I forgot what it feels like to feel healthy

I'm not really interested so much in sharing my story. It's sad and long and is pretty much like everyone else's story. Drugs that worked for a while then didn't, doctors that work for a while then didn't, crazy diets that really never worked, but kept doing them because I always felt I jadnt out in the time.

To make my story short, I want to share something I did. I went back to Las Vegas (where we lived from 1992-2013) for 11 days earlier this month, July 2015, just to see..could I feel better...would I feel, better. It took 1-1/2 days. The hives, itching, and migraines induced by the climate of Atlanta were improved by 90%!!

I'll back up a little. In March 2012, my last inpatient treatment of any kind for chronic migraine was a failure (DHE) in the hugest failure imaginable. I have been left with side effects from that treatment that I resigned myself to believe after 3 years, they're here to stay.

This past April, my husband was going through the loooooooooog list of prevention meds I've been on in the last 35 years and ones that helped me the best have some sort of quality of life, not trapped in the house for days, weeks and months on end. Once it was an entire year!

Anyway, he came across my favorite blue pill....the one no doc wants you on for long term..butalbital. Well I love butalbital as it was reintroduced this past April..it didn't kick in right away...but I can get by on 3 a day and actually dress, leave my house and feel happy. It only began really working well while in Las Vegas this month. Instantly the low humidity (8%!!!!!!) improved everything about how I felt. I chose July to visit as in the 21-1/2 years living there July and August were the months I hated most. More chance for rain and higher humidity..oh my ..maybe 20%. Well after leaving my home state of Illinois (Chicago) in 1992 because of our children's poor health I quickly was reminded what good felt like.

Last summer I stayed indoors here in Atlanta if I even hoped for a migraine free day...which actually hardly ever happened because we cannot keep the humidity much lower indoors in the summer than 43-53%. So the move to be near our first grandchildren ages 3 and not quite 8 months has sadly shown me that airplanes can take people anywhere and uprooting was basically just dumb on all counts. Decisions need to be made...but right now the cpverdict is in for the summer months..I need to be in Las Vegas. I am working out details for the month of August, or at least the last 3 weeks to find more respite from chronic migraine. These last 2-1/2 years has been pure evil for me and I still haven't a support system as far as even my family goes. I know they don't think it's just a headache...but I can fake pretty well a lot of the time and they've grown accustomed to it.

Please don't begrudge me taking butalbital....it worked for 8 years a long time ago...and I truly thought the last headache specialist could help. But he didn't. Actually he gave up on me and said he didn't want to be my doc :(

Left with nothing but Triptans....I had no plan...so thankfully my new headache specialist after following a diet of his for over a year that didn't work, understands the despair I have been in since coming to Atlanta. For now that little blue pill, a small dose of anti-anxiety meds for those panic attacks that I can't shake and 2 Triptans I alternate with have started me on a slow path of what a somewhat less painful migraine day can be like.

I will not lose hope now that I lived 9 days of the happiest I've been in years...I'm selfish...I'd like more...being a constant disappointment to family is something I'd like to end..but more importantly..I'm worth it.

Thanks for listening...I'll let you know what happens.

My prayers are with all of you,
Janet Jones