[Research] Oh no -- here comes the sun

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Ha! I can just see that Nak -- a jewelers monocle on one eye and tweezers and a tiny hatchet for the pills.

He was upped fairly quickly on this last time. One week at 50, the next at 100,and the following up to 200, but I don't want to run the risk of him getting any rashes by doing another 100 leap -- this med has been helpful and I don't want risk scuttling it with impatience.
 
Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Lamotrigine 200 mg
Effexor XR 150 mg
Xanax --
taken 9

Woke up at 6:30 -- went to sleep late, after 1 am. Had a severe headache on the right side (from the side of his mouth, curling up around his eye), which began to fade after 40 minutes. It's still but duller now.

This is similar to a chronic headache he got a year ago, and thinking it might be due to his teeth visited a dentist, who said that it wasn't due to his teeth. I've read that headaches like this are common with FLE (one-sided pain from jaw to crown), but I need to find that reference again.

It's supposed to be a cloudy day again today. Yay! Despite the dull ache in his head, partner's chipper and has energy, and is making me breakfast and packing my lunch, WOOT!

Okay, it's 9:30 am, and most definitely NOT cloudy. Stoopid forecasters.

Spoke with him at lunch. No episodes this morning, but, because it's sunny, he has the usual 11 am sun induced weirdness. Now, what exactly that weirdness is, I can't say. The closest I have to a description is that the sun makes him feel disgusting, but disgusting in what way? Despite a lot of annoying questions for partner, this is the one thing I haven't been able to put into words. It's not confusion, it's pain, but mental pain, but of what sort he can't say. It's the oddest thing.

When I spoke to him at 12:30, I had woken him up. When I came home, he was still sleeping. To him, it felt like I had only just called him when I was suddenly home. Could be usual sleep time loss, but I don't think so. He was pale and sweaty when I got home, and that sleeping time loss is usually indicative that he's had some activity.

His headache remained all day, and felt worse after sleeping in the afternoon. He was tired, and a little moody for the rest of the evening.
 
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I used the thank button as a "Like" button for the making breakfast and packing lunchness!
 
I like that! I should equip partner with a thank button! Brings me coffee -- thanx! Makes me brekkie -- thanx! He also had dinner waiting for me when I got home yesterday (home-made burgers with baked potatoes. Virtually the only thing he knows how to make aside from steak) -- thanxthanxTHANX!

I think he feels a little bad, because I laid it on thick for the doc about how much his health issues were affecting my ability to function, and that I can't even rely on him to keep the apartment clean anymore lol. It was only a ploy to make the doc see that his inattention to partner affects more than partner, but I'll take the awesome care and attention I'm getting!

Ooo, plus Nurse Partner has been attending to my exploded blister on my heel with mucho TLC. He's the greatest. Aw, I want to go home now and be with him. Poo on work.
 
A personal thanks button is a great idea. Although I can see how this thread might end up in the gutter, so forget I said that... ;)
 
Aw, Nurse Partner!

funny-pictures-cat-goes-to-cat-doctor.jpg
 
Dying. Of. Cuteness. Overload. I'm so sharing that pic with him.

EDIT: yes Nak, very guttermagnetic that concept.
 
I dunno if you've tried weaning the coffe or switcihng to tea or what yet, but I've nbee a major coffe drinkner for years and what I do is mix 1/2 caf 1/2 decaf for now, then will go to 1/4 caf 3/4 decaf for a bit then full no decaf. Dunno if that helps or not, but it's been wroking for me with getting off the caffeine. :)
 
That sounds like a smart reduction plan. Right now our blend is at 2/3 regular and 1/3 decaf.
 
Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Lamotrigine 200 mg
Effexor XR 150 mg
Xanax --
taken 9

Sleep looked calm.

Woke up, headache is still there, but worse, and had a severe bout of confusion, nausea and dizziness which began fading after half a minute.

We may have uncovered the mystery of the leg pain (which is sharpest in his calves) -- yesterday, when he woke up, partner noticed that every muscle in his legs were flexed, to the point that his toes were pointing upward. He had to take a deep breath to help release these muscles, which ached brutally afterwards. If this is what's happening when he sleeps at the moment, it's no wonder that I'm not waking up to any activity. I wonder if his whole body tenses and how often this happens in a night.

Today is cloudy, so he's doing okay on that front. He still has the headache, occasional dizziness. He's just tired from not getting good sleep. No other noticeable incidences this morning.

He's been sounding pathetic and tired on the phone all day. Methinks, since he's been awake today (I think), he's probably had staring spells/time loss. I'll have to verify when I get home.

Okay -- hew as napping on and off today. Before his afternoon nap he experienced sudden onset of seeing fog in the apartment. We also talked more about his morning of stiff legs. They were actually raised off the bed slightly, and everything from the waist down was frozen solid for 10s. He said it was like being in a ski jumping position, and that it actually happens a lot. I told him he has to try and remember to tell me these things. So, that's DEFINITELY a part of the extreme agony in his legs when he wakes up.

Still has the headache tonight, but he says it feels like it's on his way out since he took the xanax. Yay!
 
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Holy mary mother of GOD! The receptionists at lazydoc's office are utterly incompetent.

I have been on hold waiting for a nurse for the last 10 minutes, and the SAME receptionist keeps picking up the hold line to find out what I want. I've told you THREE TIMES ALREADY LADY!!!
 
I hate people like that.
Have you found a video camera yet that you can use to record him while he sleeps? or maybe see if you can borrow one from somebody you know?
 
I keep forgetting to ask his brother if he's got one we can borrow. Thanks for the reminder. I'll have to remind partner to speak to him.
 
No problem.
It would be a very good way to see what happens. it would take a bit of tape, especially if you do a 3 or 4 day taping. This way you can maybe catch a restful like sleep.
 
It would be useful -- especially with the afternoon naps -- they normally make him feel like dirt, so something's going on there, if anything. at the moment, his sleeps are peaceful as far as both of us know, but he wakes up feeling like complete crap.
 
I was calling lazydoc to follow up about a scrip adjustment that had been faxed to him, and I was VERY firm on the phone. Not only did he agree to more xanax for partner, he agreed to waaaaaayyyyyyyy more. After two years of bugging him, and suddenly it's not a problem. I guess his doc thought I was "Queen a da harpies" and partner would need them to deal with me lol Whatever works.

Partner says the moral of the story is sqeaky wheel gets the xanax.

Now if we can get a doc to change that scrip to clonazepam, we're golden for a while.
 
Thursday, March 25, 2010

Lamotrigine -- mg
Effexor XR 150 mg
Xanax --
taken ??

I have to wake him and get him to the pharmacy this morning -- we can finally fill the increased lamotrigine prescription. Yaaay!

About 1/2 hour into sleep last night, he began the stomping/bicycling, followed by chomping. This would last 5s, stop for 15s then start again. I only recall three times. This morning appears fairly peaceful.
 
occb...could the headache be from the lamictal? I've been getting breakthru headaches since they upped my doseage after my seizure friday. These are definitely side-effect headaches...I get them in a different place then the migraines. Crazy I know but I have an area of my head partitioned off for each type of headache...neck and base of skull= stress; temple, ears and around below the occipital area=side-effect, top down to temple and occipital= migraine, eye/facial to neck= cluster.
 
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