s quickly catch up (with pictures!): Good: Botox, LDA shots, vitamin & fluid IVs & lack of Effexor (more on that later) helping my migraines overall Tissue transglutaminase IgA (blood test for celiac) down to .45 in Nov ’15 from 4.64 in Aug ’14 – I guess not eating gluten really works…

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[sarabbatch]

Headache on the Hill 2016, Part 1

Headache on the Hill 2016, Part 1

Bless me father for I have sinned.  It’s been AGES since my last post!  Lots of good, bad & ugly since then.  Let’s quickly catch up (with pictures!): Good: Botox, LDA shots, vitamin & fluid IVs & lack of Effexor (more on that later) helping my migraines overall Tissue transglutaminase IgA (blood test for celiac) down to .45 in Nov ’15 from 4.64 in Aug ’14 – I guess not eating gluten really works…

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[sarabbatch]

DC & Headache on the Hill, Part Two

Sorry it took me so long to continue my posts about Headache on the Hill….

I had a beyond wonderful day Tuesday, my only day to myself.  I walked from the hotel to the tidal pool and lounged in the sun at the Jefferson Memorial.  I made it all the way around the tidal pool and walked back to a salon near the hotel to get purpled.  I think I walked about six miles, and my head cooperated!  Yay!

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[sarabbatch]

DC & Headache on the Hill, Part One

DC, Part One

The trip to DC was great!  Priority seating with Virgin America is still mostly worth it, although it looks like you board with most everyone else now.  I was seated very close to the front, the seat in the middle was empty, and my suitcase fit right in the overheads close to where I was sitting.  Need a stress-case like me ask for anything more?  Virgin’s wi-fi – that’s another story.  Too…

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[sarabbatch]

Working with Migraine Disease - BlogPost #2

Or maybe I should call this post “Not Working with Migraine Disease”.  Migraines are difficult.  Trying to work, whether at home or an office, with migraine disease is extremely difficult.  Trying to work with chronic migraine disease can be impossible.

One thing I have learned about migraine disease and migraineurs is that we are ALL so very different.  Instead of generalizing about working with…

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[sarabbatch]

Back from the Abyss for Headache on the Hill

I am launching a new blog about trying to stay positive while having migraine disease. Please check it out!

Let’s go back to the beginning. Shortly after college when I was 22 and working at a bank, I had my first migraine. They say that everyone remembers their first migraine, and hell, they are right. I had to leave work, lie down in a dark room and be sick. My mother was there with me, and the only thing she could do to help me was to stroke my back very, very lightly and tell me I wasn’t going to…

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[sarabbatch]

This holiday, pledge to Give Books! For every reblog of this image with the hashtag #GiveBooks, Chronicle Books will donate a children's book to a child in need through First Book. More at http://givebooks2014.com.

[caitrionabalfe]

"We said let’s put her [Caitriona] and Sam together and see what the chemistry was. The chemistry was great, and that was it. We were sold." ~ Ron D. Moore