Book Review: Balancing Pregnancy with Pre-Existing Diabetes

Cheryl Aikon's book Balancing Pregnancy with Pre-Existing Diabetes is a god send. It's relatively easy to find books an advice about managing gestational diabetes, but there is a serious lack of information about how to prepare for and manage a pregnancy when you already have diabetes. After all, if you already know you have diabetes, there are many things you can and should be doing before you even try to conceive to protect your health and grow a healthy baby.

Balancing Pregnancy with Pre-Existing Diabetes: Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby

Since I not only have to balance pregnancy with migraines, depression, etc., but also balance it with type 2 diabetes, I was elated to come across a resource for women who are trying to conceive despite their diabetes. I was pleased to find this book to be an intelligent, reassuring resource.

So many of the resources available take an alarmist tone that may make women with pre-existing diabetes feel as though there is no safe way for them to be pregnant or give birth to a healthy baby. This is simply not the case. If you are educated and committed to good glucose control, both you and your baby can come through pregnancy completely healthy.

For me the prevailing message was that as a pregnant women with diabetes you must always be flexible and willing to work hard to adapt to the way your body changes as a result of pregnancy. For many of us we know exactly what to do to maintain or move toward good glucose control in our regular lives. But pregnancy changes all of that, and it can be a very unpredictable, frustrating experience. I now feel I better know what to expect from pregnancy and have prepared myself mentally for the reality that it's going to be even more work than I ever realized. But I know it will be well worth it.


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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Status Migraine: What You Should Know About a Migraine Lasting More Than 72 Hours

Although for most people migraine attacks are not life threatening, a migraine lasting longer than 72 hours can be dangerous and constitutes an emergency. This condition is known as Status Migrainosus (or Status Migraine or Status Migrainous) and has been known to lead to stroke in some rare instances.

Status Migrainosus is defined in the International Headache Society classification system as "a debilitating migraine attack lasting longer than 72 hours." It must meet the following diagnostic criteria:

A. The patient's current attack is typical of previous migraine attacks except for the duration.

B. The attack both:
1. Lasts for more than 72 hours and
2. Is of severe intensity.

C. The attack is not attributable to another disorder.

For patients dealing with Status Migrainosus, even if they have treatment medications that typically abort their attacks, they find their medications either ineffective or unable to completely end the attack. A doctor who knows how to treat Status Migrainosus will typically give you any of a variety of medications by IV, such as DHE, magnesium, Benedryl, Depakote, lidocaine, an antinausea medication like Reglan or Phenergan and/or Ketolorac. They should also make sure you're properly hydrated. If you can keep water down, you need to be drinking as much as you can. If you can't keep anything down, they should give you IV fluids.

Sources:
IHS Classification ICHD-II: Status Migrainosus
Case Studies: Status Migrainosus
Status Migrainous
American Heart Association: TIA
Migraines: Myth vs. Reality


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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Announcing June Headache & Migraine Blog Carnival

The theme of the June 2011 Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival will be "Your favorite post of the month". Any topic related to migraine disease or other headache disorders is welcome.

Entries are due by midnight (the end of the day) on Friday, June 10, 2011. The carnival will be published right here at Somebody Heal Me on Monday, June 13, 2011.

Feel free to post comments or contact me directly to ask any questions you might have. Please spread the word to any migraine or headache, pain or chronic illness bloggers you know and consider posting an announcement on your own blog if you have one.

For more information about the carnival please visit the main carnival page: Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival. 

Thank you for your continued support of the Headache and Migraine Disease Blog Carnival!


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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Dr. Krusz's Clinic

As many of my long time readers already know, I see a migraine specialist named Dr. John Claude Krusz in Dallas, TX, in addition to my local team of doctors. It can be incredibly difficult to find a true migraine expert / specialist in your area, which leads many people to consider taking the same step of visiting an out of state clinic like Dr. Krusz's Anodyne Headache & Paincare. If you're considering being treated by Dr. Krusz please read on for more information about what to expect and logistical details.

This post gives a pretty detailed description of what my first visit was like: Real Migraine & Pain Care: My Dallas Trip.

There is nearby, affordable lodging. In case you have to fly in and don't want to rent a car both hotels they recommend have shuttles to take you back and forth to the Dallas clinic. You just have to ask. These are the two hotels:

La Quinta Inn - 10001 North Central Expressway, Dallas, TX 75231
Courtyard - 10325 North Central Expressway, Dallas, TX 75231

I personally prefer to stay at the nearby Hyatt Place (12411 N Central Expressway Dallas, TX 75243), as does my mom. It's nicely updated, roomy, has food & drinks on site, free breakfast and free wifi. It's only a bit farther from the clinic than the hotels they recommend, and it's worth it to us.

There are actually two clinic locations now, though, so if you end up being seen at the Grapevine clinic instead of the Dallas clinic you'll have to call and ask them for hotel recommendations closer to that location. I've never been to the Grapevine location, so I don't know much about it or the area.

They'll likely ask you to pay a portion of the cost of your treatment up front, but in my experience paying over time is allowed. The office manager Ann will be glad to talk to you more specifically about that (by phone or in person). And they will bill your insurance so perhaps you may be reimbursed depending on your coverage.

Their website has additional information, so you might want to take a look at that: Anodyne Headache & Paincare.

Feel free to fire away with any other questions you might have. I'm very happy to help.

Related Posts:
Real Migraine & Pain Care: My Dallas Trip
New Migraine Prevention Strategy: Update on My Dallas Trip
Constant Head Pain: Accepting My New Reality
A Month of Migraines: Medical Appointments in the Works
The Let Down of Not Having Answers
Migraines, Meet Your New Enemies


Subscribe to the Somebody Heal Me feed: Subscribe in a reader or subscribe by e-mail. Follow me on Twitter @somebodyhealme. 

Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Support Migraine Research with the Migraine Research Foundation Sweepstakes

The Migraine Research Foundation is once again holding its sweepstakes to raise money for migraine research. As migraineurs and/or those whose loved ones live with migraine disease, we're all looking for ways to support migraine-related research and the search for a cure or at least better treatments. This online sweepstakes is an easy, affordable way to lend your support.

Starting today, for just $10 or $25 a ticket, depending on the prize, you will receive a chance to win a fantastic, valuable prize. The money you spend on tickets is tax deductible. Even better, since the Migraine Research Foundation's administrative costs are completely underwritten, 100% of every ticket you buy in this sweepstakes and 100% of every bit of money you donate to the Migraine Research Foundation generally goes directly to migraine research.

The contest ends Thursday, June 9, 2011. For more information and to buy tickets to enter the sweepstakes, visit: Migraine Research Foundation 2011 Online Sweepstakes.


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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

WHO Calls for Changes in Medical Education on Headache Disorders

Despite the fact that headache disorders burden an extraordinary number of people across the world, an average of four hours is dedicated to all headache disorders in formal undergraduate medical education and 10 hours in specialty education. Given this reality it's no wonder headache disorders are underdiagnosed, undertreated and minimized. How should the focus of medical education change to better address the worldwide burden of headache disorders?

The World Health Organization in it's recent Atlas of Headache Disorders and Resources in the World 2011 says education is the single most important factor in improving headache and migraine care. They suggest there is a need for more education at all levels that addresses how to diagnose and treat the most burdensome headache disorders.

Only about 40% of people worldwide with migraine and tension-type headache have been professionally diagnosed. Just 56% of physicians are using the International Headache Society Classification criteria for establishing the diagnoses that are being made. Instruments that assess the burden of headache disorders, such as MIDAS (the Migraine Disability Assessment Test), which is used for assessing migraine burden, are only being used in 24% of responding countries and very, very infrequently in low and lower-middle income countries.

Although headache disorder organizations for professionals are active in holding conferences, promoting awareness and helping set guidelines for the management of migraine and other headache disorders, they are rarely involved in determining the content to be included in medical education. Incorporating their input would be a natural way to improve current education about headache disorders among medical professionals.

Considering the extraordinary personal and economic burden of headache disorders there must be a shift that places more emphasis on headache disorders as a higher priority for medical education that what's currently allocated.

Sources:
World Health Organization Atlas of Headache Disorders & Resources in the World 2011


Subscribe to the Somebody Heal Me feed: Subscribe in a reader or subscribe by e-mail. Follow me on Twitter @somebodyhealme. 

Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

A Lifetime of Anxiety: Mental Health Month Blog Party

As long as I can remember I've had anxiety. As a child I worried about a lot of things and my tendency to fret became worse as I grew into young adulthood. It was everything from a noise in my car to needing approval from my parents about everything to wondering how in the world I'd ever have the life I'd dreamed of. It was only when I finally had to stop working (my worst fear coming true) that I finally knew I had to find a way to cope with my anxiety and take away its power over me.

Part of what helped me get better was learning that my worries aren't truth or facts. They are just stories my brain tells me out of a bad habit of obsessing over all the "what ifs" about the future. I don't have to listen, and you don't have to, either.

This isn't to say that I don't worry sometimes, though. My stomach is in knots right now because I have to go back to pain management tomorrow and find out what's going to happen now that the pharmacy I've been using decided they know better than the pain management specialists how much pain medication is appropriate for me. It's a long story, but you can imagine how riddled with emotion this situation has been. I feel guilty about needing pain medication and needing so much of it because I have such a high tolerance after all these years. The pharmacist also insinuated to me on the phone that I have an addiction, which makes me angry and sad. No one deserves to be treated that way.

But at least I have some better skills for coping with the worries that still crop up. I'm struggling, but I'm not going to let any of these worries keep me down.

This post is part of the 2011 Mental Health Month Blog Party. If you're a Twitter user, search for the hashtag #mhblogday to find related posts from other writers. You'll likely find a number of them today as other bloggers participate in the American Psychological Association's Mental Health Month Blog Party (@APAHelpCenter on Twitter).


Related Posts:
Challenging Stigma: Mental Health Month Blog Party
Mental Health Month: The Depression & Migraine Connection
News: Migraine Disease & Mental Illness



Subscribe to the Somebody Heal Me feed: Subscribe in a reader or subscribe by e-mail. Follow me on Twitter @somebodyhealme. 

Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Migraine Medications 101: Nausea & Vomiting

Although pain is the most commonly recognized symptom of migraine, nausea and vomiting are nearly as common, but often misunderstood.

Some people think the reason they experience nausea and vomiting is because of the intensity of the migraine attack. This is actually not the case. Nausea and vomiting are part of the migraine attack itself and can be experienced in the absence of pain. To learn more about these symptoms and something called gastric stasis, visit this post: Why Are Pills Hard for Migraineurs to Use?

There are many home remedies that help people, such as peppermints, ginger candies, ginger ale and teas that can help relieve nausea. If these options aren't doing the trick, there are medications to consider.

• OTC Antiemetics - Antiemetics are medications that treat nausea, vomiting and upset stomach. Pepto Bismal and Kaopectate are two examples.

• OTC Antihistamines (over the counter) - Antihistamines, such as Benedryl and Dramamine, dull nausea and vomiting by dulling the inner ear's ability to sense motion.

• Prescription Antiemetics - In addition to OTC antiemetics like Pepto Bismal, there are prescription medications for the treatment of nausea and vomiting. Examples include Zofran, Phenergan and Reglan. These medications are generally safe, but you should know they are sometimes associated with a condition called tardive dyskinesia. You can learn more about that here: National Institutes of Health Tardive Dyskinesia Information Page.

• Marijuana - In a few states doctors can prescribe marijuana to patients. Some people who are able to use it find that marijuana consumption helps greatly with their nausea.

Always check with your doctor before taking a new medication.

How do you cope with migraine-related nausea and vomiting?

Sources:
Antiemetic Medicines: OTC Relief for Nausea and Vomiting
Nausea Drugs for Migraines and Headaches


Subscribe to the Somebody Heal Me feed: Subscribe in a reader or subscribe by e-mail. Follow me on Twitter @somebodyhealme. 

Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Critique of KMBC News Segment on Migraine

Last night during The Oprah Winfrey Show I saw a teaser for a news segment about a plastic surgery treatment for chronic migraine patients. Unfortunately the people working on the promos didn't seem nearly as knowledgeable about migraine disease as the reporter who worked on the piece itself, Maria Antonia. What follows is the email I sent them about their coverage:

I saw your segment on a procedure that prevents migraine attacks at 10 pm last night, and I have some constructive criticism to pass along. As someone who has lived with migraine disease most of my life and who has had chronic intractable migraine for eight years, educating people about migraine disease is a passion. I write about migraine-related issues and work as a patient advocate to educate patients and their families and help them get the services they need. When I come across information that seems to slightly misstate certain facts about migraine disease I feel a great responsibility to reach out. It's not the story itself that I feel was inaccurate. I was actually very pleased with Maria Antonia's choice of wording throughout her report. Rather, it was the promo at 5 pm that bothered me.

Migraine disease is a multifaceted neurological condition. It is much, much more than a headache. The terms "headache" and "migraine" are not interchangeable. Headache pain is but one symptom of a migraine attack. Most people also experience nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, sound & smell, and neck pain. Furthermore some people experience migraine attacks with no pain involved.

I'm sure everyone there wants to be as accurate as possible in their work, so my message isn't meant to be rude or disrespectful. I hope in the future when you cover migraine-related topics you will keep these thoughts in mind, and please pass my kudos along to Maria. Thank you for your time.

You can see the video of Maria's excellent report here: Plastic Surgery Can Help Stop Migraines.


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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Migraines, Meet Your New Enemies

With each day it seems like a new thing happens with my personal health situation that goes on the list of things to update you about. I'm finally sitting down to write about all of it. To make it easier for all of us I'm going to use bullets to give you the highlights.

April:

• I had an appointment with my local neurologist, Dr. C. He did a general neuro exam because I had a scary incident of falling and fainting. We talked about trying botox again, and I requested a referral for pain medication management. Things ended on a positive, hopeful note.

• My mom and I went to Dallas for two days so I could get treatment from Dr. Krusz, my migraine specialist. I received IV treatment (ketamine and magnesium) and we developed a new preventive strategy to try.

• I started taking a SNRI medication called Savella for migraine prevention. I'm slowly working up to a therapeutic dose, so it's way too soon to know anything other than that I'm tolerating it well.

May:

• My primary care physician Dr. M has been prescribing my pain meds for years. When I've seen pain specialists in the past they've focused on doing procedures on me, and when those didn't work they were not willing to work with me on medication management. My local neuro referred me to the local pain management clinic, where I've been meeting with their physician assistant about my pain medication and devising a plan to give me better pain control. I really like her. She's a great listener and willing to respect what I've learned about what does and does not work well for me. I'm very grateful I've finally found my way into her office.

• Dr. C. did Botox on my head and neck for the third time last week. He used more of the medication this time and injected in slightly different places. Despite feeling a bit faint after the injections, it went well and I felt better after a few minutes.

We'll just keep plugging along and take things as they come. Hopefully one of these new things will make a significant difference.


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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Self Care: May 2011 Headache & Migraine Blog Carnival

Welcome to the May 2011 Headache and Migraine Disease Blog Carnival

The Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival has been created to provide both headache patients and people who blog about headaches with opportunities to share ideas on topics of particular interest and importance to us.

The theme of the May carnival is "Unstuck: How do you get yourself out of a self-care rut?"

Katharine Hope shared Strut Through the Rut at Healing My Migraines.

Migrainista shared A Bit on Self-Care at Migrainista.

Emily shared Assessing My Well-Being at No Extended Warranty.

Sharon Sherman shared Acupuncture in the Treatment of Headaches at the Empirical Point Blog.

Kathy shared Preventing Pills at TMJD and Me.

James Cottrill shared Is Migraine a Symptom of Fibromyalgia? at Headache and Migraine News Blog.

Thank you for all your great posts! 

Submit your blog post to the June 2011 edition of the Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival using our carnival submission form or by sending your submissions to me by email. (Unfortunately some of us have had problems with the submission form on the site from time to time. If you do please just send your post to me by email. I apologize in advance for any inconvenience.) The theme will be "Your favorite post of the month." Submissions are due by midnight (the end of the day) on Friday, June 10. The June carnival will be published here at Somebody Heal Me on Monday, June 13.


Subscribe to the Somebody Heal Me feed: Subscribe in a reader or subscribe by e-mail. Follow me on Twitter @somebodyhealme. 

Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Last Call: May 2011 Headache & Migraine Blog Carnival

Please don't forget tomorrow is the deadline for submissions to the May 2011 Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival. Our theme for May is "Unstuck: How do you get yourself out of a self-care rut?" (If you're feeling fuzzy about what the heck self care is, check out this article from Psychology Today: Self-Care in a Toxic World.)

Submit your blog article using our carnival submission form or by emailing your submissions directly to me.


Entries are due by midnight (the end of the day) tomorrow, Friday, May 6, and the carnival will be posted right here at Somebody Heal Me on Monday, May 9.

Please let me know if you are interested in hosting a future edition. Contact me any time with questions, suggestions or ideas for themes. I'm always looking for help with the carnival. Don't hesitate to post a comment or email me with questions.

Subscribe to the Somebody Heal Me feed: Subscribe in a reader or subscribe by e-mail. Follow me on Twitter @somebodyhealme. 

Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

SootheAway: Advanced Cold & Heat Therapy for Migraine, Chronic Pain

I can't quite recall when I first learned about the Sootheaway Thermal Therapy System, but I've known about it for a while now. Like many other migraineurs I rely heavily on cold packs to cope with my migraine attacks. It truly makes a world of difference, and I'm always looking for new and better tools. Although it's a bit pricey, I finally decided it's time to try the SootheAway system.

The SootheAway system provides continuous hot or cold therapy through an electric-powered unit and targeted heating/cooling pads. Water flows through the unit and into the pads at a steady temperature.

I ordered the front and side pad and the occipital pad to start, as I know these regions are where I most frequently need cold or ice packs.

The SootheAway website is packed with information about the product, including a demo video, photos and suggested uses. They also provide a packet of information you can download in PDF form to seek insurance pre-approval or post-purchase reimbursement through your doctor. You should be able to find answers to all of your questions there.

If you're considering making this purchase, there is a $100 discount available on the unit through Migraine.com. Just use code MIGRCOM before May 6, 2011. You can order online or by phone.

I'm excited to get mine and try it out. I'll certainly provide a review and let you all know how it works out.



Subscribe to the Somebody Heal Me feed: Subscribe in a reader or subscribe by e-mail. Follow me on Twitter @somebodyhealme.

Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.