ER NIGHTMARE AGAIN!!!

Hey Mandy,

Thanks for your support!!!    It's good to share our problems with people that understand.  I'm 41, divorced (ex-husband had Aspberger's Syndrome - made me nuts), and I'm living back in my hometown.  I moved from owning a four bedroom house to renting a two bedroom townhouse.  I have so much Christmas stuff to put up and no place to put it.  I even swiped my Ex's vintage silver aluminum tree and have no place to set it up.  Really bums me out.  Of course, that lunkhead probably hasn't even realized it's gone, and we've been divorced for five years.  DUH!!! 

I can't work due to chronic migraine attacks, a bad back, bad knees, serious TMJ, and long-term depression, panic and anxiety disorder.  Needless to say, I'm on Long Term Disability.  I had no problems with Social Security, and was approved on the first try.  I snowed them with medical documentation.

I first got migraine attacks when I was about eight, but they weren't officially diagnosed until I was thirteen.  Luckily, my doctor is still in practice, and still had my records back to 1978.  Neither of my parents or my sister have migraines, but my maternal grandfather and my paternal grandmother both had migraines, so its in the genes.  I've been through every medication known to mankind, preventatives, abortives, and emergency/breakthrough medications.  Some have worked for a while, then stopped, some never worked at all, and some made me violently ill.  It got to the point that only narcotic mediations would abort or stop my pain. 

Around these parts, very few doctors are willing to prescribe narcotics for this type of problem.  My current doctors quit prescribing my meds, cold turkey, and instead of being referred to a "pain clinic" like I was told, it turned out to be a "detox facility".  By the time the detox place got my records, I was already detoxed the hard way and the head physician refused to return my calls anymore.

Now I am waiting to see a Neurologist, specializing in Migraines, at the University of Virginia Medical Center.  The earliest referral appointment was March 7th.  Hope I make it that long.

In the meantime, I'll just hang out here with my three cats, Spike(F) 4yrs old, Jinx(M) 1yr old, and my new baby, Xander(F) who is only about 4mths old.  I just adopted Xander from a shelter, but couldn't pick him up until the next day.  He got an eye infection overnight, so I've been treating it for three weeks now.  Xander started sneezing so I took him to the vet, and had passed the virus onto Jinx, who was sneezing too.  When my Dad found out about the baby kitty, he insisted I take it back, saying I didn't need another cat.  I told him I couldn't then or he would be put to sleep, instead of making the other cats sick.  That bought me enough time to bond, and a good reason not to take him back.  OH, well, off topic.

Well, I've run on at the mouth again.  Let me know if you have anymore questions.

THANKS,

Leigh Ann

Hey Mandalynn210,

Things aren't quite so bad with my migraines.  I've been having horrible TMJ and had been going to a really bad dentist.  My teeth basically disintegrated while I was on Depakote, due to dry mouth.  Nobody bothered to warn me of the consequences of dry mouth.

Anyway, after a year of getting nowhere and $4000 gone, I finally got a recommendation from a family friend.  He hooked me up with his best friend who is a fantastic dentist.  He did a thorough exam, with x-rays, and basically said almost all my teeth needed work. My new dentist, DR. Howard, said he would do all the work in four visits.  I'm halfway through, my TMJ is better since Dr. Howard doesn't use a clamp to keep your jaw open the whole time.  I think the TMJ was a big trigger for my migraines, so I haven't had as many.  So far I have had three molars pulled, and all got dry sockets...two last week.  I had to call him at home Christmas Eve for some pain meds, and he volunteered to meet me Christmas Day at the office to pack the sockets with medication.  I told him I wouldn't mess up his Christmas, so we did it the next day.  Needless to say, I didn't get to enjoy most of the Christmas goodies or dinner. Bummer.  I see him again tomorrow for packing the sockets again.  I don't go back for more treatment for a month to let my TMJ settle down.  Geez, I just love this guy!

As my kitties go, my new baby, Xander is solid black and a wild child.  When I picked him up, he was sick.  He also got my middle kitty, JINX, sick, so I had to keep Xander quaranteened.  Well, this morning he go the all clear, and will get his front paws declawed on 1/4/07.  I can't wait because I'm really allergic to his nail scratches.  It was such a trip when he got out because he now rules the roost.  He flies all over the house, wrestles with JINX, and shows no feed of my big cat Spike.  I can tell he's going to be fun but a handful, but there's no way I can take him back now.  Too attached.  Now, I have to break the news to my parents who are going to have a fit.  My dad knows about him, but keeps making comments about taking him back.  No can do, need my new baby.

Let me know how you are doing,

Leigh Ann