Oh gawd, Raina that's so awful :( my heart goes out to you. I'm glad you've finally been properly diagnosed though! Best of luck with your recovery. <3
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Oh gawd, Raina that's so awful :( my heart goes out to you. I'm glad you've finally been properly diagnosed though! Best of luck with your recovery. <3
Anahita- That sounds really scary! *hug* I'm sure you've learnt to cope with it somewhat, but it still sounds scary. Has it ever gotten you into any serious scrapes?
Shimmy Goddess- Ugh, poor dear. If it's joint injuries... would glucosamine supplements help? It might be a bit late, I think you're supposed to take them when you start your exercise/dance regime... but it might help. Not to mention sports massages!
Raina- What an eventful Labour Day weekend! Your mer-wrangler is an absolute sweetheart to wait like that for you, I swear my heart aww-ed in my ribcage. I hope you recover swiftly, luv.
I'm fortunate, health-wise. I used to have pretty frightening asthma as a kid, and a couple years back at a cross-country race I got an attack, my legs crumpled under me 3m from the finish line, and I actually dragged myself on my hands and knees over the line to finish it, lol. At which point I was wheezing really badly, and then passed out.
I don't have bad asthma attacks now, but I do have a more minor (if more persistent, and annoying...) health complaint...
I have really bad bloating, guys. People tend to not believe me when I say I do, but they don't know what I have to hide under my looser tees sometimes. I'm not sure if it's IBS, or just my body being wonky. I've had this for years now, I think. But unless I'm lucky, by about 5PM everyday my tummy will suddenly expand. I look about 7 months pregnant when that happens... and it's not even an exaggeration. I know it's not a lifethreatening deal or anything, but it really does make life extremely inconvenient. When I want to go out at nights, I have to barely eat anything at all (but if I eat too little, I end up bloating again. It's a fine line!), and after a few glasses of bubbly my bloating is back in full-swing. It also makes scheduling photoshoots really difficult. Sigh. I've tried anti-water retention pills, dandelion tea, and staying hydrated, but those seem to just work temporarily for me. If anyone has had similar experiences or some advice to give, I'd be open to hearing from ya!
Thank you. Good luck and better health, Raina.
Ok, I just need to vent right now. I am so sick and tired of being sick and tired. I have ulcerative colitis, which causes severe digestive issues and fatigue. When I'm in a flare, it is like my whole life is put on hold. I can't handle long car rides or being places with limited bathroom access. This past semester, I have been student teaching. While I love teaching, I hate that many days I have to leave class suddenly to run to the bathroom down the hall. I feel that it makes me look unprofessional or lazy. Even though the school is aware of my medical condition, I can't shake the feeling that I'm being judged. I'm afraid of my upcoming graduation with the university because I know that I'll be sitting for about 3 hours. Should I even go if I can't make it all the way through?
Also, just in the last few months, my illness has caused me to go from 117 pounds down to 100 pounds. I'm not a big person to begin with, so the weight change is noticeable. I am lucky that otherwise I'm pretty healthy. Right now, I'm just trying to put some weight back on. Because of the weight fluctuation, I'm thinking about making another tail for skinny days. Does anyone else have multiple tails for this reason?
Wow, that sounds aweful. I could be wrong, but as someone with food allergies myself (and it took me years to figure out which foods), my first thought is that your body doesn't like something that you've eaten. Have you noticed that any foods in particular trigger an episode? This forum post here: http://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/to...n-sensitivity/ , this person found out that it was misdiagnosed celiac or gluten sensitivity. I hope you feel better soon!
BayouMermaid, that sounds awful. I don't like to be presumptuous about other people's health issues and be all like "here, try THIS, I bet you never thought of this before!" but if you haven't seen this website, maybe check it out? http://www.againstallgrain.com/ It's grain-free and paleo recipes (which are delicious, I use several of them even though I don't have any food sensitivities myself). If you read about the lady who runs the site, she has a very severe case of ulcerative colitis and has developed her recipes specifically to deal with her issues. I hope it might help you feel better!
Oops... I realize I might have sounded a bit presumptuous myself. I'm sorry. :sad eyes: I get a little over eager when I'm trying to help. Derp.....Quote:
Originally Posted by Theobromine
Thanks y'all for the support *mermaid hugs*. I get so frustrated because everything that I've read about ulcerative colitis says that no one knows what causes it; all that they know is that it is an autoimmune disease. It's funny that you both mentioned grain free/ gluten free because that is what I'm currently doing. It seems to have cut down on bloating and cramps. My doctor also suggested a paleo diet, so I'm looking into that more and modifying the way that I eat. It can be very overwhelming because there is so much information out there. I've definitely gotten caught in the "google death spiral" before lol.
My health rant.....
I have an auto immune disease that one of the symptoms is chronic low blood sugar. I have to eat a whole pie to get my sugar level over 100. Any type of artificial sugar causes my blood sugar to crash and I pass out. Splenda and sorbitol are my mortal enemies and now food companies put that stuff every where. One time a waitress gave me diet sweet tea and I stopped breathing after I passed out. I have to read labels on everything.
I never imagined that you guys had so many problems :( you have my support.
About me, I've recurrent depression: it happened the first time last year, probably due to stress, then two months ago it is back again, with a lot of anxiety and panic attacks. Now I am being treated by a specialist in order to try to understand the main cause of this problem. I had to leave the university (and I've still many exams to take!) and my boyfriend, who lives far away from me, but I'm going to see him for Christmas. I hope I'll get better as quickly as possible.
*update*
I'm getting better now, and in two months I can back to University :)
This forum is like a therapy for me, and thinking that this summer maybe I'll work as mermaid makes me optimistic.
I hope the best, for me and you all <3
Migraines, migraines, migraines. I have eradicated everything one by one that I could tell was causing them, and for a while, I get fewer. Then, they come back full force. For days or a week or more. If I decide that maybe I was wrong about a trigger, and reintroduce it, the immediate reaction makes it clear that yes, it was a cause.
I fucking give UP already! Fine! I will be in excruciating pain nearly all the time and have cobwebs in my vision and not be able to focus my eyes and my nauseated and have chills and everything else that comes with migraines. I can't take any meds for them, and there is nothing I can do.
I feel like swearing a blue streak just to vent my frustration.
I will go to a doctor about it again, and have cat scans again, and blood tests and everything else, only to be told AGAIN that they can't help me to not get migraines, because I am over sensitive to meds.
No relief, no fecking relief.
Migraines suck! I get them too. I have tried several different types of preventative meds..each with their own list of side effects. For the second time I went off meds again. I have ones I can take when I feel one coming on and it does help. Some triggers are hard to eliminate and I know pressure changes and cloudy days make me worse and also if I am dehydrated. Does staying hydrated help for you at all? My med has some caffeine in it or sometimes I will drink coffee and that helps. Hang in there :(
Quote:
Originally Posted by SurlySeaNymph
When I get migraines, there's no pain at first. But I can tell one is coming on because... I kind of lose my vision.
(Happens every time)
Once my sight craps out I get goosebumps and hours of skull splitting pain.
(and sometimes Chills, Puking... etc.)
In recent years I figured out that eating a banana helps a lot.
It helps my vision and it kind of helps for pain.
After a few months of realizing bananas were awesome, I Googled if anyone else had figured this out (or if it was just common knowledge that I wasn't aware of) and it turns out there's an older lady talking about it too. Beyond that I didn't find much else.
I always assumed it was just the potassium in them that made me feel better. But it might have something to do with blood sugar levels???
Not sure if others eat Bananas often, or tried noming some while having a migraine, but next time you feel one coming on it's worth a shot.
(Assuming you're not allergic to bananas... )
Migraine victim here too.
(seems 3 things are common with mers; tails, bellydance, and headaches...)
Banana contains certain minerals and vitamins that can help alleviate inflammation.
Not sure which though.
My headaches mostly defy any precaution or measure.
I make myself a drink, lather my head with peppermint oil, and go to bed for several days.
Pretty much the only thing I can do :p
Thanks, ladies. I'm on day 6 of this one, and nothing I've done helps for more than a couple hours. Of course, neither do pixels.
Caffeine is the only thing that gives me any relief at this point. I use caffeine pills, but when they don't work, I add a Coke. This sucks on several levels. I don't like caffeine and I don't want it in my system. But I have a child to take care of. I hate Coke, it's disgusting and full of things I also don't want in my system. But, oddly, and as noticed by many migraine sufferers, it's just Coke that does it. No other soda does. Red Bull does, but I'm sensitive to that form of B12 they use, and I get a terrible allergy reaction with swollen throat and hives, and it affects my hormones.
Yep. I'm sensitive like that.
But I've been dealing with these migraines since I was 18, and I know I have to do what I have to do. Ibuprofen used to help in large quantities, but I've gotten more sensitive and now just 600mg gives me a very weird reaction involving my esophagus, my muscles go kaput, and my lungs suffer for it, and my eyes won't focus- just in a different way than the migraines usually cause.
I'm starting to feel it really depress me, I wake up and the pain is there again, and it's just... I can't work out, I can't play with my daughter as well, I can't clean house.
And I have to get offline.
Oh- os I will try bananas, I've never noticed a difference, but I'm willing to try just about anything that won't make me feel worse.
waitwait, are you saying you've got a migraine attack lasting 6 DAYS?!Quote:
Originally Posted by SurlySeaNymph
I mean. wow, that's horrible.
Especially if the docs have done cat scans and couldn't help you.
But you have to find a way to break the inflammation cycle if the pain lasts THAT long.
I don't take painkillers, but my mother uses aspirin, anti-inflammatory teas and caffeine, everything that causes the tissue to calm down a bit.
If the pain persists, it causes your bloodpressure to rise, a vicious cycle.
If you are up doing stuff instead of lying down during an ongoing attack, it can also cause the migraine to go on and on.
That probably cannot be avoided if you have a child and no help :/
I can relate.
All my cat scans came back without results as well, but at least I have people around to take over a bit for me if I'm out with an attack for a day or 2.
I've had them last two weeks, but that's not as common. This last one is finally gone. I woke up without it... oh my gods what a feeling. The moment I realized I was not in pain... just the best feeling.
Yeah, they've been lasting on average 3-4 days, and once a month or so I get once that lasts about a week. Even the ones that are only a few days often only give me a day or two of a break in between. I had a while where I didn't get them hardly at all. But I'm not doing anything differently, it's a mystery as to why the change. They've just gotten so ridiculously out of hand. When they're really just.... when I can't do anything because the pain and nausea is so bad, and my hearing and vision are just GAH pain, and I don't have much of a choice but to lay in bed for hours. My daughter is four and has a pretty good understanding of what that means at this point. I'm very lucky in that my boyfriend, whom I've only been with for six months, takes care of things for me. He comes over, plays with my daughter, does our dishes, and generally helps, which is great. I don't have any other help.
I'm allergic to aspirin, sensitive to ibuprofen, acetaminophen does nothing, and I can't take most prescription pain killers because of sensitivities- many of them actually make it hard for me to breathe, it's like my lungs go totally weak, so it's pretty serious. I have an ice pack headband, but it only helps so much. Peppermint oil in a roll-on applicator (Migrastick) can give a touch of relief, and caffeine of course like I mentioned.
I just want the magic bullet, I want something to make them stop but won't make me sick in some other way. So far, no luck. Although, the caffeine makes me feel ick in another way, it's a preferable way comparitively speaking.
Fingers crossed that I wake up migraine free tomorrow, too!
I made a doctor's appt. On the off chance they can tell me anything new. I'm having migraines more often than not, and I'm not one to be in tears... but it had me there yesterday and today. I cannot do this anymore. Something has to change. I'm going to have them test all sorts of levels of hormones, vitamins, etc. If there is anything I can do differently to live with less pain, I will.
Appt is in a week.
Best of luck Surly! I hope they discover an easy fix<3
Thanks! Right now my head isn't hurting. So of course the first thing I do is swim to MerNetwork. haha.
But I think I might have figured out the problem myself, which I of course will check with the doctor. I'm going to need allergy tests and then if my suspicions are correct, my life is going to have to change in a way that I never thought it would. But. At least I can fix it.
If I'm wrong, back to the drawing board.
I ate something bad and now I have food poisoning .. Have been in the toilet incessantly because of diahrea every 30 minutes
now because immune system is down from food poisoning my younger sister has gotten me sick. Head pounding and my nose is congested and throat is itchy.
And - I'm on my period. Lovely.
Nom on some charcoal tablets. You don't need prescription for them, can buy at the local chemist over the counter. They soak up the toxins in your gut so that... er... How to explain it so that its not so disgusting??Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaGlass Siren
You'll be fine in a day or two.
So that I can poop better?
Ugh, I know that feel. I suffer from fibromyalgia and a form of dysautonomia that makes me dizzy and exhausted CONSTANTLY and causes me to faint from time to time if I don't monitor it (and sometimes even when I do) and then some sort of stomach issue that's undiagnosed...I know I'm allergic to gluten and red meat but I still get stomach aches every day. And then I have bipolar which I'm treated for but I still have little mini depressive episodes normally brought on by my health issues. I can no longer work and it's a source of stress for me. We just gotta remember how strong we are and keep pushing forward...but it's ok to feel upset and vent sometimes. We all have those days, lord knows I do...
Ick, I've never had food poisoning but it sounds horrible! My sister has had it a few times, and I have one friend who must make questionable food choices because she's had food poisoning at least twice yearly for the many years I've known her.
I woke up without a migraine today. omg. So I've decided to be lazy- I'll do the dishes and clean the kitchen and other needed things later. No pain... no migraine-induced shivers, no numbness in my face, no vomiting, no need for absolute quiet and darkness... my daughter is only four and just an amazing kid. She is so cooperative when she knows mama has a migraine, and she stays so quiet. I had my bf and my mom come over to play with her while I laid around in pain. And when you have a kid, and a migraine, you have to do the mothering anyway of course! So you do and then it gets worse but... my daughter comes first even when I'm in pain.
I understand the health-triggered depression, Ophelia. I've had major depression since I was 9, more around when I was 14, and was diagnosed later, but yep. Waking up day after day in pain means fighting the suicidal urges much more than usual, which is already a lot. I'm used to it, but even I find myself seriously thinking bad bad things more than usual when I've been in a migraine for a week or more. And I have to catch it, and remind myself it's not only the depression lying, it's the migraine in cahoots.
My stomach is aching, trying to figure out what I've eaten to cause the ache. I've pretty much given up gluten due to IBS. I've been asleep for most of the day and most of the night last night. Now I feel strange.
Maybe it's not something you ate? Could be you're fighting a stomach bug?
I hate having SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) The anti-depression medication makes me feel better emotionally, but I keep catching myself clamping my jaw tightly to the point that when I open my mouth, my jaw hurts. I'm honestly surprised that I haven't cracked or broken a tooth from clamping down so hard.
But if I forget to take my medication, I don't clench, but my moods are severely affected.
I feel like I'm a lose lose situation.
I recognise the signs for a flare up, although I am feeling a lot better now.
It's very heartening to me to know I'm not the only mermaid struggling to be alive and functional. I often think I am asking too much, to try and be a mermaid and be sick, even though my heart says I am a mermaid, but it helps me to know I am not the only one. Thank you to all of you for sharing with us and helping us all get through it.
I had my doctor appointment today. Of course, I had no migraine, either. :p Because the thing you go to see the doctor for... it's like when your computer is wonky UNTIL you call the IT person in. lol
I have developed an allergy that is not common but not rare, and often only happens to people when they are overexposed to this particular nutrient in lab form. In other words, usually people who develop with this allergy do because they receive huge doses of the vitamin in shots, because of illnesses that prevent them from absorbing it. Unfortunately, my bizarrely sensitive system took what would not have bothered almost anyone else- everyday fortified foods and a daily supplement (one doctors recommended I take!) and turned me allergic to it.
The doc took three vials of blood for various tests.
The allergy might be responsible for the headaches, because I keep finding I've accidentally imbibed or eaten this damn additive- a type of B12 that is in like every fortified thing ever. I finally got it out of my system totally a few days ago, and it's possible that is why I had no headache today.
I also might be getting migraines from a deficiency, which has never been a problem in my life until this allergy- I'm vigilant, and I worked my way to pretty healthy from a lifetime of illness, so my numbers in blood tests are always ideal. I just do not think they will be this time.
The problem is, since I am allergic to this, if I have a deficiency, I am probably allergic to the other forms of the vitamin, and since I'm also allergic to antihistamines (I KNOW), this is all risky. I have to find out of more tests can be done about that.
And if the blood doesn't reveal anything, I'm to see a neurologist because, as the doc said, "Migraines don't last for two weeks. Those are not migraines."
If the blood does reveal a deficiency, the solution is one which is something I'll have to do but dear gods I do not want to because it is an anathema to how I've lived my life and how I have formed my identity. Sorry to be vague, but just because I know I have to make a change doesn't make it easy.
TL;DR: My body sucks and is betraying me again.
I'm so sorry to hear this.
The last 2 days, I had a migraine too. I can still feel it lurking in the underground, ready to resurface :p
I am allergic to so many things I don't really know what could have caused it.
I've had migraines after certain herbal teas, garlic, raw onions, and bleedings with stomach aches after having fruits or fruit juice.
Then again, sometimes I ingested these and did NOT have anything.
so it might be the stuff victuals are "treated" with that are causing the problems-
mold-killers, insectkillers, fungicides, whatever.
I'm best if I drink only water :p
Honestly, I've gotten to that point, too. Anything but water tends to trigger a headache these days, and those almost always turn into migraines.
I have one now, big surprise. It's not as much in my eyes so I'm online for now.
I also have started putting sea salt into my water. Just a little. A friend of mine who's a really good, caring acupuncturist, linked me to a study about sodium levels being low in many migraine sufferers, and since I'm not one to use a lot of salt on food, I thought, heck why not.
Plus, how mermaidy of me. :p
But I'll get sodium levels back with the results from all the blood they took.
Caltuna, I hope your headache fades soon.
Waiting for blood test results. It's like being a space-time warp where time moves more slowly just for that.
Today, my head was ok, so I went swimming.
And- surprise surprise- managed to bump my head swimming backwards into the pool edge full speed.
yay me.
concussion, nausea, vertigo and hedaches for the rest of the day.
hopefully it gets better tomorrow, I've so no desire to see the hospital again.
I hate wacking my head underwater it is scary
*screech* I lost breath hold time :( I had it at 1:45 but I got ski and couldn't practice for like a month and now back to a minute. :(((
Sent from my shellphone using Tapatalk
Do you mean "sick" or did you really go skiing and forget about your breath holds?Quote:
Originally Posted by MerHopefully
-_- dag gum autocorrect. yes. sick XD