Oh October....

Hi...

A very exciting migraine update, I have not had a migraine since the August disasters!!!  This is soooo huge for me.

The Utah Football team has stopped giving me ulcers and started giving me reasons to cheer-the last three games we have won and have scored at least 40 points.  Go UTES!

It wouldn't be a monthly update without a Red Butte Garden mention, so here it is, I volunteered a couple of times at Garden after Dark this month.  It had such a cute and informational theme this year, visitors attended Oak Lore Academy (it was a twist on Harry Potter, but without all of the licensing issues).  They attended classes such as Wand Theory (where they got a wand), Potions, Magical Creatures (where in the Herb and Fragrance gardens, the staff had made creatures and as a really cool addition, HawkWatch was there with birds.  I saw a really cute small owl and a Merlin) and finally (and how could there not be at a Conservation garden) Botany.  Our villain for the evening was Myrtle Spurge, a noxious witch and ever so conveniently an invasive weed that is attacking the Wasatch front.  This is such a popular event and every year it just seems to get better.

Now it's time for you to have your eye roll or face palm moment and say Oh, Melissa......during October, I went on a massive cooking and planning binge.  The result 16 freezer crockpot meals are hanging out in my freezer ready to go, along with 6 mini lasagnas, taquitos, and breakfast burritos.  Needless to say my freezer is full, but on days that are crazy or nights that I don't feel like cooking I have a healthy home cooked meal ready to roll.........

Next moment, thanks to Pinterest (I know, I know, I need an intervention) I taught myself a new knitting technique.  It's called Intarsia and basically it's multi colored knitting.  It is the most basic of multi colored knitting but hey I can do it now....and it wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be.  I wish I had done it sooner....

Speaking of knitting, I dropped off the animals, monsters and other assorted creatures that my Mom and I have been knitting throughout the year to the Utah Highway Patrol for their Teddy Bear program.  They were overrunning the place so we decided not to wait until December.

A bit of sad news....last night I only had 15-20 Trick or Treaters, but they all loved the Play Doh they got.  I was a bit nervous to switch it up, but last year I had soooooooooo much leftover candy that I wanted to do something different.  Enter the Play Doh and this year my leftovers will be going to Toys for Tots in a couple of weeks instead of my hips.  :)  Win Win....

A few random items before I go.... CenterPointe Theater knocked it out of the park with their production of Ragtime!  Bacall continues to amaze and spread joy.  Meeko is actually visiting people who stop by and not hiding.  If you are looking for a book to read, try "The House on Mango Street' by Sandra Cisneros.  It's a short, about 100 pages, coming of age novel of little vignettes.  I have no idea how I have missed it until now.    One last plea, Now that it's November, please vote......

I hope all is well...
Melissa

latest page in my art journal....

See ya, September!

Another month has come and gone in a blink of an eye......

The weather has finally started to feel like fall, WAHOOOOOOO!!  It was a hot, DRY, DRY summer!

The Red Butte Concert season came to a close on the 17th with Billy Idol, but before him, Trombone Shorty (if you know nothing about him, google him immediately!!!) and O.A.R with Matt Nathanson (my new musical crush, he's adorable on stage and I love his music).  I'm always conflicted about the end of the season, I am happy for the crazy busy part to be over but at the same time, I always miss the music!

A migraine update, I got botox and a new medication for when one hits, and I have not had one since the changes!!!!  It feels like a minor miracle after all of the ones I had in a row.  I was slightly disappointed and teased my doctor that my botox would make me look younger, but the dosage and locations of my migraine botox does nothing for the cosmetic side.  ;)

I also had an eye exam and am officially blind as a bat and without the sonar capabilities.  I am getting used to my new prescription.  Let's just say, if they ever change that big E on the eye chart, I am in big trouble.  The good news, my vision is completely fixable with glasses or contacts to the point of 20/15.

If you went to Pioneer Memorial Theatre during the run of 'Oslo', you will know why I am about to rave about this play, and if you didn't, or don't live in the area, if you see it being performed in your area, GO!!!!!!!  Do not be discourage by its running length-almost 3 hours-the time flies and the subject matter is engrossing.  I don't want to give too much away but 'Oslo' is a Tony winning drama play and based on a real life event......

The Broadway Across America, SLC schedule, kicked in on the 30th for me with 'Waitress'.  There was a musical number that may of been one of the funniest scenes I have ever witnessed on stage.  I was crying I was laughing so hard.  People ask me all the time why I put the money into my season tickets and this show summed it up completely, I would of seen it advertised and maybe purchased tickets, but probably would of forgotten and I would of ended up missing it.  My season tickets get me to shows that I would probably miss and some that I would of never purchased tickets for, and do you want to hear something really interesting, some of my favorite shows are the ones that I would of never gotten tickets for without my season tickets.....

Bacall is massively cheering the cooler temps!  She still goes on walks, very, very slow walks, but walks nonetheless.  She is such a happy soul.....  Meeko has been in a very sociable mood lately, so if you stop by, you might actually see her....

The UofU football team is going to give me an ulcer this year.  The game against Washington State about drove me over the edge....  I'm still a fan, I will always be a fan, but good grief.

I hope September was a good month for you!
Melissa

my art for the month, a koala I knitted...

August......

I feel like there needs to be a ......... at the end of every paragraph for the month of August to demonstrate the ugh and slightly frustrating theme of the month......

The heat........
Bacall's health and scaring me to death........
Migraines popping up with a frustrating occurrence with no known cause........
Cancelled plans, moved plans and plans just not coming together.........
The blah or doldrums of the Dog Days of Summer.......

The funny thing, I didn't think August was all that bad, I just felt like I was spinning my wheels, which on the one hand makes you realize what you really want, but on the other ...........

Now for the explanations...

Miss Bacall scared me to no end this month...  I actually made an appointment thinking she was not going to come home with me.  Not fun.  The vet knew I was conflicted about it and asked a bunch of questions and determined that all hope was not lost and put her on some stomach meds for about a week and she is soooooo much better. Still old and elderly but better.

I have had multiple migraines this month with all of them not having my known triggers.  It has been VERY VERY frustrating.  My doctor has seen an massive uptake this month and they are wondering if the air quality, which sucks due to all of the fires in the west,  is contributing.  If that is the case, I'm in trouble, because the fires seem to be worse every year.

Work has been good but some things keep getting moved around and messing with my schedule.  I guess that means I need to be more flexible, but sometimes I just like having a plan.......

Red Butte concerts continue to cruise along with a performance from the Utah Symphony, Death Cab for Cutie, Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite, Greensky Bluegrass, and a Lost 80's Night.  I have 3 more shows to work in September and then the season is done........

Maybe the grumpy cat I put on the July update influenced my month ;) so for this month I thought I would pick something a little more cheery....

I hope August went a bit smoother for you...
Melissa

An Unexpected Crime.....

I was robbed the other day.....

not of a material possession or money, but of time.

I had 36 hours stolen from me.

As I have mentioned here before, I periodically get migraine headaches.  They are nasty, not fun, and painful, so as a result,  I have learned my triggers to avoid them.

My biggest triggers and the cause of my most painful migraines are the result of nuts, with cashews, almonds, and walnuts being the worst culprits.  I can eat pecans in small portions and have no issues with peanuts, but there is a chemical compound in the others that trigger my migraines.  

As a result of this knowledge, I ask about ingredients when presented with food.  In restaurants, I don't order items with my triggers.  When I eat at someone's home, if they ask beforehand, I tell them and if they don't, I ask at serving and then just avoid the food with nuts.  I truly appreciate when alterations are made to recipes to allow me to eat them, but at the same time, I get embarrassed that one person is altering a recipe.  I have no problem or issue just not eating the items with nuts...

I do have a problem when I ask and someone doesn't think it's a big deal that there are nuts in something and either lies or forgets, which is forgivable, but frustrating!

The robbery of my 36 hours came when someone was trying out a recipe for Thanksgiving and asked me to try it.  Knowing the baker and her dietary preferences, I asked specifically if there were nuts in it and was told no......

but there was.  Almond flour used in place of oat flour.  1 cup worth.  Half of the flour used was almond flour.  For the record, nut flours count as NUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!   There was going to be no stopping this migraine. 

For the next day and a half, it felt like there was an ice pick in my right eye.  My vision was blurry and had auras.  Sensitivity to sound was unbearable.  Nausea was my constant companion.  I don't sleep all that well due to the pain, so even after the migraine ends, I feel wiped out.

It has taken a while but my Doctor and I have figured out a medication plan that works.  First to be tried is a homeopathic remedy that works for 95% of my migraine and has no side effects.  This time, nothing.....  Next is a prescription medication that is a lower level migraine drug.  I prefer it to the next option.  NADA....  Finally is a pill form of a drug, that I prefer in a shot form, but my insurance doesn't like to cover, so a pill it is.  If I get to this level and it doesn't work with in a hour, I am to go to the ER for what will be a couple of days stay due to the side effects of the injection I will receive.  It took 45 minutes for it to kick in and start to help, so I at least avoided the ER, but now I had to deal with the side effects of this drug.  UGH.

I say this next sentence with a plea....

PLEASE RESPECT SOMEONE WHEN THEY TELL YOU THEY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH FOOD!  IT IS NOT A JOKE!  

When someone asks, it can be life threatening.  My migraines, while annoying and painful, for the most part are not life threatening, but other allergies and triggers can be.  

As a result of this episode, I have been having some interesting conversations about allergies, triggers and issues with food with different people.  It's not an easy thing to deal with on multiple levels...  As someone hosting or preparing food, it can sometimes feel like a mine field of things you can not serve.  As a someone with issues, you feel like a bit of a troublemaker.....

I am writing this blog at this time of year with food being the focus of some celebrations for awareness and acceptance....

If I turn down your food, that you prepared with love, it isn't because I don't appreciate it, it's because it's not worth the pain it will cause if there are nuts in it.   I desperately wish that I could partake and I do not want you to go out of your way to accommodate the needs of one.

Not so nutty,

Melissa

Blurred into Darkness....

In the middle of the night, on Thursday (actually Friday, because it was around 3 am), I got up for a routine reason.  A bathroom break and a sip of water.  I do not know about you, but I have a time of night that I get up almost every night for that.  Why is this blog worthy?  Normally, it's not, but what happened on that night turned out to be so.

My vision was blurry when I made my way through the darkness to the bathroom.

I have horrible eyesight.  That is no secret.  When my contacts are out and my glasses are not on, the big giant E on the vision testing board is a blur.  I honestly would not know that is an 'E' if not for the fact that the chart has not changed in all of my years of living.  A blurry trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night is not that uncommon, because I know the route I take,  I do not put my glasses on.  What made this night different?  I got into the bathroom and looked at something up close, it was still blurry.  As this occurred in the middle of the night, I didn't think too much about it.  I was half asleep and had been rubbing my eyes.  In my half asleep state, I put it in the back of my mind and went back to bed.

When my alarm went off a couple of hours later, I knew that my blurry vision at 3 am was an indicator of the massive migraine that now occupied my head.  If I had been more aware at 3 am, I would have taken my medication and been ok, but I had not, so at 6:45 I was in pain.  My vision was down to straight in front of me, my peripheral vision was gone.  I could not handle light, it made me nauseated.  Noise, like an alarm clock, was like a chainsaw on my nerve endings.  The next 36 hours were spent in an attempt to rid myself of these symptoms.  Sleep is elusive; the pain will not let you drop off into oblivion.  The medication that at 3 am would be so effective at 7am does not make a difference once the migraine has taken full effect.

This was not my first migraine, and unfortunately, I do not believe it will be my last.  Bummer.  Through out my years, I have learned about my migraines and their triggers.  I, somehow, manage to get both hereditary and environmental migraines.  Hereditary migraines have a family link, normally from father to daughter or mother to son.  Weird, huh?  Not all of the time, but according to the information my doctor gave me, it's true the majority of the time.  My dad gets migraines.  We both get them where our vision is affected.  It's not fun.  Environmental migraines are triggered by food, light, or something outside of the body.  I have issues with nuts, especially almonds and walnuts.  Flashing lights, like strobe lights, trigger them as well.  A certain tight muscle in my neck left untreated will trigger them as well.  I have spent a lot of time figuring out what causes my migraines, because I would do about anything to avoid one.  They just suck.

Since my mid-twenties, I have managed to learn my environmental triggers and my number of migraines has dropped dramatically.  Amazing progress and results, because for a time of my life, I was having way too many.  The frustrating thing about my migraines now is that when they happen I can not identify the trigger.  I posted about this one on facebook and got a couple of ideas, but none of them were it.

 (Guys turn away for a second....it's time for period talk)

One trigger of migraines, especially in women, is tied to their menstrual cycles.  Some women get them right before their period starts; others when certain hormone levels drop or rise.  Everyone is different, but this has never affected me.  There goes that trigger.....

(ok, guys, you can come back)

The reason for this post is two-fold...
Number 1, if you suffer from migraines, what are your triggers?  Any ideas for me?  I am willing to try just about anything.

and Number 2, if you don't suffer from them, Thank your lucky stars, but please also realize unlike a normal headache, a couple of advil will not solve the problem.

Feeling human again....
Melissa