George

How cute is George?? Apparently I am not allowed to keep him...... :0(

Migraines

For almost a year I was blissfully migraine free.....

I have always suffered with headaches, I always say since 12 as I remember taking some paracetamol on my way to school prior to having a horrible headache in a French lesson in my first year at secondary school. As I got older they got worse and by the time I went to University I was regularly having headaches which disrupted my life. One summer holiday I went to my GP who advised that what I was describing sounded like migraines and prescribed a prophylactic medication (not sure what). When I went back to Uni my GP there took me off both the prophylactic and the contraceptive pill.

Whilst on my placement year at British Airways 2001/02) I worked out that I generally had migraines when I had eaten dairy products so went more or less dairy free - reducing the number of migraines I was having significantly.

Nothing really helped the migraines but when I had one I would generally be able to sleep them off until in 2004 suddenly nothing would help and a migraine ran into the next day and caused me to be unable to go to work (ambulance service). I went to my GP, who was very helpful and reassuring and I was prescribed sumatriptan (Imigran).

With the sumatriptan and my eventual completely dairy free diet I managed my migraines successfully until January 2007 when I had the relapse that led to my MS diagnosis in May 2007. After that things just progressed. I went from taking approximately 12 sumatriptan tablets a year to taking almost 12 in a month by 2008. Eventually I discussed the migraines with my neurologist and MS Nurse and was offered a prophylactic medication. I didn't take up the offer until things got silly in approx September 2008.

I started on topiramate and then tried amitriptyline, neither of which helped (although amitriptyline is great for sleeping!!). Propranolol was the next drug. I started on 160mg with no benefit but once I was on 320mg a day I stopped having migraines - wonderful! I had a couple over the year but it was such a relief to stop having 2 or 3 a week......

Before Christmas I had a few migraines but I put that down to overindulging, now things have continued and I have used 6 sumatriptan tablets since I picked up a new prescription mid January. It is sooo disappointing to be having migraines again especially as the migraines are more intrusive than my MS..... So the questions are - does the efficacy of propranolol as a migraine prophylactic wear off and has anything changed?

I don't seem to be able to find the answer to my first question, however my second one I considered this morning and thought of something. Up to just before Christmas I used to drink at least 1 can of coke zero a day, maybe 2, now I drink caffeine free diet coke almost exclusively and don't have any other drinks with caffeine in them. I am now going to start drinking coke zero again and see what happens - maybe stopping so suddenly caused a reaction, maybe the caffeine helps the propranolol work - I hope it'll help anyway.......

Busy busy!!

It's been a while, the time just goes doesn't it...... B and I have been up to a few bits and pieces over the last couple of weeks.

I'll start with the current house guest - and I volunteered for this....... Daisy is a long term foster cat which basically means that she permanently lives with someone but Cats Protection Reading East pick up the medical bills. Daisy's long term fosterer became ill around 3 weeks ago requiring a short stay in hospital. She has been home about a week now but caught a bug and ended up with a chest infection so we have kept Daisy whilst she recovers. When I volunteered to take Daisy it was because the CP Welfare officer was having trouble thinking of where to place her. Daisy has diabetes managed by caninsulin injections twice a day and as she also has arthritis it was felt an indoor fosterer was best. Well Daisy and I haven't got on from the start and we generally have a tantrum every injection...... Eventually I moved Daisy into the pen as the room we have is no longer particularly suitable for cats, especially one needing a regular injection.

Once in the pen Daisy started eating properly and we got into a better routine with the injections, she did however start urinating in her sleeping area and I noticed her urine smelled sweet - hyperglycaemia - I thought. So when I got an email that night (8 days after we got Daisy) advising that she also had hyperthyroidism I got onto Google and found out that the 2 conditions interact and that the untreated hyperthyroid was likely to be worsening the diabetic control...... So vets the next evening - I got mildly told off for giving Daisy an extra unit of insulin, although I think he worked out I didn't do it with absolutely no knowledge, and the urine dipstick noted the presence of pretty much anything that shouldn't be in urine - UTI and hyperglycaemia, so if the hyperthyroid wasn't buggering Daisy's sugar levels the UTI will have done.

So Daisy got an anti-biotic shot and some tablets for her thyroid. Daisy has stopped urinating unexpectedly seems to be much better in herself. We still have tantrums every injection time and now a tablet has been added to the mix. Daisy went to the vets for the weekend last weekend and was apparently very well behaved and purring - she really really doesn't like me.....

Hopefully Daisy should be going home tomorrow where she can be happy and comfortable again!

The reason for our weekend away was The National Winter Ales Festival held in Manchester 19 - 22 January. We went up by train on the Thursday evening arriving at the Premier Inn that we had booked at around 22:45 and then headed off for the Beer Festival after a Weatherspoon's breakfast on the Friday. We were there, ready and waiting for the opening and set up camp for the afternoon at a table. We ate at a Chinese restaurant called Yang Sing after the festival and then had some more drinks in the Weatherspoon's before heading back. On Saturday we mooched around Manchester, went on the Manchester wheel thing and drank more beer! We ate at a place called Swadesh Saturday night and we were both really impressed by the food - excellent meal! The train home was a bit short on working toilets but compared to driving it was a good option!

We have also been busy at home rearranging the furniture, although we really need to be busy hanging pictures and finishing off other decorating tasks - a bit useless that we haven't done so yet really!

MS wise I am now taking regular Movicol for my bowels, seems to be helping to an extent, now to try and get into a better routine. Definitely finding going a bit easier now though. I have been a bit snotty and tired the last couple of days and this morning I have woken up with a mild sore throat. Strangely enough now the cold is coming out I actually feel a bit better, but we will see how I feel later! I have a reasonably busy day today with an RLSS Branch Exec Meeting this afternoon and a concert this evening - perfect timing!

Morning....

Happy New Year to all!! I am currently sitting eating 3 day old prawn crackers and watching Jooles Holland to see in the New Year - it's quite a good way as far as I am concerned! I have booze, snacks and my hubby!!

Love to all and hope you all have a prosperous New Year!! XXX