You're not having a heart attack...

Was it a day full of kids and taking down the Christmas decorations and Troy being home that gave me the migraine? Maybe. Regardless, I gave up on Ibuprofen yesterday evening and had to take something stronger for my migraine.

I've used this medication a few times before and I've never really liked it. It makes me feel weird and I prefer the stuff I used to take but that drug is no longer on the market. (I'm not sure I want to know why) This stuff does get rid of the migraine and that' the goal.

My migraines usually only come about once a month or less and I can usually treat them with a massage to the back of my head and my neck. This particular medication makes my neck and shoulders ache. It feels like someone is squeezing too hard and it hurts. But it does get rid of the migraine.

So about 4pm, I took a pill. I laid down for a few minutes in the dark and the shoulder tightening begins. Great! We're on our way to feeling better, let's go to Costco. We'd no sooner pulled out of the driveway when my left arm started to ache, my left jaw got tight. A few miles down the road, the fingers on my left hand were tingling and heavy, even my left leg was starting to ache. Now my back and chest started to hurt. FREAK OUT!!! I didn't want to tell Troy or say anything in front of the kids but I was getting a little worried. Should we drive to the emergency room? Call 9-1-1?

I wait until Troy's pumping gas and call Walgreen's. The "pharmacy intern" assured me this was not a listed side effect of my medication and couldn't be from what I'd taken for my migraine. Great. What does that mean? So we get inside Costco and Troy finally asks if I'm okay. "Yes, I think so. I feel like I'm having a heart attack, but I feel okay, so it must be the medicine." "What do you mean? you feel like you're having a heart attack? Who did you call? Call the nurse line! Call you doctor!" We grab the 4 items we need, buy Ella a hot dog for the road, skip the potty with echoes, (see earlier post on potty training) endure her crying over this and head home.

I call the nurse line and explain my symptoms. She reads something and tells me to hang up and call this number. "Tell them they must page the doctor on call. Tell them the nurse line told you to call and it's urgent." Great, this is making me feel much better.

Finally, I get a call from the doctor. Again, I explain what I took, what I feel like, etc... "You're not having a heart attack..." Thank GOD! The words I've been waiting almost an hour to hear!!! I won't leave Troy as a widower with these two kids still in diapers! (yes, these were the thoughts running through my head)

Turns out, it was the medication. I can't take it anymore, or take anything from the same drug family. But it did go away after several hours and I did get rid of the migraine. At least that worked out okay.