This past week I didn’t write much about me.  I have been way too concerned about my friends, luckily she seems to be doing much better (blood pressure was normal this morning!!).  She’s still experiencing some wicked headaches, I’m hoping those will subside soon.

I’ll update you more on her situation soon, but this post is all about ME.

Warning…the following may be considered Too Much Information for some people.

Over a week ago, I once again had a day filled with urgently running to the bathroom because of extreme diarrhea.  By the end of the day I was having painful spasms in my intestines all the way through my anus, with just little bits of fecal matter coming out.  I was miserable, but not as miserable as I was when I woke up with severe pain around my anus early the next morning.  I’ve heard of hemorrhoids, I think I’ve even had small ones before, but this was different.  I was in so much pain.  I had a huge lump around the side of my anus, it was hard, and very, very painful.  For three days I was in bed with ice packs between my cheeks.  I had a prescription for anti-inflammatory cream because of the severe rash I had around my anus a few months before, so I treated it with that also.  Unfortunately, Stuart just started his new job and couldn’t take time off to run me to the doctor, and from everything I saw on-line, there wasn’t much they could do.  Yes, if it doesn’t go away they can remove it, but let’s not jump to that conclusion just yet.  After a week, it’s still there, but it’s not red and extremely tender any longer.  It’s not as hard.  It’s gotten a little smaller, but it’s still pretty big.

I almost didn’t write about this.  I was so embarrassed.  I’ve written posts about my husband having to take care of my personal hygiene, and how I’ve lost control of my bladder and bowels during a Meniere’s attack, but I was embarrassed to tell about the pain and suffering I was going through because of a hemorrhoid.  When you hear the commercials, or even read articles, they talk about the “itching and burning”, it really sounds like it’s no big deal.  The pain I was in for about 3 days was horrible.  Possibly more so because of where it was, but I never thought hemorrhoids could be so severe.  A hemorrhoid is a swollen vein.  That sounds rather innocuous doesn’t it?  I always thought just a little rash type of thing, I’ve had little bumps form there that itched and burned, I figured they were hemorrhoids, and I still think they were.  As I said, I just never knew they could get so big and painful!  I made the mistake of actually looking it up in Google Images….those pictures are the worst of the worst!  I soon realized what I was going through was nothing compared to what could happen.

So the next time you hear someone has hemorrhoids, don’t think it’s just a little discomfort, it can be a very major thing.  I still may have to go to the doctor about mine, but I’m so relieved it doesn’t look like some of those photos.  *shudder*

Next complaint…OK, I’m complaining a bit tonight.  I’m not whining, NO really I’m not, I’m just annoyed and complaining a bit.

I’ve woken up with a migraine every day for over a week, and I can’t get in to see the neurologist Dr. Kaylie wants me to see until early March.  I’m so sick of these headaches.  The only medication that helps is Maxalt, but I’m only allowed to get 18 of those per month.  This is a migraine abortive medication. You are supposed to take one at the first signs of a migraine. If I have to take 2 per day to get rid of my migraine, I’ll be out in 9 days, even if I only have to take one, I’ll run out in 18 days.  What do I do for the rest of the month.  The pain killers help a little, but it doesn’t do much.  Dr. Kaylie asked me today, what I was calling a migraine, could I describe it.  I’ve been having migraines since I was a teenager, of course I can describe it.  I explain, I’ve been waking up with severe pain, normally on one side of my head, sometimes I see flittery movements that aren’t really there, but not always.  I’m nauseous and sometimes throw up.  I can’t stand the light….he said how about sound our smell….I told him I can’t stand any sensory input, even too much touch hurts.  He thinks the new neurologist will be able to help.  He and Dr. Gray work closely with her.  So I’ll change neurologist, let’s just get this pain to stop!  (yes, I know I’ve had a headache very day since I was 16, I don’t expect the pain to stop, but if we could keep it at maybe a 2?  That’d be nice.   OK, enough complaining over that.

See not too much complaining.  (Just wait for the next post…I had a day at Duke Medical Center today that seemed to be one pain after another…literally.)