Is This Real Life?!

So I've been at Chelsea Community Hospital in Michigan at their inpatient headache unit for 24 hours. So far I've been pretty busy. I've had 3 IV treatments (zofran, benedryl, and DHE), my nightly meds (topamax and doxepin), and one abortive (I chose toradol, and my other choices are thorazine, flexeril, keppra, skelaxin, and baclofen). I also had a lumbar puncture so they could check my spinal fluid pressures (which were normal) and they will send the fluid to be tested for infection. I've met with the team (Dr. Saper is such a nice guy, and my meeting with them seemed more like a pitch for music therapy (which he seemed interested in hiring) than discussing my treatment goals. And he knows my neurologist at home... "Any friend of Charles is a friend of mine."), met with the physicians assistant at length, the anesthesiologist, and psychologist. Phew!

Tomorrow, I will have an MRI of my neck because they want to see the spine, and then they will do a nerve block.

I've been pleased with their responsiveness to my needs and questions. I ask for something, I get it.

So, how am I doing? Well, it's still pretty early. But, I have responded to the meds. My headache will decrease one pain level after the meds (on a scale of 0-5). This last dose of DHE 2 hours ago was finally a full dose. We'll be working to find some IV drugs that work, and then likely switch them to orals. And they also want me to try as many abortives, since now is the time to do it, and to see what does/doesn't work. Then hopefully I can go home with at least 3 abortives (to take on an as-needed basis when I have a bad headache). At this point, I don't have any successful abortives to use.

All the meds are making me feel.... weird. I think David depicts it pretty well: