Who need alarms when you suffer CH! Again i was woken like clockwork at 3am this morning with yet another attack. Its annoying especially considering i managed to stay pain free all day yesterday with the exception of the early morning beast call. Its seems like my attack pattern has shifted once again. The attacks during the day seem to have disappeared leaving only the late evening and early morning ones to contend with. Don't get me wrong, I still have strong shadows during the day and a sore neck and painful back. If i irritate any of these then i am guaranteed to have an attack during the day. Also if i go out in the cold and the cold wind gets to the side of my face or neck that will also bring on a big attack. So they haven’t just disappeared like i would hope, they are just manageable and if i am careful enough i can stop the attacks from appearing.
I am convinced once again it has something to do with the medication and now that i am almost at the maximum dose we are seeing what i hope are the results as it starts to help to put these attacks to sleep (so to speak). It could change again in a few weeks as this condition is so unpredictable. One minuet i am getting around 8 or 10 attacks in a day and then next i am only seeing 1 or 2. If they continue like this i will be very happy as having to deal with just one or two attacks either late evening or early morning is way better than what i have been going through. If i have to live with this condition for the rest of my life it is important that i find ways of managing it and these latest results are promising. i am getting a lot more rest than i was and i am not feeling so weak all the time.
One thing that i have noticed that is very important, especially in the winter months, is that if i allow the flat to drop in temperature below the 10 degrees mark then the head starts to play up and i will get attacks all day long. If i keep the temperature above this mark then it seems to ease the head and stop the attacks from building unless i do something stupid like pull a muscle or try and do things that will cause me to strain the left side of my body then this will also bring on an attack. This confirms my theory about the cold being one of the major triggers for this condition and something i should discuss with the doctor and specialist when i get my appointment. It can also become very expensive keeping the flat warm during the winter months especially now as the utility companies are all putting their prices up.
Oxygen also plays a huge part in keeping the attacks under control. Ever since i was prescribed the oxygen it has worked to half the length on the attacks and in some cases can help to abort an attack when it comes. Using the oxygen daily not only helps my chest and breathing and makes you feel more energetic but it seems to stop any of the smaller attacks from appearing. I will have to ask the doctor about portable versions of the oxygen treatment and maybe i will be able to get out of the flat a bit more if i had it with me.
There is a big change in the weather coming and i am hoping for the best. I am praying that we don’t get any snow or ice this year but i think its a bit too much to ask as i just know at the end of January it normally drops so dramatically the bad weather follows and usually ends up either sleet or snow falling. I have been doing everything i can in order to keep warm, if i go out anywhere. But no matter what i try, if the weather is cold, it normally sets of an attack and usually it is a big one. Fingers crossed for another pain free day today and hope i can keep the beast from showing its face. If i have to go out it is a case of wrapping up in layers and making sure i wear some kind of hat to keep the head warm. If we do start to get the snow and ice towards the end of the month then it will be time for a scarf to wrap around the face to keep the cold form starting my head off again.
