You're wonderful as always @Wiebke , you always have such a lovely outlook on thingsMy motto for my second life...
You are doing OK and will get there. Transitions are always difficult. Just think about a dragonfly emerging from their chrysalis.
Thank you so muchGood luck with the operation and a speedy recovery
Very sweet, they have turned out nicely
You're definitely right, its amazing that they're starting to realise that they're in their forever home, happy and lovedThat's why and how you can come become addicted to adopting rescue piggies - when they lose their fear and discover the happy side of life and of being well cared for human pets, it's one of the most wonderful and uplifting experiences you can have.
Sometimes, it can take a lot longer and be more difficult but it is always worth it. Speaking from experience...
the girls have come so far in so little time!
I've had absolutely insane headaches for 2-3 weeks, the lovely doctor in a&e put it down to migraines from stress. I think from losing Ozzy and then the OH having an awful time with his health, it would make sense. I had an mri last night that a gp had ordered on Friday, to "make sure there isnt a brain tumor" the words I wish he would have never of said to me. It's been 4 days of pure chaos in my head because of it. After the mri I was dizzy for a while, headache was much worse because of the mri machine noise, accompanied by throwing up. Only ever really had basic headaches, for it to go from this hurts a bit to, can someone please stop sitting on my entire head, its awful. Had to call out of work yesterday and today, tried to go in but felt so ill and just couldn't, so they're going to have me in an attendance meeting. I'm so worried that theres something in my head that shouldn't be, but its just waiting for results. Sorry for the rant, just struggling a lot right now and the forum is always such a safe space. The piggies are all in good health and happy, so theres that at least
When it rains, it pours
)
Having a good cry reading this at the moment, its not a bad one, its just in a world full of people that don't know what to say to me, or ones that simply don't care, somehow a lovely lady that I've only spoken to once on a video call, and and quite a few times on the forum, is the one to make me feel the most seen and heard, thank you so much for being you. I did go into the scan with already having a migraine, and I don't do well with sounds to begin with. They did everything to make me feel as comfortable and relaxed as they possibly could. The two men there kept updating me and just talking, it really did help. When I got out of the bed, the room span quite a bit, he said its quite a normal thing the machine can do to people, it soon passed. Thankfully, it isnt a pain that wakes me up from sleep, I have managed to get quite a lot in last night, been away from light and sound as much as possible. I do struggle with sensory overload, there are times I feel like I could erupt but politely remind myself that I need to keep to myself because its unfair to stress others. You're such an inspiration, I often tell my OH how much kindness and compassion you've shown us as a whole, along with the forum, it's amazing that one person, that has no obligation to, shows more kindness than the majority of the people in this world. I hope that no results yet for you is good news, it is usually that if they haven't contacted you quickly, that no news is good news. I was ashamed of myself last night, there was a room full of people waiting for an mri but I was the only one that was in tears, I know that it's standard procedure and to rule out the biggest what ifs, but my brain can't accept that while in emotional overload. Big hugs to you @Wiebke, thank you so much for reassuring meHUGE HUGS
I am always turning up with my rollator at any hospital scan and head treatment because I feel rather woozy, off balance and disorientated afterwards and sometimes really struggle to find the exit.
The MRI is worst in that respect although I can usually cope and let the noise either let me soar or come out through my feet, depending on the rhythm. Or I took a dive in warm water (in my mind) with the one MRI I had in a different hospital, which had a somewhat sour sound that rather needed me to try to dampen the effect of the sound in my mind a little.
Your reaction is not at all uncommon when you struggle to cope with the noise from a MRI, which differs from machine to machine and can be extremely loud and unpleasant; especially with older models. Thankfully, any other scan is a lot less unpleasant, just as a heads up.
Right now, please make sure that you keep the light and any noise down as much as you can and try to rest and relax your neck and shoulder muscles from any stress tension. Migraines are are very painful, so much so that they can make you sick. That is pretty common and deeply unpleasant. Migraines come and go in a rebound cluster.
If you are having an MRI during a migraine cluster, then it would be rather likely that you have a bit of an over-reaction.
What you describe is very much in line with the few stress related migraines I have had in my life but it is NOT at all similar to my own experience with my own brain tumour and badly swollen brain, if that helps you?
I can of course not comment sight unseen and my own experience may not apply to your situation at all; but having had first hand experience of either I hope this can help you a bit? My own migraines have always been a reaction to a major stress situation when there was no suitable bug around I could come down with badly.
It is however important for the medical profession to make sure that nothing crucial is missed and that anything worse can be ruled out straight away. Try to see the MRI as a safety insurance rather than as a threat.
I do however wish that some people had a bit more sensitivity and commonsense...
What you could do if you feel that it would help you is to write a letter to the relevant MRI department. Mention your situation and how it has made things worse for you and ask them politely to please bring it up at their next staff meeting. Especially as anxiety is generally on the rise, that it is making the experience worse for any sufferers and undermines the good work they are doing. (Always add something complimentary so your point is accepted better.
I did that with my sensory overload overreaction at the start of my radiotherapy, and it was taken seriously.
PS: I had my own head MRI with contrast last Thursday right in the evening before a major storm front, which didn't help things at all and ended me with a rather bad night and some extra brain swelling pressure on top of my storm headache.
Still waiting for results but taking the fact that I haven't heard back from the team before my scheduled review as a positive that there is nothing seriously wrong and I can hopefully avoid going back on steroids although the brain swelling is still there for now the second week; but at least it is not getting worse.
PS2: One way I face my own worst case scenarios (from the possible cancer death of my hub to my own or the potential loss of a special piggy) is to face my fear head-on and and to ask myself whether I am able to bear this fear. If I can do that for a few minutes, then I know that I will have the inner strength to cope with whatever the worst case scenario throws at me - and anything else is a lot less bad...
We have been worried about this! My OH came out in a strange rash tonight, all over his hands, arms and feet. Not a bad shout, seen some awful news articles on it. Thank you
Cant see it through the glass, thank you @Betsy
and prayers 
I really hope you get to feeling somewhat better soon, it can be so draining to be so limited, especially when all you want to do is do more. I'll be looking into some noise cancelling headphones I think, as well as trying different things to try and help myself through the sensory struggles. I'm hoping that today cheered you up a bit, it was such a beautiful day. I kept meaning to reply but the doctor has given me tramadol that made me very floppy and silly, but a lot of the pain subsided so I'll take floppy and sillyThank you.
That has made my own day while I struggle with persistent custard legs and headaches and a hub who has his own health issues.
Not the worst headaches in the world but just persistent; feeling physically so limited is mood lowering. It's now coming up to four months of not being well again and I feel like I am running in place as there is one thing after another holding me back and not allowing me to build up my strength and stamina again.
I suffer from sensory overload as well and have found autistic earplugs (which help to filter background noise out) very helpful - thank you, @Claire W . It was my best Christmas present coming out of hospital! They are not expensive and worth a try because you can still hear, but in a room full of people or watching tv it can help. I always have them with me when going out and the place we are is filling up and getting noisy.
It is not easy when you have lost the emotional ground under your feet and everything new feels overwhelming, and of course it is worse when it happens in front of other people - just forget about them as they have their own struggles and you are unlikely to meet them again.
But you have made it through the MRI and will hopefully not have another one for a very long time - and the news will hopefully be good for you.
You will feel very tired and blue once your adrenaline runs out. Just see it as your body working all the high stress related chemicals out of the body and cleansing it.
You may perhaps want to have another talk with a charity to help you work some of it out of you to help you lower your stress levels and therefore your migraines.
So yes, I can really emphasize because I have several of your t-shirts in my own life's cupboard and because I have had to work out my own strategies of how to cope with multiple stress situations in ways that are tailored to my own needs. It's never easy when you are not quite mainstream.
I really do hope you manage to get some strength and stamina back soon, it must be so tiring and frustrating for you. Our little family is always rooting for you
I really hope you get to feeling somewhat better soon, it can be so draining to be so limited, especially when all you want to do is do more. I'll be looking into some noise cancelling headphones I think, as well as trying different things to try and help myself through the sensory struggles. I'm hoping that today cheered you up a bit, it was such a beautiful day. I kept meaning to reply but the doctor has given me tramadol that made me very floppy and silly, but a lot of the pain subsided so I'll take floppy and silly
I'm so happy that you managed to get out for a little, it must have felt amazing to sit there in the sun, the poor lady having lost her dogThank you. I am glad that you are feeling a bit better in yourself although I can totally sympathise with feeling floppy and silly and having a brain and body that is wading through molasses...
Yes, by all means experiment with things that help you with your sensory overload and then fine-tune once you are on the right track for what works for you. It can really make a difference and take pressure away you never knew you were constantly under. Thankfully, there is a lot more available now than there used to be.
Anyway, I managed to get as far as the first bench after the park entrance (it's the one in the sun), which is nearly a mile from our home, just before my old Sikh gent was off for his lunch and then I got to share my spot of sunshine with somebody who turned out to have a similar form of autism to me and who had just lost her beloved dog the day before without warning, so by the time she went to pick up her kids from school I was in the park for much longer than planned but I could do some consoling and have my first real autism 'shop talk' with somebody for who it also was the first time they got to talk with somebody who really gets you - it was a wonderful happenstance and we can hopefully have more chats in the future... And the lady went off in a much better frame of mind as well.
So I am very tired but also very happy. Definitely a marguerite-sized daisy to add to my life jar for today. When you are open for anything, it seems that every now and then random things really do happen that are meant to be.
she will have felt miles better just for having someone to talk to. Very happy that you're having better days and feeling happy too. I haven't managed much today, I had tramadol yesterday for my head, which worked amazingly. I tried my sumatriptan today and it made me unbelievably dizzy, was out of action for hours laying down. You're not meant to take them at the same time so no tramadol for me today, and maybe no sumatriptan ever again! It was scary. I do hope that you keep having some happy days, after everything you've been through and how wonderful you are, you absolutely deserve them
I'm so happy that you managed to get out for a little, it must have felt amazing to sit there in the sun, the poor lady having lost her dog
Lovely to hear that life is looking up for you! That's wonderful, sounds like you had a lovely day. Having another dizzy day today, less so though. Have asked for a sick note for work for Monday in case I can't manage, realistically I know I can't, but they expect me to force myself through illness due to attendance levels. Some lovely news, Raven is also a chest pig! She snuggled right into me, I had my face in her fur at one pointI am very sorry about the sumatriptan - definitely not the medication for you but glad that the tramadol is working. I feel for you with your dizziness, it is a horrible and very disabling feeling.
Take it easy and try to relax as much as you can. Hopefully you can go back on the tramadol tomorrow.
Thank you. Hub and I had our first little outing today that was more than a dinner meet with friends. We are both very tired - and very out of shape - but we have enjoyed the good weather and a dinner out. And I have got two new jigsaws to do whenever my head allows. Life is finally starting to look up again.
Lovely to hear that life is looking up for you! That's wonderful, sounds like you had a lovely day. Having another dizzy day today, less so though. Have asked for a sick note for work for Monday in case I can't manage, realistically I know I can't, but they expect me to force myself through illness due to attendance levels. Some lovely news, Raven is also a chest pig! She snuggled right into me, I had my face in her fur at one point
She is, they're such compassionate little ones! She didn't complain at all and just pushed her nose as far up to me as she could. She's come so far from the scared girlie she was when she first came to us
I hope you have a lovely weekend!
She is, they're such compassionate little ones! She didn't complain at all and just pushed her nose as far up to me as she could. She's come so far from the scared girlie she was when she first came to us
Take it one day at a time, and enjoy the springThank you. We have the gardener coming tomorrow morning to do some of the strong muscle cutting back stuff and I need to start the next round of cage cleaning - one a day...
But otherwise I try to rebalance my own mental health, enjoy the spring and continue building up my body again after I have lost all my muscles and strength again over the last 4 months.
you're doing amazing. I know cage cleans can take it out of you, it hurts my back because we have a floor cage, but once its done its done. Hope the gardener coming made you feel better too, my mum always gets excited on the phone telling me how well her gardener has done
