I'm baaack!

Well at least that is how I feel!  I am back to my somewhat normal self! We are officially in the 2nd trimester! Yahoo!! The nausea has definitely subsided, and I feel as though I have a little more energy than I did.  (Don't tell my husband- I still need an excuse to take naps! jk)  Now if the 'teenage boy going through puberty' acne would disappear I would be ecstatic!  The only new thing lately I have been dealing with is headaches.  Now we know that headaches are not a new thing for me, but they were gone for a while.  The only problem now is that Tylenol is all I can take and that does not cut it!  We see the doc next week and I am hoping she will have some answers or maybe they will go away by then (and stay away!)
Some days I feel like I actually look pregnant and some days I feel like I have a beer gut.  By the end of most days though, I definitely have a belly, but it magically seems to disappear when I wake up in the mornings?! Who knows?!
We are getting more excited and anxious to find out if Tiny is a boy or a girl.  My gut feeling is a girl.  I keep asking Jon what he thinks Tiny will be and he never has an answer.  He claims he doesn't have a "gut feeling" about it.  I truly thinks he just wants a boy and doesn't want to admit it, so he's trying to stay neutral.  He did say that he wants to have a gender reveal party, and because of the party planner I am, that made me excited!  I have it all planned out in my head, but we just have to see what's going on in our lives when it's time to reveal.  (Mainly if our house is sold, where we are living, etc.)
I guess I'll go find a snack (probably a pickle and some fruity candy since that's what I always want these days) and try to figure out what to cook for dinner...

Porcupine Parables

As most of you know I have been dealing with crazy headaches and migraines for quite some time now...5 months to be exact.  If you didn't know about it you can catch up and read about it here, here, or here.  I tried all sorts of treatments and nothing seemed to help.  I decided to look in to acupuncture and researched it a little, asked around for opinions, and found a couple of places here in town that offered it. I decided I was going to try it, because what the heck?!  If it didn't work, well I would just be in the exact same position, but if it did work, then alleluia!   So I called the guy I decided I wanted to use and spoke with him about it and made my appointment.  He informed me that acupuncture works best for headaches and that after 3 visits, if it worked, I shouldn't have to deal with these terrible headaches much anymore.  I had my first appointment on December 8th and it went something like this...

-it's hard to see the needles in this pic-

-but they are there, and have electricity connected to them (only a few in my head at least)-

I have to admit that I was a bit nervous, but it was a great experience.  Jon went with me to be my moral support (and my photographer).  It did not hurt, and it was very relaxing.  After the first week I could tell a difference in the type of pain I was having with the headaches, but I was still having them pretty frequently and they were pretty severe.   I went back the next week for my second treatment and told him about the difference I was experiencing, so he put even more needles in my head and on my neck that time.  That appointment lasted twice as long as the first.  After that appointment I was not having headaches as often and they were not as severe as they had been.  I was scheduled to go the week before Christmas, but had to cancel because life was just too busy trying to get ready for the holiday.  I do plan on going back for at least one more treatment.  The acupuncturist is out of town, but when he returns I do plan to go back.   I will say that I have not had a headache (at least not bad enough to take any medicine for it) in at least 2 weeks.  I have been putting off writing this post because I am afraid of jinxing myself or speaking too soon.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I have finally found a cure for these dadgum headaches!

Love Letter/Hate Mail

Dear Topamax,
I'm not sure how I feel about this relationship.  We have been together now for 10 days and most of my feelings for you are negative.  I do appreciate the appetite suppressant you supply,  although my love for food is still greater.   You are supposed to be making my headaches better, and not only better but non-existent, and you have done the opposite.  I have had a non-stop headache for 10 days now!  I can't stand the tingling feeling you cause in my toes, heels and fingers, but I am thankful that you are not causing it in my lips like I was warned you would do.  I do not like the constant fog I feel like I am in and how I feel like I am dazed and confused.  If you don't start doing your job (and really well) by the time we get to our desired dose then I am afraid I'm going to break up with you!
Sincerely,

   Disgruntled

November is upon us

I thought this past weekend of work was never going to end! We did dress up for Halloween on Sunday at work.  The theme of our unit was rockstars, and my co-workers looked more "rockstarish" than I did.  I did have some pretty sweet horns that the MIL bought for me! But thank goodness the weekend of work did end!!

On Monday our sweet babies got their "fur did" and I must say they are precious!
That night I decided to make a new chili recipe from Annie's Eats and we invited Jon's parents over to join us for dinner.  I definitely have to recommend this recipe! My husband was somewhat skeptical about the meal because it does have ground turkey, but he loved it anyway!  After dinner we sat around the house waiting for trick-or-treaters that never showed, but that's okay because we enjoyed the candy ourselves while watching Monday night football.  On Tuesday morning I finally went to my long awaited neurologist appointment.  It went well, I suppose.  I like the doctor, I feel she listened and really put into consideration what I have been going through.  She started me on Topamax and wants me to change my eating habits (cutting out as much MSG as possible).  The Topamax will also be a trial and error drug, like all the ones before.  I have to slowly increase my dose in hopes that it helps my headaches but does not cause the unwanted side effects.  If this doesn't work then we will have to try yet another drug. In a way I hope that this is the drug that works because I am tired of playing the trial and error game, but on the other hand if it does work I will have to stop taking it once Jon and I decide to start a family.   Oh the joys of these dang headaches! Why can't they just go away on their own?!  (I guess they are just stubborn like me!)
Wednesday and Thursday will consist of working, but we will have the weekend off!!  Saturday morning we are taking our family (Jon, myself, and the pups) Christmas card pics.  And of course Saturday night we will be cheering on the LSU Tigers for the biggest game of the season against Alabama!  Geaux Tigers!!

I hope everyone has/had a wonderful week and weekend!

More headache nonsense

I am STILL having headaches!  The constant headache was "knocked out."  But I am still having periodic headaches every other to every two days.  A lot of times I wake up with a headache still.  I talked with my doctor today (internal medicine) and she took me off the Lortab...it was doing nothing but making me sleepy and itch, which I had to take Benadryl for that, so then I was SUPER sleepy.  She started me on a different med I had never heard of, Fiorinal.   She also made me an appointment to see a neurologist (which will happen on October 25th) and I now have to keep a "headache journal."   I'm not really sure what all is supposed to be recorded in this headache journal, but I will do my best to keep track of all the important info I suppose.  I did go to Target and get a cute mini notebook of sorts that will become my headache journal.   I do know one thing...I am so over these headaches!! I am tired of having them, and I'm sure my husband is sick of me complaining about them (plus everyone else I complain to).   I hope the neurologist can give me more answers or a better solution!  Until then I will be journaling...