Oh my gosh. I have so much news, I'm going to have to break it up into two posts. Plus it's getting late and I just got a headache (me?!). :)
So I'll start with very cool news. Well, most people wouldn't think it's cool, but I do. My mom has become a Facebook fanatic and she recently found a "long lost" relative on my dad's side via Facebook. This relative told her that a condition called Factor V Leiden runs in my dad's side of the family (it's common in Italians, which they are, and I am too, partly). Basically, the condition is a genetic disorder where the blood has a tendency to clot. People who have it have a risk of stroke, which is why most people wouldn't think the news is cool. But migraines have been linked to vein blood clots and therefore this news gives me a little hope of a cure for my headaches.
Thanks to Mayo Clinic, you can read all about Factor V Leiden. It mentions a test you can get to see if you have it. I had a neurology appointment yesterday and ended up getting the blood test done that day as well, so I should have results in about a week. If I do have the condition, treatments would be Herapin and Warafin, blood thinners, but I'm not sure if I'd be able to take them unless I actually have blood clots. I'm going to wait and see what my test results say first.
Two more updates:
1) I'm finally stopping Bystolic. My neuro checked my heart rate and was shocked that it was so low, and I had a thermometer in my mouth at that time (he said it had something to do with a thyroid test and I ended up getting a blood test for that too) so I couldn't talk much, but I did manage to say "Bystolic" and he said OOOH! Since my last visit, in Dec. I think, he had forgotten I was on it. I asked if I could stop and he said yes. I was taking it for migraine prevention and I've had migraines lately, so there's no point. My heart rate was down to about 60 beats per minute, and today it's about 80 (he didn't specify to wean off it, but I'm going to just to be safe).
2) My appointment with the new neuro has been scheduled. It's NEXT WEEK! I'm nervous because my neuro just put me on progesterone (more about that in my next post), and I'm afraid the new neuro is going to change things up now that I'm finally potentially starting something that might maybe perhaps but probably not work.
Next post: natural progesterone, and my first compounding pharmacy experience!
