a candid look at managing and living with headaches & migraines

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Archive for June, 2007

Jackhammers, Diesel Fumes, Tar and a Headache

Jackhammering. I awoke to jackhammering at 7 a.m. Not the metaphorical kind — no, my head feels more like someone is drilling for oil in my brain — but the dig-up-your-entire-neighborhood kind. Road construction complete with idling diesel engines and, the creme de la creme, tar.
Don’t these people know that I need at least [...]

Baby Steps to Minimize the Impact of Migraines & Headaches

“I’m not happy” is what my friend’s three-year-old says when another kid has something he wants. Whether he’s eying a root beer or the rocking chair, this simple statement expresses so much. Obviously something has to change to make him happy, or at the very least, not unhappy.
Since hearing him say this, I’ve replaced specific [...]

Can Painkillers Cause More Harm By Masking Pain?

Ben’s story in When Is a Pain Doctor a Drug Pusher?, the NY Times Magazine article I wrote about yesterday, brought up something I’d never thought through: Opioids don’t correct the problem that causes pain; they just mask the pain. Couldn’t this cause more harm than good?
Ben, a farmer for whom “. . . years [...]

Opioids for Chronic Pain & Questioning Pain Doctor vs. Drug Pusher

Pain specialist Ronald McIver is serving a 30 year sentence for drug trafficking. The drugs? Opioids prescribed for pain relief. NY Times Magazine looks into McIver’s case and the mess surrounding opioids for pain management.
The in-depth piece definitely supports the use of opioids for pain management. I’ve created a PDF of the article so I [...]

Weird Things Meme

Deborah from Weathering Migraine Storms tagged me with the weird things meme. Bloggers who get tagged have to write about six weird things about themselves and then tag other bloggers to do the same. It’s taken way too long to come up with my list, but here goes.

I like orange juice that’s so thick you [...]

Expert Answers to Questions About Migraine & Headaches

Teri Robert and John Claude Krusz, a neurologist and headache expert, have been hard at work on answering patients’ questions about migraine and other headache disorders. You can learn a lot by poking around in the previous answers or ask your own questions.

All Types of Art Submissions Requested for Migraine Book

Betsy Blondin, an editor and writer who has migraine, is compiling and editing all types of migraine art to publish in a coffee table-style artistic and creative book about migraine. She describes the project as:
I have wanted to publish a book like this for many years to provide another way for people with migraines (and [...]

Living From the Heart

Since yoga class yesterday, I have been in a terrific mood, even when my pain was bad. I’m loving the warmth of the shining sun, listening to music so loud that I can’t hear myself sing, admiring the pure happiness of the neighborhood kids.
My yoga teacher talks about living from the heart rather than always [...]

What Do You Want to Read on The Daily Headache?

Two years into blogging, I’ve learned that sharing isn’t complaining, writing about myself isn’t necessarily self-centered, and that many people read blogs for the personal connection they feel with the blogger. I’ve also found that I certainly have enough to say without whining and moaning. (I’ve also gotten e-mails asking me to write more about [...]

No Need to Register to Leave Comments

Contrary to what you saw earlier this month, you do not need a Typekey account to leave a comment. I had accidentally changed a blog setting so that you couldn’t leave a comment without registering with Typepad (or its affiliates).
It is fixed now, but I’m still getting many fewer comments that usual. Please come [...]