I'm Just Blog Machine...

I didn't write about this yesterday because I was so happy to not be in pain that I didn't want to relive it. I still don't. But I would feel ungrateful if I didn't mention the nice staff I encountered at the hospital.

I have gone to the ER twice since I have been here in this town I now live in. The first time was for dehydration because I had been throwing up for a week (bonus - I lost 10lbs). Steph came with me and we had to wait for three hours in the waiting area. Another guy from my ward was there with a busted face (from a ward activity, no less) and he got called back at the same time as I did. We were there for another three hours and I got to explain my symptoms to two nurses, and two doctors. One of those doctors needed me to explain it to him twice. Which is fine. I understand that ER's are full of patients and I was not the worst off by any stretch. What really made it awful was how RUDE they all were. I am sorry I am annoying you with my illness. Maybe you should have gone into Library Sciences, you wouldn't have to deal with as many sick people that way. I vowed to never return.

Alas, my vows are somewhat worthless in the face of pain.

All this past weekend I felt funky and tired. I thought I might have the flu-ish-ness that has been lingering in our home. So I slept. I still felt junky on Sunday and I had a migraine blossoming so I stayed home and rested. I didn't really sleep... I don't generally sleep very easily... but I stayed in bed and read and tried to pay attention to my pain and triggers to keep myself from going to the dark side. I felt I had accomplished this and fell asleep that night without a care.

Until I woke up at 4am.

Searing pain would be a pleasure cruise next to being woken up by a migraine. If you get them then you know how they rip you out of sleep. You are in agony and more than a little confused. For those of you who don't get them let me put it into perspective. I often stare at walls when I am in the middle of a migraine, not because the blank space is soothing (nothing is soothing) but because I am trying to determine if I can gain enough velocity to propel myself head first into said wall in order to knock myself out. And it's not the fear of death or a concussion that stops me. It's the fear that I won't hit that smooth surface hard enough and I will only add to the horror that is now the space above my neck.

Basically, I lost my will to boycott the ER.

This trip was a complete 180! We went earlier in the morning and no one else was there. We got a room automatically. The nurses I dealt with were chipper and kind. And talkative, which isn't a bad thing but it's not really something a migraine sufferer is looking for. Dr. Boyles was quick and concise and he got me my "headache cocktail" right away. It was so wonderful to not feel judged. I hate that I get sick so often and I hate going to the hospital. I only go when I really feel hopeless. Having kind nurses and doctors makes all the difference. He even made sure I had an excuse note for work so that I could sleep. I was hoping I would make it to work since I wasn't scheduled until noon but I ended up sleeping from 9am - 3:30pm.

I guess you can sleep a long while without a migraine wake-up call.