It's Not just in my Head!

All my life, or since I was a teenager I've had headaches.  No one could explain them. I had one male doctor (who was an a$$), who had the gall to tell me I was a mere woman and it was just a female thing.  His answer obviously was unsatisfactory!  I reported him to the local medical board.

Each doctor labeled it as stressed induced migraines, or just migraines.  'You need to have less stress in your life.' 'Work a job with less stress.' Have been common refrains that I have heard.

First of all.  I'm single.  I am the sole bread winner.  If I don't work, there is nobody to put food on my table or kibble in my dog's bowl.  Who are they to tell me to work a less stressful job?  Who are they to tell me to relax?  When they, the doctor's, are clearly not following their own advice?  (Have you seen a doctor after a full day of appointments in an HMO practice?)

I'm not saying that there is not a grain of truth in what they are saying.  Managing my stress is important.  But telling someone to turn their back on their livelihood is just plain irresponsible.

Back to my original topic, my headaches.

I've lived with these headaches for a good portion of my life. It hasn't been easy.  The Topamax really hasn't done much, at least that I can tell.  Imitrex does nothing, the only thing that dulls it is midrin during the day and firocet with codiene at night when it is really bad.  And I'm really careful about taking it.

As I'm researching lupus, I'm finding that headaches seem to be part and parcel of this new reality I find myself in.  So, I it makes me wonder if I have been dealing with this disease a lot longer than I ever thought.

The headaches are part of the package, I'll do what I've always done. I'll carry on.  I'm working on managing my time, stress and work loads. I'm saying 'no' more often, and not making excuses about it.  I'm resting when I need to.  I've lived with the headaches this long, I can continue to do so.

The label of Lupus is just that. Thing haven't changed really.  It's been two weeks since I've started the Plaquenil and I'm not noticing a lot of difference.  Just the vicious over all body ache of last summer seems to have abated.  Now its back to the headaches and the new and improved joint pain.

Education is the key to the management of this new twist in my life.