Category Archives: Just me

A Victory Inn is not victorious.

We got to our hotel near the headache clinic yesterday afternoon after a cheerful cab ride from a Michigan enthusiast and an incredibly painful flight. For me, everyone else seemed to think it was fine as they didn’t have an army of angry dwarves pounding into their cheekbone as the pressure changed.

We were delivered unto a very depressing looking hotel behind a depressing gas station with a sign that read “G oup ra e avl.”

Hmm.

Inside we were met by a brusque clerk who quickly gave us a room by the farthest back exit. Upon opening the door I discovered several things:

1. The wall paper and carpet were both peeling.

2. There were cigarette burns on the ceiling. Somehow.

3. All of the hotel hangers designed to be useless to steal because they disconnect from the hanging part when you remove them were stolen.

Then the clerk knocked on the door and told us the hot water was out but should be back tomorrow, OK?

Sigh.

We then discovered the wi-fi didn’t work.

Grr.

We went to dinner at Chili’s and were made better by a few of their lovely margaritas. Eventually we went back to the monstrosity to sleep. The next morning the clerk failed to call me for my requested wake up call, but luckily I had set my alarm so we made it to the clinic for my assessments.

They drew blood. I had an EEG, resulting in real globs of water soluble paste all over my head. I met with a doctor and a psychologist. I spent 9 hours being tested and questioned before being told I was being admitted to the hospital and to call after my MRI’s for admission instructions. Then we went back to the hotel, tired and hungry.

I turned the water on to take a shower. It was cold.

Grrrrrr.

I had huge globs of paste in my hair that had been there for 8 hours and it was really starting to hurt. I used a styrofoam cup to wash my hair out in the tub so I didn’t have to stand in the freezing cold water. As I did, the tub began to fill. I figured the stopper was set to on so I reached over to turn it to drain and the handle came off in my hand.

At this point, despite anger being a trigger for migraine, I was getting pretty angry.

I finished washing my hair and went to tell the clerk about the tub and complain about the water.
Me: The water is still cold.

Him: Yeah, it’ll be fixed tomorrow.
Me: I had to wash medical paste out of my hair with a cup on the edge of the tub and while I did, the bathtub handle came off in my hand.
Him: That’s okay, I’ll leave a note about that for maintenance.
Me: That’s okay?
Him: Yeah. Room 123 right?
Me: Deathglare.

Which is how we ended up in the Holiday Inn Express in Chelsea. It’s the most luxurious room I have ever stayed in. It is made of Unicorns farting rainbows made of smaller Unicorns.

Raise your glass to answers…

Or at least better questions.

We are off. We leave in two hours for beautiful Ann Arbor Michigan. I will be engaging intensive treatment with a team of specialists from all areas as we try to find a way to cope with my headaches and TN.

I will not come home with a cure, but with a new path. A new treatment. It’s enough.

It has to be.

Virtual Coffee

Good morning. Do you have a minute to sit down to coffee with me?

Today my coffee is black, as per usual, and lukewarm because I spent time researching online before drinking it.

If we were having coffee this morning I would smile at you and tell you I played games last night with Dan and Scott and we had a great time. I made a lamb curry for dinner, we drank Angry Orchard, and we played Quarriors and 7 Wonders. Scott repaired my KitchenAid mixer and brought it back to me, and showed off the new backpack he made from pickle buckets. We brainstormed creating appropriate webbing for the back of it. It was a lovely time.

I would tell you that the attacks are getting a lot more frequent. Sometimes I have them every ten minutes. It’s exhausting. I find it hard to do much of anything with so much of my energy being pulled out of my by pain. The sensitivity has gotten worse too. Now eating and drinking cause attacks, as well as breathing sometimes. I am struggling. It sucks. I am holding on.

I get up in the morning after a full night’s sleep and I make the bed. I dress. I eat something, even if it’s only a protein shake. Then I see how many doctors appointments I have that day. If I don’t have any, I will work on something or if I am especially tired I will read or play a game. I try to exercise every day.

I would tell you I am getting hopeful about pain camp. One more week and I should be in a hospital in Michigan, finding some solution to all of this. I should come out of the hospital with a working medicine regimen that manages all of this so I can get back to a full life.

Then I would ask you how you are. I would ask you to please tell me about your life. All of it. Every detail. Being here is so isolating. People are busy living their full lives, something I am so happy they are able to do. I watch them, and I count myself lucky when they take the time to make me a part of them. Sometimes they express guilt for complaining. Please complain! I want to hear it! So much!

So, complain below, please. Tell me something. Anything. 🙂

Inspired by posts from LuckyNumber13.