Yes, exactly. Head pain is as real as a broken bone. That’s a perfect way of putting it.

I couldn’t agree with you more that the only place an axe should be is chopping firewood. (Have you got my shipment of seasoned wood ready yet? Have you been hand-splitting it?)

Seriously, an “axe in the head” type of pain should ideally never happen to anyone. I’m with you that once is more than enough. I’m sorry you had to experience that pain. It is a brutal type of pain, to be sure.

My day was OK. I have been “screaming” about endometriosis misinformation in the media, as per my latest blog post. Every time I think I’ve seen it all, I encounter another endometriosis misinformation “news” story that makes me want to scream! I spent a fair amount of energy today writing a blog post about the situation, writing a Letter to the Editor of the newspaper that printed the inaccurate story, posting links all over Facebook, and exchanging emails with fellow bloggers about the latest in a long, sad, maddening string of endometriosis misinformation stories in the media.

I hope your day was lovely. I’ll talk with you soon.

Jeanne

And the only place an axe should be, literally or figuratively, is chopping firewood. I’ve only had that kind of splitting headache happen once but it was excruciating, debilitating and made me lie in bed and cry. Yuck!!

Hope you have had a good day.
Jannie Funster´s last blog ..Gratitude

Yes, the “axe” pain was terrible!

I think one could argue that stress can trigger or aggravate almost ANY illness. One study I recall hearing established direct links between stress and illness in upwards of 90% of illnesses. (I would cite the study if I could remember where I heard it but it was definitely something like that). At the same time, some unenlightened doctors will chalk various illnesses up to “stress” and then do nothing to help the patient! While stress may well be a factor in these cases, ignoring the patients’ needs due to doctors not having proper training on a particular illness is clearly unfair to patients… who end up being made to feel their symptoms are simply “in their heads” (no pun intended in cases involving head pain).

The idea of anyone “bringing illness on themselves” is a very tough one for me to swallow. So very many patients suffer needless pain due to societal stigma against various illnesses, doctors who don’t understand certain illnesses (whatever they may be), and loved ones who refuse to empathize because they don’t “get it”.

I think I know what you’re trying to say but I am sensitive to wording only because so many chronic illness patients get told by their loved ones, co-workers, and doctors that they somehow “bring things on themselves” or “imagine them” or “exaggerate”.

I know that you emphasized that you were referring only to your own personal experience. I just feel the need to note that being in tune with your body and learning when to take action to try to prevent symptoms (of any illness) from escalating is HELPFUL but the notion that not taking swift enough action when such signs occur equates to “letting stress bring on” more pain sounds like self-blaming language to me.

In other words, I know you well enough to know what you mean but I want to make sure readers here understand that any failure to recognize symptoms soon enough to take action (or the simple inability to do so if in an environment where it may be impossible to take the needed action) doesn’t mean, in my mind, that the patient is somehow “to blame”.

It is great that you have the ability to recognize signs of an episode starting so that you can take the actions that help you try to prevent the pain from escalating. You are very fortunate that you are able to head off (no pun intended) such pain so effectively most of the time. Sadly, too many of my friends who experience this type of pain are not able to do so.

Also, I know that my many friends with migraines (some of whom have contended with cluster headaches in the past) are always emphatic that migraine does not equal headache. So, I know this is one of those sensitive issues where terminology matters.

I hope I never have an “axe” incident again either. I honestly hope it was a freak thing of some sort.

Guess what search string landed someone on my blog today? “Cluster headaches & perimenopause”.

I hope that this was not the beginning of a pattern. My PCP is VERY laid-back and has a very calm demeanor. So, when I perceived her take on my situation as the possible beginning of a pattern, I noted her concern with dismay. She knows my medical history backwards and forwards and the impression I got was that she’s “bracing for it”. She is NOT one to say/do things to worry a patient or get them in a tizzy at all. I am clinging to the hope that this was a freak thing.

At the same time, I am abundantly aware that her plan of attack IN CASE this recurs is there. So, all I can do is hope that I am not about to get another diagnosis added to my long list. Frankly, it’s a long enough list.

Thanks for your concern!

Jeanne

But you know, I really think my headaches, whether they be migraines or clusters, I let stress bring on me. I’m not saying anyone else’s headaches come on that way. But for me when I get the first signs–pressure, tension, the hint of pain, I try to reduce the stress immediately. Usually it works but if I don’t nip it in the bud it usually goes on to a full headache, that generally lasts 24 hours.

My headaches, tho occuring less often than they used to have never come close together or been severe enough to make me think I need to see a doctor, thankfully.

I sure hope that you don’t get another hum-dinger like that ever again, Jeanne.
Jannie Funster´s last blog ..Gratitude

Yes, the figurative “axe” got my attention alright. Thankfully I have a top-notch primary care physician and I was already scheduled for a regular follow-up appointment with her for right after this happened. So, that was perfect timing. She really stays on top of things and she’s well aware that I already have multiple chronic illnesses to contend with… So, she knows that we need to be proactive and, as you put it, watchful.

Yes, I do try my best to take care of myself. When I was younger and, shall we say, “less wise” I was more likely to push through and ignore/disregard red flags that I didn’t want to see. After all, I didn’t want anything slowing down my breakneck pace! I learned the hard way, though, that it is really important to pay attention to symptoms since they are (quite literally) signs to be monitored and managed (or prevented when at all possible).

I’ve learned that managing symptoms is generally easier if they are addressed early on rather than waiting until they have escalated further. Having been chronically ill since I was 13 years old, I strive to keep as positive an attitude as possible. It is definitely better for me and for my family if I can avoid throwing myself pity parties. I think pretty much anyone who is chronically ill inevitably has some moments where they think, “why me?” if they are being honest with themselves. However, frequent pity parties can be a dangerous habit. I try not to go to that place. I don’t find it productive and I’d rather throw my energy into things/causes I believe in.

When it comes to medical problems, trying to avoid them generally does not provide positive results. I have watched people try to ignore their health problems and the end result of doing so is generally not good! Making the transition from my 20-something self (pushing myself too hard, not knowing my body’s limits, not setting boundaries/taking on too much…) to my 41 year old self (trying to pace myself – not that I always succeed, recognizing and respecting my body’s limits/accepting those limits, learning to say no to people/learning not to do more than my body can handle) has been quite a transition for me! It can be hard work making this paradigm shift. My work is far from done but I have learned the importance of listening to my body.

Some of this comes with age, some (in my case) was learned in the 16 years I attended monthly endometriosis support group meetings (there is SO much to be learned from fellow patients!), some of it I have learned from various health care practitioners, some of it I have learned from fellow patients outside of support groups (both online and in real life), and some of it I have learned “on my own” (i.e. from books, doing my own medical research, etc).

I don’t pretend for a nanosecond to have a corner on the market with this stuff. I do know, though, that I have learned a lot from where I was at in my 20s and not giving my body the respect it deserved (not getting enough sleep, working 80+ hour weeks despite being chronic ill, not setting appropriate boundaries/limits, taking on too much). My habits now are far from perfect but I definitely treat my body with a lot more respect than I used to. Having lived with multiple chronic illnesses for so many years (27 years for endometriosis alone) and having had a few scary times over the years (“health scares”, including issues that were potentially life-threatening), I have gotten to the point where if something happens that strikes me as my body screaming for attention, I listen!

While I have not been headache-free, my head is doing much better now than it was. So, I am very grateful! I have not had any more “axe incidents” and I’m hoping it was a freak, one-time thing. At the same time, it’s nice to know that I have a doctor who is proactive, on top of things, and ready to implement a treatment plan if this type of thing recurs. It’s also very touching that so many people online are so empathetic as I “travel” on my interesting medical journey and I only hope I can be equally supportive to all of them. (I certainly try my best). I know you have your own chronic health issues and I have the utmost empathy for you! Thank you for your kind words and support!

Jeanne

I hope your headaches stop soon!
Pooba´s last blog ..Suck Face

Thank you.

Jeanne

stay upbeat,
be unbeatable,
jingle´s last blog ..Bake Me A Pie (Hot Summer Haiku #10-#20)

Gyan had mentioned to me recently that there are something like 155 types of headaches and my PCP was talking about a “headache spectrum”. I guess headaches and migraines can get very complicated. Yes, I was wishing to myself the other day that my CPAP was pressurized oxygen. I’ve made it 6 nights with the newest version of CPAP headgear. I swear we’re on version 89 at this point. Soon I will know if this time will be the charm. When I had seen a pulmonary specialist (who the cardiologist referred me to when a flunked the echo-stress test), he had emphasized that treating my sleep apnea could help ALL of my many illnesses. So, I want very, very much for it to work! It can’t be helping things that I stop breathing throughout the night (with brief exceptions for when I try CPAP again, like currently, and then it fails me again). I really hope this time will be the trick. It doesn’t mean it will prevent whatever happened (cluster headache or migraine) from recurring. However, it certainly will help my overall health if I can just get going on consistent CPAP therapy. The lack of oxygen on the nights between CPAP headgear trials can’t be good for my health. I so hope it works this time!

Jeanne