Two and a half weeks later, the migraines or headaches or whatever they are are still pretty constant. My eyes hurt, my eyebrows throb, the muscles at the top of the back of my neck are wound so tight that sometimes I can barely move my head. Massaging hasn't helped, heat only helps for a very short while, and the migraine medication the doctor here gave me can only be taken when I've got several hours to sleep/rest it off, and usually the pulsing and throbbing in my head is back once the medicine wears off. They aren't the killer types all that often.. just once every two or three days (including yesterday) though the worst can last over 36 hours at a time. But even when it's not sending me, doubled-over, to my medicine cabinet and bed, it's still there, lurking, making its presence known in subtler ways.

I have GOT to figure out what this is. I'd take my occasional breathing difficulty over this! I considered for a while that it may be a severe and delayed reaction to the inhaler, but I hadn't used the inhaler for quite a while before that first post-Thanksgiving Sunday headache, and yesterday's monster came on strong a full 20 hours after Wednesday's use of the inhaler. And again, I'd been using that inhaler for nearly a month before these headaches started, and they have yet to go away after two and a half weeks even considering there was at least a week in there I didn't have to use my inhaler at all.

Oy. Be careful what you wish for, eh? I'm breathing a little better, but I really would go back.

So that's the update. Thanks to those of you who have checked with me about how they're doing. Not so good, most of the time. I got to the point where I was sick of being holed up in my room when not at work (I skipped several social events because of them or the medication's side-effects) and ended up just forcing my way through to pain out into town. But I can only do that so much longer. Last night's to-the-point-of-tears (except it hurt even more to cry) pounding made me realize that I have GOT to go figure out what this is without further delay, because another night like that migh just make me .. well, let's just say it's not a good thing. It started Wednesday night, peaking by the time I finally left the karaoke thing I was at (after going to the youth group from the church I've been going to, and shopping for the command's Gift Exchange before that) because of my head. So I took lots of medication and turned in for the night. Thursday morning, it was a bit difficult getting up in time for command PT, but my head was feeling better enough that I didn't mind the grogginess. After PT and the de-stinkification process, I made it to work already feeling another whopper coming on.. or the same one coming back. And by lunch, I was hurting so badly I seriously considered asking to leave early, AGAIN. (I've already left for medical twice for these headaches specifically, and once was sent home Sick-In-Quarters after the appointment, and another time took an early out, and elsewhens took an early in. Also, when I have taken some medication during the day when they were really bad, I haven't been able to drive -- which is one of my duties here -- or function well enough to have my normal quick-turnover on my paperwork.) I hung in there, though, and made it 'till the CO cut me loose (everyone else in my office had already left, but I was replacing the CO's secretary for the day as I sometimes do) around 4, and promptly went to my barracks to medicate myself up real nice and hibernate 'till this morning. Even this morning, though, I had the fair edges of a headache-in-the-making, and have been fighting that all day with ibuprofen and willpower.

I will go to medical on Monday (when I won't miss work for it) and fill the Dr. in on all the things I've observed since I last saw him. Hopefully we'll get this knocked out once and for all.