Newbie w/Migraines almost daily.seizures,CFS all due to PFO

I am a 36 yr old female who has always had chronic headaches/migraines but in Oct of 07 had a total hysterectomy for Endometriosis & PCOD got a tummy tuck at the same time. Which started off more heath issues- had so many compliacations from the surgery I was like a walking medical issue. I could not go back to work until Jan. as the time progresses so did other issues I started getting almost daily migraines, headaches, so tired all the time. kidney stones, limb weakness I was a mess and seeing my normal PCP or OBGYN who did my surgery was not helping "we all have headaches", you getting older so you will have aches, They gave me pain pills and sent me on my way, they would refer me to other specialists who sent my to physical therapy (did not help) do tests but no definite answers. I ended up in the ER and they said it's a bad migraine take these go to bed. Well in March I had my first ever seizure in front of my 9 yr. old niece who called 911 I woke up with police and ambulace over me and I don't remember any of it. Another trip to the ER and this time they said; it was because I was stopping a medication or it could have been I passed out from a migraine well no answer again but it scared me and my family!! (we live in a very small town so all the drs. know each other) I went to the small medical clinic the next day you see who ever is working and has a opening well one of the drs. sent me for a MRI of the brain (Thank goodness!) well it came back abnormal but no directive more pills for my headaches. I was at a loss and losing my job since I could barely function. Waking up in the morning with brusies/bumps and not sure how I got them go again to the Dr. and nothing but anitdepressents/pain pills. My parents made me move in with them - for fear, I had another seizure this time we bypassed our small town all together and called a neurologist about 45 mins. away he got me right in and started a battery of tests that took about a month started me on zonegran, treximet, soma, fioricet. Found a PFO sent me to a Cardioligist who put on plavix since the hole is quite large. They say all my symptoms are related to the PFO and the surgery in Oct. started some embolic changes and small blood clots started passing through. Well my life now is trying to deal with migraines and headaches on a daily basis, light/noise sensitivity to eveything! being tired all the time, seizures, depression, limitations from my Drs. - lost my job, no insurance so I am applying for any program I can find to help cover perscriptions & surgery.  This month the Drs. say no work since I have stroke symptoms so often I am a high risk and already have some perm. brian injury and to top it off in our small town I guess there are pharmacy police (who knew) if you get too many perscriptions you get papers to go to court so now I have to deal with that as well. I no longer see any Drs. in my samll town just the specialists until my family cannot afford it - they are great to have to deal with all this but sometimes you have to vent to other outside what you live in day to day. I feel like have gone from a independent very social active woman to someone who just feels like she does not live in her own body any more

May god grant us all the strength to get through what we must!

Hey Migrainegrl,

I am totally with you regarding your post.  However, for ease of reading and comprehension, it would help us forum members if you could take a breathe every few sentences and start a new paragraph.  It would be a big help.

I got the part that you have a PFO.  You mentioned a surgery...did you have surgery or are you going to have one?  It is fairly well-known that having a PFO is quite common in people that suffer from migraines.  There have been clinical trials regarding closing off the PFO to end the migraine episodes.  I'm not sure if the procedure has become standard practice yet, but I do know that many people are getting those holes plugged up in the clinical trials.  I was set to participate in one myself, but I couldn't see going through the surgery and possibly getting put into the "placebo" group, having to wait a year, then having to go through the procedure again.  You said you are getting blood clots, which can cause convulsions/mini-strokes.  Taking medicaton that is a blood thinner, like plavix, should help with this condition, but if you still have blood passing through your PFO, you're migraines are likely to continue.

I also understand about too few doctors in a small town.  My hometown isn't THAT small, but everybody knows everybody in the medical field.  If you go to one doctor in a group, you can forget about getting a "second" opinion.  Colleagues back each other up around here.  I'm having to go out of town for both my back pain and my migraine problems.  Currrently, I'm starting to get help for my back at the University of VA Medical Center, and I'm going to see a migraine specialist at Duke Medical Center.  My disability insurance is covering both.

Anonymous girl - I'm a 43 yr old female, and I've lived by myself since my divorce in 2002.  My daily quality of life is severely lacking, as one or more of my medical problems keep me in pain on a daily basis.  I haven't been able to work since 2003.  I had to quit a career position in 2001 because my health was too poor I could no longer work.  Since most all of my health issues are degenerative, this is pretty much all I can expect...well, hopefully I can get better pain control at some point.  My mom fluctuates between thinking I need to be in a room at an assisted living facility to thinking I'm just making too big a deal of things and I'm just lazy.  I can't win either way.  I hope your condition improves and that you can get back to living life again.

Leigh Ann

Hey Migrainegrl,

I would love to compare medications as I also have back problems, stomach problems(as a result of my g/b), migraines, problems sleeping, anemia, bad bruising, etc...  I got rid of a hiatal hernia when I got my bypass, but I think something has gone bad in there...I have constant stomach pain now and am waiting to see the GI doc for an endoscopy.  I also have panic/anxiety disorder and moderate depression.  I basically only go out of the house for medical appointments and for club activities in my local Parrot Head Club.  My entire social life revolves around that club, and a lot of the time, I have to force myself to attend functions, but I usually feel better after I go, just for have gotten out of the house.

Let's compare notes...

Leigh Ann

BTW - what were you pre-gb/post-gb?