Haunted Head

The Headache Remains

Paid very close attention this last week at the client's to see what was making the nausea so overwhelming.  Was it medication?  Was it my pancreas? Was it The Belly?  Was it The Headache?  Was it simply traveling?

I've come to the conclusion that the culprit is mainly The Headache, with a sprinkling of The Belly thrown in.  I found if I didn't walk much, and I sat very very still, I was able to manage the nausea although with some difficulty.  If I moved around, walking down corridors, standing and assisting others, then the nausea quickly (within five minutes of the activity) got much much worse. 

The pancreas when inflamed can be irritated by body movement, but this time I'm pretty sure it is The Headache.  I have had trouble with my left eye swelling and being light sensitive, pain in the left side of my face, terrible physical coldness, and congestion in the left side of my nose.  The Headache even became painful despite the occipital stimulator.  My hopes of regaining some physical activity in my life are sorta fading, as the level of activity was similar to what would send The Headache through the stratosphere of pain last year.  I am glad the pain is not nearly so bad but the other symptoms seem to not be changed at all by the stimulator.  Bummer.

I have started taking a anticholinergic medication again called methscopolamine bromide or Pamine.  It is supposed to help with stomach spasms in addition to helping with nausea and stomach acid production.  It is an older drug that my pharmacy has to special order for me, as apparently no one else in the area takes it.  It seems to be somewhat more effective for The Belly pain than any non-narcotic I have taken.  I had quit taking it last fall due to side effects, so will wait and see what the next few days bring.

I have started a new blog called Illustrating Illness.  There will be no narrative, just personal artwork/ illustrations about illness.  All pictures that are on there now are mine, but I hope that others will submit theirs for posting also.  I find that finding a way to visually express how I feel is therapeutic for me and I would love to experience how others voice their illness through art.  I have a niece that is majoring in art therapy and I am sure somewhere in her curriculae there is an explanation as to why this works for me, but I am not going to analyze the how it works, I am just happy it does work!