And the Streak Has Ended...

It was a good run...over a week with no headaches. I felt one coming on the other night, but was able to stave it off. Not so much yesterday, as waking up with a headache doesn't bode well for the rest of the day. I'm sure that crying a bit at the going-away party didn't help (I still blame Jim - I knew I wouldn't be able to contain my tears if I saw his). But I had sincerely hoped that a good night's worth of sleep, which I actually got, would do the trick. No such luck, as I woke up again today feeling like I should rip off the top of my skull and squeezing my right eye shut. It just might be time to look for a second opinion...and maybe get a little more sleep.

When I had dinner with Jaimie and Haiden, we each told our rose and our thorn of the day, and I think I need to remember this habit when talking about my headaches. So, my thorn is my headache. My rose is still managing to laugh despite all of this.

Still Excited...

Six days in a row without a headache seems amazing. I could feel one coming on last night, but after lying down for a bit and relaxing for the rest of the evening, the feeling went away. I sincerely hope this is the end of it...

In more entertaining news, I looked at the EOBs on line to see how much had been billed to my insurance thus far (and no, not everything has been processed yet...). The total so far: $25,707. To think about what it costs for people with chronic medical problems is staggering. I, thus far, have been one to fly under the radar medically - I would have an occasional illness or a mole removed or what have you, but the cost was never anywhere near what my premiums were. The health insurance companies made a significant amount of money off of me for years, but I seem to be playing a bit of catch-up.

On to more fun things - I'm getting excited for Christmas. I'm not thrilled about my job prospects right now, but I'm sure something will work out as far as that goes. Fa la la la la...

Excited...

I'm trying not to get too excited, but it's after midnight, which makes this three days in a row with no headaches. There have been very quick, sharp, fleeting pains occasionally (usually when I sneeze), but since it goes away immediately, I don't count them. Here's hoping this trend continues...

The Kid

Justin, my nephew, also the best thing my brother has ever done for me, is all kinds of fantastic. I was grateful to spend time with him on Thanksgiving this year. We snuggled on the couch, watching the end of Rocky V (by far, the worst one...). Have I mentioned I'm ecstatic that he still likes to snuggle at the age of almost 11? Anyway, the movie panned to the infamous steps in Philly, which prompted Justin to say, "Oh, Auntie Carrie! I know what I keep forgetting to tell you! You know that book you got me at the Liberty Bell Museum when you went to Philadelphia last year? I read it and I really liked it." Could my heart melt any more? It was a children's history book about spies, and I knew he had been enjoying history and social studies in school. I thought it was a bit of a leap at the time, but figured it was worth a shot. It made me feel good that he read the book, of course. But that he remembered it was from Philly, and related it to seeing another representation of Philly made me realize how much he's growing up. Also great was the chat about what he wanted for Christmas. After rattling off a couple of Wii games, he mentioned he also wanted a few books. I called dibs on those - I figure I will keep feeding the book-loving side of him as long as I can...

Scoreboard

Today: No headache
I think it's day 4 or 5 since early October that I haven't had one. I look at this as significant progress given where I was. The trip to Mexico saw no significant changes to my headache pattern, which was great. I could've gone without the food poisoning, though. But I digress...

The scoreboard for this round of illness:
ER: 2
Family doctor: 2
ENT: 1
Dr. Neurosurgeon: 2
CT Scans: 2
X-ray: 1
MRI: 1 head, 3 spine
Blood word: 2 rounds
Headaches: countless
Support: immeasurable
Amount billed to insurance: tens of thousands...thankful for insurance...

Things are looking up on the health front. I'm anxious to try swimming laps soon, and look forward to seeing the results of the next MRI. Here's hoping for more progress...