You may have guessed from the title that this post will be one big whinge. Generally, in keeping with my glass-half-full tendency, I keep things pretty positive here, but in the interests of keeping things real … I’m over the last few weeks. This is my recent headache diary …
The presence of a similar cluster last month strongly suggests hormones are the culprit, but this month has been particularly bad. My sleep has been a disaster. The good news is that the medication my specialist prescribed to me does work much better than stemetil, which I gave up on years ago. Now I can mostly function while feeling sh*t.
On Wednesday, after the headache subsided and the vertigo was winding down, I even got bored. I never get bored. I always have something interesting to read or do, but on Wednesday, I had to limit reading on screens and books because it was setting vertigo off. I couldn’t go for a walk because of the stress fracture in my foot, and I’d already had a nap. Let’s just say I was feeling a bit sad and sorry for myself, with said feelings intensified because of the stupid hormones.
I think (hope?) that I am now through the worst … after a few false starts, my period has finally come. Who would think that would be a cause for celebration? Fingers-crossed. I went to the gym today, and I’m just feeling mildly brain-foggy but still feeling stupidly emotional, which is not the norm for me. There is no need for concern, though; I’m sure next time you hear from me, I’ll be back to normal … or what goes for normal around here.
Actually, I’m not quite finished … can I just say what a pain the boot is. This morning when I went to the gym, I went down to the car. Took the boot off and put my sneaker on. Drove out of the carpark, realised I didn’t have my fob to get into the gym because I usually ride down. Parked outside our apartment. Put the boot back on. Went in and got the fob. Came back out to the car. Took the boot off, put on my sneaker. Drove to the gym, parked in the closest park which was about 300m down the street. Took the sneaker off, put the boot back on. Walked to the gym. Took the boot off and put my sneaker on. Rode on the bike. Finished. Took the sneaker off and put the boot back on. Did a set of single-leg calf raises on my good leg. Walked slowly down the steep, narrow flight of stairs, one step at a time and then to the car. Took the boot off and put my sneaker on. Drove home. Took my sneaker off and put the boot back on.
Your turn. Feel free to offload your latest whinge in the comments.
Comments
14 responses to “Hormones suck …”
Oh goodness – that book fiasco sounds horrible.
I mean, hormones are the worst, but you are dealing with so much more than that because migraines and vertigo are truly debilitating. I feel pretty awful from PMS, but it doesn’t spark migraines or things of that ilk so I think you should very much whine about this hard situation! I hope you continue to find steps forward to manage symptoms and can’t wait until the book can come off! That’s too much work for a trip to the gym.
I was fortunate that I never had too many issues with PMS when I was younger, apart from a couple of years after my son was born when I alternated irrational sadness and anger for a couple days prior. I used to warn the family to not push my buttons. So I have been quiet fortunate really. The vetigo used to only be max. three to four months a year and I never connected it with my cycle but with the change in hormones as I’ve aged the vertigo/migraines are much more frequent and over the last few months I’ve realised hormones are difenitaely one trigger.
I was laid low by two cataracts surgery, with an asthma flare added into the mix. UGH…It was a rough couple of weeks. My saving grace was audiobooks, since I couldn’t read.
My library app not only downloads audiobooks (and our library has tons of them), it also has the feature to turn off after x minutes.
Sending good thoughts that thngs get better soon.
Yes, recovery from cataract surgery would be tedious. I’ve never been able to get into audio books, but I do like podcasts. Although when I have a migraine, too much noise can be triggering as well.
I can relate to the boot frustration! I had a sort of “driving shoe” that I would velcro on when I had my boot. I wasn’t allowed to wear tennis shoes, though. It was such a pain though and gosh I LOATHED that freaking boot. Plus I was in the boot during the summer and I had just moved to a new city (not my choice, kind of a forced relocation) so I didn’t have running as my outlet. It was a dark period of my life…
I hope your migraines start to improve stat. That looks awful when written out. Knock on wood, I have not suffered from migraines. But my cycle is totally jacked up right now I think because I’ve been on a high dose of steroids for about 2 months now so it suppresses some of my hormones. So I have no clue when my cycle will arrive. I’m on like day 40 and I usually have a 28-30 day cycle. Plus I just feel so fatigued but is that my cycle, my RA, the insomnia from the steroids, having young kids, or a combination of all of those things? Last night I felt like I could have gone to bed at 5:30 but I can’t do that when I have kids to manage. But then I was wide awake around 1:30 so had to read for awhile to go back to sleep and then was up at 5:30 wide awake. Ugh. So I can totally commiserate!!
Oh yuck! That is tough. I’m relieved that my migraines were not as bad as this when I was also trying to wrangle kids.
I’d be complaining too, that’s miserable! I hope now that you’ve started your period that things will mellow out for you. And the boot! UGH.
Hang in there.
Thanks J. I’m hanging in. We’re heading away this weekend which should be good.
Ooof, that sounds pretty awful – the headaches and the fracture. I injured my hip back in 2019 and it really made me appreciate being able to move without pain, and understand how awful it is for people who have chronic pain. So I totally get it! What a bother, all the back and forth with the boot.
The funny thing is that although it was painful I expected a stress fracture to be more painful than it was, which was why I kept running on it for a few weeks. The foot is fine in the boot (or even out if I don’t put too much force), and I don’t have pain overnight either.
[…] crossed, I think the migraines have settled down, and I’m back rounding up a few good things from my week […]
You have every right to whine… headaches are so annoying and then you are also limited with your foot fracture. It would be frustrating for anyone, so it’s ok to unload a bit somewhere (and your blog is always a good place :)).
Arghhhh this sounds bad and I totally get the “feeling sorry for myself” part. Long, heavy episodes trigger that behavior and I believe it is ok to feel sorry. The problem is you need to stop in time otherwise it’s a downward spiral… at least for me. Sigh. Sorry your hormones are crazy like that.
I am really not looking forward to perimenopause and all that comes with it. Specially adding a migraine into the mix.
Sorry about your foot too. That sounds hard with the boot. So much time to put something on and off and on… Blahhh
I am pretty lucky that the migraines have only got so frequent in the last four to five years. Before that I’d have 3 to 4 a year, which would affect me for between 2-4 days.