Ugh.

A two-day migraine, this time. Three pills in total. I was beginning to wonder if the pills were actual medication or just powder. Eventually, the pain did recede but not before it completely messed up my plans for Friday evening.

For three weeks in a row, I have been unable to attend the "knit nights" at our yarn shop with Mom and Tater (my niece). Hopefully, next week is a different story. I really liked getting together with so many different people and just visiting.

I have finished several baby blankets in the diagonal dishcloth pattern. I try different patterns all the time but rip them out and go back to my dishcloth pattern. It works for me. Mom says that she did the same thing. She would start a pretty pattern and then rip it out and do a basic. After having some time to think on it, the basic pattern blankets are great because the pretty ones don't get used all the time. Those are the "good" blankets. The garter stitch blankets (mine are usually made from cotton) tend to be the ones the babies can grow with and drag behind them all through the house. That works for me.

I am currently working on a new blanket in the dishcloth pattern with Bernat Baby Coordinates yarn in Lemon Custard. One of the girls my two oldest went to school with is getting married and just found out she is expecting (good timing). She is doing the nursery in a John Deere theme (she's a farm girl to the core!!!) so I figure the light yellow will work. I will make another one in a cotton variegated to give her a basic go-to blanket. You can never have too many blankets when you have babies.

Empty the cupboards...

Well, that is what I am doing. I am emptying my cupboards. By baking. I have so many mixes and ingredients for things. I know some of them are in danger of due-date demise so I am on a baking spree. Yesterday, I baked a devil's food cake in two bread pans.

While it cooled, DH and I went to Kroger's. Milk was on sale for $0.79 a half-gallon! We picked up 2 gallon's worth! After paying almost $4.00 a gallon, coming in around $1.60 for a gallon is a treasure! So, I called Grandpap and Grandma to check on their milk status and picked up a few half-gallons for them. We also picked up 3 gallon's worth of Kroger orange juice, as it is good til almost the end of the month. I love orange juice but it can be almost as expensive as milk, so I have not been getting any for a very long time. Having it is such a treat for all of us!

We picked up a few other items and returned home. After dinner, DH and I prepared dessert! I took the cake loaves out of the pans, placing them on a cutting board. DH got out the box of ice cream, cool whip, and marachino cherries. I opened the small tub of vanilla bean ice cream that had been left to soften (melt, really) on the counter. Then, we assembled! Pour a little bit of melted ice cream in the bottom of a bowl, a slice of cake, half a slice of ice cream from the box, a slice of cake, fudge sauce (melted in microwave per label's instructions), cool whip, cherry. Add a spoon. Give it to a child. Repeat til you get yours. Lick the spoon from the fudge sauce. Enjoy. *sigh* Nice.

Tonight, I made a Cranberry Quick Bread with Orange Peel. Delicious.

All of this has been enjoyable, if somewhat exhausting. I have had an awful migraine for the last two days. It peaked at a level 10 today, an hour after I took my medication. I am drained and sore. My teeth and gums hurt from the swelling and the right side of my neck at the base of my skull hurts greatly.

I had an MRI last week and the results were clean. Part of me is thrilled that there were no findings but another part of me is disappointed. I KNOW something is wrong. I can FEEL that something is wrong. Yet, NOTHING is there. Helpless. That is what I feel right now. So, I will empty my cupboards. I will bake. And probably gain 20lbs or get so sick of looking at sweets that I will lose 20lbs.

Anyway, another ramble.

The Gs

Yesterday, Grandma had eye surgery. The surgeon said that the cataract so bad that he likened its density to that of a diamond. Today, well, she's in pain and on her way back to the doctor to get another checkup. We'll see how it goes.

The other 'G'...it's report card day here. For the younger two, at least. They messed around at the beginning of the grading period despite my constant prodding and reminding them that they can't play with their grades. Hopefully, the turn around that happened mid-grading period will help. So, pray for them. And me. The weather has been wonky and I got hit with a migraine (they've been getting even worse and morphing into something I hardly recognize anymore...but that's a whole other post). I can't take my meds until this evening because Mr. Chef has to go to work and DH can't guarantee what time he will be getting home...so, no meds for me until then.

Migraines & Mom - Part 2

For Dana - I completely agree about the food Mom has to be eating but from she says, it is pretty decent. They give her fruits and vegetables that she really likes and that has a lot to do with her weight loss, I believe.

Well, the doctor has taken me off the Topomax. He agreed with my husband, who wanted to flush my pills down the toilet, that this has to stop. So, for the next month the whole family gets to help me keep track of my migraines.

Migraines & Mom

Okay, so Mom had her surgery on her left knee. She is now in a rehab center for a few weeks and is doing very well. Besides her knee healing, she has also lost weight! YAY! This is what we have been waiting for. It is difficult to exercise if you can't walk - now she is starting to lose weight that she has been trying to get off for years.

I am going to the doctor today. I actually have to leave in a few minutes. I just needed to get this out of my system first. My migraine medication, the preventative - Topomax, is causing me so many problems. The good things no longer outweigh the bad. I can't continue with it. My memory STINKS! I am unable to remember things the kids have told me. I don't remember conversations. I can't concentrate on anything - I haven't made any jewelry in so long! I am unable to focus on simple tasks, like cleaning the house. Ugh! It's a monumental feat to get things done. I lost the van in the store parking lot the other day. This wasn't just forgetting the exact location but knowing the general direction to go - I LOST THE VAN! Luckily, my 18-year-old was with me and I just followed him, after I told him I did not remember where the van was.

My system reacts to medication in such an odd fashion. I could only take 1/4 of the dose of Topomax my doctor wanted me to take. I don't like the way I am right now. I don't like forgetting things. I am afraid that one day I will forget to go get the kids or even forget that I have kids.

Am I scared? Yeah. Do I think that another medication is the answer? . . . I don't know. I just want to be me again.

Black-Eyed Susans

I had a doctor's appointment on Monday, a check up for my migraines and how the medicine is working. Eh. So-so. The Topamax is holding at 25mg a day and doing well. The Maxalt is not working as well as it did in the beginning. I go back in three months with instructions to come in earlier if I am having difficulty.

Outside of the doctor's office is a huge bunch of Black-Eyed Susans. I have been debating on making an idiot out of myself for a few months and laying on the landing, leaning over and snapping a picture. So far, I have avoided it. On Monday, I became a goof. The picture is decent, though.

Edit: To Ewokgirl, as far as taste goes, I take the pill version of Maxalt. My doctor just asked me Monday if I would like to try the quick-desolve dose but I declined. I was thinking that the aftertaste might be a bit much for me. However, I am noticing some taste changes. Pop is starting to taste a bit off. I am drinking more water than EVER. I was also asked by my doctor about trying Imitrex injections after my next visit. Oh, the joy.

The humidity is getting unreal here as well. I hope that you get some relief soon. You are in my thoughts.

Went to the doctor's...

I had a check-up with my doctor Wednesday, since he put me on medication for my migraines on April 30th. After the adjustment in dosage, now only taking one 25 mg pill a day, I am doing well. Actually, I am doing amazingly well. He is keeping me on the 25 mg pill dose with instructions to call him if I get any increase in migraine. Normally, I would have had seven by now. I have had two -- that's what I said -- two! Hopefully, I won't have to increase my dose.

He has also put me on Magnesium Oxide, but I am a little iffy on taking straight magnesium. With as sensitive as my system is, and with this vitamin supplement also having laxative qualities, I don't know if I like that. I don't want to be chained to a bathroom all day!! Oh, well. The possibility of my migraines being lessened by building up the deficiency in my body outweighs some of the bad, I guess.

Oh, and I have lost 10 pounds! WOOHOO!

Doing Better Today...

I have had a rough few days. My medicine routine went up by one pill this week. I am suppose to work my way up to four pills a day, which would put me on the actual dose I am going to take, since my doctor gave me half-prescription samples to start with. I think I have finally figured out the right time frame, though. Take it in the morning, no problem. DON'T take it when you go to bed! Take it with DINNER instead! Yeah, I know, it rhymes! But how else am I going to remember!? This stuff causes me to be scattered brained! Oh, boy. That is going to give my brother more ammunition...um, Dana? Don't tell! I will never hear the end of it!

I am finally getting some stuff done with my jewelry. I made Mom another bracelet for her cane, but it was late at night when she and I finally got done laughing our way through it, so - no picture today, but I promise one for later. I fixed her medical id bracelet that she bought somewhere(base-metal beads turned her green) and it looks wonderful! Again, laughing - no picture.

Made a mad dash to the post office this morning! The last few days, the ones that have been so rough on me, caused me to be a very bad Auntie! I forgot to mail Sticky-fingers' birthday card! AAAAKKKK! It is on it's way, Sweetie! Aunt Jenny had it mailed special delivery, just for you! Love and hugs! We miss you and Crumbgrabber SOOO much! Give the grownups hugs and kisses!