I found her!

September 27- The strangest thing happened this morning.  I was bending over to pick up a toy that fell under the couch.  I stand up and immediately have the most horrible migraine headache.  It came out of absolute no where!!!  All I did was bend over!  Now here is the real strange part: if i don't move or don't cough my head doesn't hurt.  The moment I turn my head even a smidge there is the pounding migraine pain.  If I cough I have to hold the back of my head because I honestly feel as though my brain will explode out of my skull.  And of course i still have that bronchial infection so I can't help but cough.  This is a bit scary.

So I ended up calling the doctor and of course I wasn't able to get in to see my own.  Story of my life.  I am at the end of my rope with this place.  I seriously am thinking of looking into a new doctor's office.  They tell me there is a new woman doctor that just started there and she is available. Well, it is either her or the guy who swore there was no way I had a sinus infection in July and sent me home with sudafed.  Sure enough, two days later I am back in sick as a dog to get a zpack finally because I was so bad.  Ugh, did I mention how much this place pisses me off?!  Ok, so I agree to see the new female GP.  I have no real choice I have to see someone.

God was really watching over me today.  He knew I needed a new doctor, but for my head pain/ chronic sinus pain- but also for my mental state. I didn't have time to waste, and he gave me Dr. D. (I am still not sure if I should use any of the doctor's real names here.  So right now I am just using their first initial.  email me if you want real referrals...)  Today I found the doctor who decided there is no way that I should live with CDH for the rest of my life.  She made it seem like even the thought of that was absurd!

Having an actual living person, let alone a doctor say this seriously made me cry.  Unless you have lived with chronic pain yourself you will not understand the feelings and emotions that washed over me that day.  And not only did she SAY these words, this is were I feel my real journey towards healing began.

What I thought was going to be a quick, give me meds, fix me up, send me home appointment, turned into a full 5 hour day of tests: CT Scan of my sinuses, X-Rays of my brain and spine, prescription for some new harsh, super strong antibiotics to clear up my sinus infection, a referral to a physical therapist to bring back movement in my neck and a shot of lanocaine in my neck to relieve the ridiculous migraine attacks stop.

And honestly the very best part of the appointment- she sat and really and truly listened to every single word I had to say.  She listened to all of my symptoms and pains from beginning to end.  She listened to my stories of migraine onset, how the birth of my children started all of this.  How I can't wash my hair upside down anymore or I get a migraine, or flip my head to dry my hair with a hairdryer.  How the change of weather and especially the humidity change or what I learned, the change in barometric pressure can send me reeling to the emergency room.  She listened to me for over and hour, like a best friend over a glass of wine.  Only there was no wine and she and I had only just met.  But already I loved her.  I felt as though I was finally 100% being taken seriously and that she not only heard me but really and truly wanted to help me.  When she said that she swore we were going to get to the bottom of it I cried.  Again.  She didn't just write me a scrip and send me on my way.  She wants to help me.  For real.

As far as what in the heck was going on with my neck, well that was a Myofascial Trigger Point flare up.  There are many, mnay trigger points all over your body. This explanation on the site Life Extension says it well:

When a physician pushes a trigger point in MFS, the trigger point elicits an involuntary "twitch" response. Additionally, the patient may report pain that radiates to an area away from the trigger point itself. This is what is considered "referred pain." The painful trigger point area is in the muscle or the junction of the muscle and fascia. Hence, myofascial pain is usually associated with a taut band, indicating a "ropey" thickening of the muscle tissue.

The fascia is a tough connective tissue that spreads throughout the body in a three-dimensional web from head to foot without interruption. The fascia surrounds every muscle, bone, nerve, blood vessel, and organ of the body, all the way down to the cellular level. Therefore, malfunction of the fascial system due to trauma, posture, or inflammation can create a "binding down" of the fascia, resulting in abnormal pressure on nerves, muscles, bones, or organs.

Much of the pain that accompanies MFS is due to inadequate blood flow to the trigger point area (ischemia) that inhibits the ability of the muscle to eliminate metabolic wastes, such as lactic acid and potassium. These accumulated metabolic byproducts combined with inadequate oxygen flow to the affected area then build up, stimulating nearby nerve endings that lead to trigger point pain.