Let me just say that in all the years of going to neurologists for help with her migraines, not one single doctor has ever offered to turn the lights off for her. It’s amazing how something so simple can have such a positive impact.
The doctor was very well spoken. More importantly, however, he was a very good listener and he took Lizze very seriously.
For years, Lizze has been telling doctors that her brain hurts and for years, doctors have told her she was wrong because the brain doesn’t feel anything.
This new doctor was different.
When Lizze told him that her brain hurts, she had tears in her eyes when he told her he believed her and that it was absolutely possible. He said that the brain has no pain receptors but that there are tissues surrounding the brain that did. Those tissues are so close to the brain that there’s no way for her to know the difference and it made perfect sense that it felt like her brain hurt.
He went over a bunch of medical history and listened to Lizze describe all she’s experienced. We never felt rushed and he made it a point to tell her that the information she provided was important and very helpful.
Basically, they approach migraines from multiple angles:
- Diet
- Exercise
- Medication
- Sleep
- Psychological
Lizze is already working on 4 of the 5 things and has been for some time. There’s absolutely room for improvement but he’s very happy with what’s she’s already doing. The one thing we need to address is the medication aspect.
We discussed how pain medication was not a good option. That’s something that we all agree on. We went over several options and I asked about a brand new medication called Aimovig. I read an article in the New York Times earlier this year about it and how it’s a huge leap forward in the prevention of migraines.
He talked about it with us and said if that’s what we want to do, he will set it up.
Aimovig is different because it’s the first medication created specifically for migraines. It’s not a blood pressure, antidepressant, or anticonvulsant medication being used off-label to treat migraines. This means almost no side effects because all it does is interfere with the 1 specific protein that causes migraines.
It’s a once a month injection and like Gavin’s IVIG Infusions, it’s a specialty medication and must be shipped from the Cleveland Clinic pharmacy.
It will ship in a couple of weeks and we go from there. It takes about a week to work after it’s been injected.
This is all good news. The worst part of the last few years is that as Lizze has suffered the migraine, the stress would’ve increased the pain. (I know with being in daily chronic pain that I still have levels.) I can’t imagine the suffering Lizze has had to grow through. And it sounds like this experience will lead to a lessening and (hopefully) an end to this horrible migraine.
Awesome news!! I hope it works wonders for her.
OMG!!! I hope so so so much that she finds relief!
Pray it works…..that has to be torture….