I finally had my appointment with my first real Migraine specialist this week. It was a different adventure than any other doctor appointment I have been to from the beginning which started with scheduling to go there in the first place. With a two hour drive to get to my new doctor, I left extremely early in the morning so I could avoid a lot of the rush hour traffic and review everything I needed so it was fresh in my mind before my scheduled time.
I've done a lot of reading and research about the Migraine specialist and headache center I went to visit; some of the materials were a little older, but most of the information gave me a good picture of what to expect for this day. I knew I would be seeing a psychologist, a nurse and my specialist. Overall, I had a really nice experience for my first visit.
I was disappointed right after walking into the office. I was anticipating a nice soothing waiting area which would be any Migraineurs dream. I couldn't believe there were the small tubular compact fluorescent bulbs all over the waiting room with no place to escape from them. I was later told that the lighting was a hospital standard. Really? Ugh.
After I got checked in, I was handed three different tests. One test had three hundred thirty-eight true/false questions to help keep me busy while in the waiting room in between the visits I had with the various people I needed to see. As I started filling out the tests, I had to put on my hat and really didn't understand why no one else in the room had sunglasses or a hat on their heads. Not that it mattered, but I didn't think I would be the only one in this office with something to help shield these lights when it was full of Migraineurs where the lighting was terrible.
The first person I saw was the psychologist. Her office lights were awesome and what I expected of the waiting room. I even took off my hat while talking with her. She had reviewed the fourteen page packet I completed before checking into the office and she asked me some questions around my headaches to get a bigger picture than just answering paper questions could give her and she asked other questions around my life in general. I had to put my hat back on before going back to the waiting room.
I still wasn't done with all of the tests I needed to complete when the nurse called me back. This time, I kept my hat on as the lights in this exam room were worse than the waiting room. The nurse took my vital signs and asked me a lot of clarifying questions around the packet I brought in with me. The nurse knew more about headaches and Migraines than most of the doctors I had been to prior to coming to the headache center. I also found out that I would be weighed every time I come in for a follow up visit. Yuck, I've been gaining a lot of weight lately.
I finally finished the packet of tests before my doctor called me back from the waiting area. As he greeted me, he met me with a big smile and a firm hand shake. The lights in his exam room were the worst of all of the rooms. My new doctor was busy, but very pleasant.
We talked about a lot of different areas and he even helped force a partnership between us which is just what I wanted. One example is that he had given me two medication paths we could go down and he wouldn't make the decision of which way to go; I had to make that final choice. We ended up tripling the dose of a medication I was already taking as he said my preventatives were at way too low of a dose. He also prescribed biofeedback and an EKG for me.
By the time I went to the headache center, my Migraines had officially gone chronic. One thing I found weird about coming here is that everyone seemed to believe what I told them and I know I have a Migraine past full of large black holes. I never felt like they doubted me and they actually say I get more headaches than I will admit to having. By the time I was nearing the end of asking my doctor my questions, I actually started answering them along with him using his words. Basically, I am to do nothing until we get my Migraines under better control. He said it's hard to try to do anything if you are having head pain almost everyday.
Of course I asked him about the elimination diet anyway. I have gone through the elimination diet and found it to be successful and very helpful for me. Honestly, I don't think I would be where I am today if I had not gone through the elimination diet before and I did it during another chronic period of time. Most of my previous doctors have had negative opinions about the elimination diet and I wanted to find out my new doctor's position on it as well. To my surprise, he shook his head no and basically said it was a waste of time.
I have to tell you I really started to get confused about this answer. I've heard of other doctors at this center who have had their patients go on the elimination diet even though they had been on it multiple times before and had never found any foods that trigger them. I know foods affect me and that I am missing something in my diet now.
What could he mean about not believing in the elimination diet? This really was not something I expected to hear from him and totally confused me.
All he would tell me was that I needed to get my Migraines under control and to follow a few things: take my preventatives, get the EKG, do biofeedback, get enough sleep, don't have MSG, don't get drunk, don't be hungry and exercise. He kept repeating all of this and said "first get the preventative to work and then worry about the other things." He told me, "don't worry about food. If you think it will trigger, then it will. Too much time is wasted on food."
I thought more about being on the right preventative, the right level and food as a trigger. I know food triggers me. I know I like to be an ostrich at times where I tried not to worry about foods only to find that it ended up triggering a Migraine again. But, if I was on the right preventative and at the right level, I shouldn't trigger so easily, right?
I think that's what he was trying to tell me which does make sense. I believe that is what a preventative is supposed to do - prevent Migraines from occurring. To make us less sensitive to our triggers. However, that still won't cure us and we still need to take our preventatives, get enough sleep, avoid MSG, don't get drunk, don't be hungry and exercise. I guess I have learned his spiel 'good enough' and can't wait until I can get my Migraines under better control.
I would still think that somewhere along the lines we would have to watch and/or find the 'super' trigger foods that we will always have to avoid like many of us have to do with MSG and alcohol. I guess I can view this like some people don't have Migraines until a couple of things will trigger them like weather or hormones or only certain foods. I would love to be able to have some of the foods I try to avoid now since my preventatives are not working right yet. I can't wait until my preventatives start working and I can start leading a more 'normal' life. I hope it also helps with my light sensitivity.
Does that make sense to you about the elimination diet? I don't think I'm ready to give up on the elimination diet as a whole, but I think I'm ready to hold off and find the preventative that works first.
I've done a lot of reading and research about the Migraine specialist and headache center I went to visit; some of the materials were a little older, but most of the information gave me a good picture of what to expect for this day. I knew I would be seeing a psychologist, a nurse and my specialist. Overall, I had a really nice experience for my first visit.
I was disappointed right after walking into the office. I was anticipating a nice soothing waiting area which would be any Migraineurs dream. I couldn't believe there were the small tubular compact fluorescent bulbs all over the waiting room with no place to escape from them. I was later told that the lighting was a hospital standard. Really? Ugh.
After I got checked in, I was handed three different tests. One test had three hundred thirty-eight true/false questions to help keep me busy while in the waiting room in between the visits I had with the various people I needed to see. As I started filling out the tests, I had to put on my hat and really didn't understand why no one else in the room had sunglasses or a hat on their heads. Not that it mattered, but I didn't think I would be the only one in this office with something to help shield these lights when it was full of Migraineurs where the lighting was terrible.
The first person I saw was the psychologist. Her office lights were awesome and what I expected of the waiting room. I even took off my hat while talking with her. She had reviewed the fourteen page packet I completed before checking into the office and she asked me some questions around my headaches to get a bigger picture than just answering paper questions could give her and she asked other questions around my life in general. I had to put my hat back on before going back to the waiting room.
I still wasn't done with all of the tests I needed to complete when the nurse called me back. This time, I kept my hat on as the lights in this exam room were worse than the waiting room. The nurse took my vital signs and asked me a lot of clarifying questions around the packet I brought in with me. The nurse knew more about headaches and Migraines than most of the doctors I had been to prior to coming to the headache center. I also found out that I would be weighed every time I come in for a follow up visit. Yuck, I've been gaining a lot of weight lately.
I finally finished the packet of tests before my doctor called me back from the waiting area. As he greeted me, he met me with a big smile and a firm hand shake. The lights in his exam room were the worst of all of the rooms. My new doctor was busy, but very pleasant.
We talked about a lot of different areas and he even helped force a partnership between us which is just what I wanted. One example is that he had given me two medication paths we could go down and he wouldn't make the decision of which way to go; I had to make that final choice. We ended up tripling the dose of a medication I was already taking as he said my preventatives were at way too low of a dose. He also prescribed biofeedback and an EKG for me.
By the time I went to the headache center, my Migraines had officially gone chronic. One thing I found weird about coming here is that everyone seemed to believe what I told them and I know I have a Migraine past full of large black holes. I never felt like they doubted me and they actually say I get more headaches than I will admit to having. By the time I was nearing the end of asking my doctor my questions, I actually started answering them along with him using his words. Basically, I am to do nothing until we get my Migraines under better control. He said it's hard to try to do anything if you are having head pain almost everyday.
Of course I asked him about the elimination diet anyway. I have gone through the elimination diet and found it to be successful and very helpful for me. Honestly, I don't think I would be where I am today if I had not gone through the elimination diet before and I did it during another chronic period of time. Most of my previous doctors have had negative opinions about the elimination diet and I wanted to find out my new doctor's position on it as well. To my surprise, he shook his head no and basically said it was a waste of time.
I have to tell you I really started to get confused about this answer. I've heard of other doctors at this center who have had their patients go on the elimination diet even though they had been on it multiple times before and had never found any foods that trigger them. I know foods affect me and that I am missing something in my diet now.
What could he mean about not believing in the elimination diet? This really was not something I expected to hear from him and totally confused me.
All he would tell me was that I needed to get my Migraines under control and to follow a few things: take my preventatives, get the EKG, do biofeedback, get enough sleep, don't have MSG, don't get drunk, don't be hungry and exercise. He kept repeating all of this and said "first get the preventative to work and then worry about the other things." He told me, "don't worry about food. If you think it will trigger, then it will. Too much time is wasted on food."
I thought more about being on the right preventative, the right level and food as a trigger. I know food triggers me. I know I like to be an ostrich at times where I tried not to worry about foods only to find that it ended up triggering a Migraine again. But, if I was on the right preventative and at the right level, I shouldn't trigger so easily, right?
I think that's what he was trying to tell me which does make sense. I believe that is what a preventative is supposed to do - prevent Migraines from occurring. To make us less sensitive to our triggers. However, that still won't cure us and we still need to take our preventatives, get enough sleep, avoid MSG, don't get drunk, don't be hungry and exercise. I guess I have learned his spiel 'good enough' and can't wait until I can get my Migraines under better control.
I would still think that somewhere along the lines we would have to watch and/or find the 'super' trigger foods that we will always have to avoid like many of us have to do with MSG and alcohol. I guess I can view this like some people don't have Migraines until a couple of things will trigger them like weather or hormones or only certain foods. I would love to be able to have some of the foods I try to avoid now since my preventatives are not working right yet. I can't wait until my preventatives start working and I can start leading a more 'normal' life. I hope it also helps with my light sensitivity.
Does that make sense to you about the elimination diet? I don't think I'm ready to give up on the elimination diet as a whole, but I think I'm ready to hold off and find the preventative that works first.
No comments:
Post a Comment