Trying Once Again, But Still Coming Up Short

Welcome to the 482nd Metamorphosis Monday! I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to write this post this morning. Last night while working on a puzzle here in the office, I started noticing I couldn’t see very well out of my left eye. Immediately I could tell it was another ocular migraine. This is only the 3rd or 4th one that I’ve ever had. With the previous ocular migraines, there was no headache afterward, but this time was different. It was like I was back in high school, the ones I had back then were excruciating.

At first, I took an Advil Allergy/Sinus tablet, thinking the headache must have been brought on by pollen. When that didn’t help, I remembered I had once purchased some Excedrin Migraine a while back. I found it in my medicine closet and noticed it had expired in 2017. Since I was in so much pain and it was too late to drive to a 24-hour grocery store a few miles away, I took one of those.

It didn’t help either. By 1:30 this morning the pain was so bad I drove over to the Urgent Care that’s close to my home. Since it’s a huge, hospital-affiliated facility, I thought they might be open 24 hours a day. Nope, they were closed. I almost drove to our local hospital, but just felt too bad to drive that far, so I went back home. I think I finally fell asleep between 3-4:00 this morning.

I guess I’d better buy some Excedrin Migraine to keep on hand since it appears the ocular migraines are going beyond just vision disturbances now. Ugh. Thankfully they rarely happen. Don’t worry, I saw my eye doctor after the last Ocular Migraine and he confirmed all was fine with my eyes. I can see fine this morning, just have a lingering “don’t-move-the-head-too-fast” headache. Think I’ll take a nap once this post goes up. lol

My Met Monday this morning is a new desk chair for the office. You may remember this beauty that I purchased last year. I love how it looks but it has started to sag downward in the center making it very uncomfortable for working.

 

I think the seat is just a very large chunk of foam. It would have been great if I only worked at my desk for a little while each day, but I spend a lot of time in my office chair since I work on a lot of things here in the office, including the occasional puzzle.

 

I thought this time I’d try one that was more office-like. This one had mixed reviews, they were either really good or not so good. I decided to try it, hoping I would get a good one.

It has arms, which didn’t work out the last time I tried one with arms. The previous armed chair I tried kept scratching my desk with its chrome, metal arms whenever they hit the desk, which was a lot. Since the arms are padded on this chair, I was hoping that wouldn’t be an issue. Unfortunately, it looks like I’ll be returning this chair, too.

 

It has two major issues: 1. It will not hold its height. No matter how many times I adjust the height, if I get up and walk away, when I return the chair has settled back down to a much lower height. It’s usually an inch or two lower than where I had previously had it set and I have to adjust the height all over again. That gets really old–having to re-position your chair to the correct height 400 times a day.

The other issue is the knob that controls the tilt feature, will not budge. Its located underneath the seat and you’re supposed to be able to turn it to make the back tilt easily back or stay upright. Unfortunately, it’s permanently stuck in the tilt-back mode and is impossible to adjust, no matter how hard I try.

I have another chair coming today and I’m hoping it will work. I had purchased another chair a few days ago that looked very much like this one below, except it was white. When it arrived and I opened the box, I never even took it out. I could tell by looking at one of the arms that it would look terrible with my desk. It was stark-white and all the furniture here in the office is more of creamy, off-white color. I returned it the same day it arrived. I hope the one coming today isn’t too, too white.

The chair you sit and work in during the day is such an important chair. I’m hoping I eventually find one that works for longer than a year. I’m tempted to order another one of these, hoping I win the chair lottery and get one that works properly, but it was a fair amount of work to put this one together, and I hate to do that again only to find it doesn’t work properly again. I also still think one without arms is a better choice since I can scoot up closer to the desk. We’ll see how the one that’s coming today works out…will keep you posted!

New Desk Chair, Gray with Leather Seat

 

Looking forward to all the great Before and Afters posted for this Met Monday!

Pssst: I post almost daily on Instagram. Follow Between Naps on the Porch on Instagram here: Between Naps On The Porch. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe for free email updates when a new post is up here: Subscribe for post updates.

Metamorphosis Monday

Metamorphosis Monday is a party that’s all about Before and Afters. If you are participating in Met Monday, please link up using the “permalink” to your MM post and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top of your blog, into the “url” box for InLinkz.

In order to link up, you’ll need to include a link in your MM post back to the party so the other participants will have an opportunity to receive visits from your wonderful blog readers.

Please observe these few rules:

Please link up Before and After posts that are home, gardening, decorating, crafting, painting, sewing, cooking, fashion or DIY related.

Be sure to include a link back to the party in your post, so your readers will be able to find and visit the other bloggers who are participating.

Do not link up to the party if you’re only doing so to promote or sell a product.

To those who are linking up: If you notice a shop or online store linking up to sell products (yes, unfortunately, that does happen) please let me know so I can remove their link and block them from participating in future parties. No one wants to click a link expecting a Before and After, only to find a spam link to an online business/store.

*If a post is sponsored or a product was provided at no charge, it will be stated in post. Some links may be affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. *



 Never miss a Between Naps on the Porch post! 

*Subscribe to have updates delivered to your Inbox. 



Comments

  1. Gosh Susan, I hope you find some headache relief soon.♥

  2. Thank you for the party today, and I’m so sorry about your headaches, that must be scary horrible! Good luck on finding a new chair, you are so right about making sure it is comfortable for long sessions!

  3. We had tried a number of office chairs as well. The last one we bought for my husband we paid big bucks for it but because he had retired and was going to be working on a book and spending more hours in his chair we decided it would be a worthy investment. We purchased it at a “Healthy Back store”. https://www.healthyback.com/office/task-chairs.html His was between $7-800.00. Office chairs aren’t particularly “pretty” but when you are sitting on them, it’s comfort that matters! It has performed wonderfully. I have a good chair as well and found a cushion by Kensington that has never got flat (like a memory foam) and I have been using it for several years. I bought it on Amazon. I hope these tips help.

    • Thanks, Toni! I think I’m going to have to go back to one without any arms. I can’t get the ones with arms close enough to the desk to work. Good thing is I can rest my arms on my desk to type, so that works out okay. Thanks for that link, I’ll check them out!

      • The arms are shorter and more toward the forearm/elbow which allows one to scoot closer to a desk. You need to sit in one to see how it fits.

  4. Kensington cushion has never GONE flat!

  5. suzanne ludwic says

    I’m so sorry about your headaches! Glad you’re feeling better today. My husband had all kinds of problems finding a comfortable office chair. We finally found one at Ikea of all places! He loves it! Good luck!

  6. Kathy Shearer says

    Have you seen a migraine specialist? If not, I would highly suggest it. I suffered from horrible migraines for years until menopause. Magically they disappeared! Over the counter meds never relieved the pain.

  7. Glad you didn’t go to the hospital. Most ER’s are not set up for ocular care.
    They can bandage you, but not much anything else. Having a good ophthalmologist is a must. My migraines are barometric related and in this part of the country spring is my enemy. Think tornado in my head when the sirens go off.
    Did you plant the annuals yet?

    • That’s who I saw after the the last one…my eye doctor…he said that it was normal and nothing was wrong with my eyes. I think mine may be too because the last one I had, it had been raining and yesterday it was raining thr entire day. Plus, I was bent over doing a puzzle much of the day. I think that had a lot to do with it…the barometric pressure.

  8. Julie Williams says

    Have you checked with a migraine Dr? I thought I read that if ocular migraine things in your eye don’t go away after 20 minutes to get checked because there could be a risk of stroke. Check it out.
    Have you seen the various chairs made for posture correctness? They are less massive and supposedly ideal for comfort. Also, my Postural Restoration Therapist (PT) says that your knees should always be slightly higher than your hip when sitting, to relieve strain on your back and keep your core engaged otherwise the back sways and more issues ensue—which could include headaches. I could look up a few of the chairs if you’d want me to. Julie W.

    • Yeah, I was worried about that the last time I had one, but my doctor said all was fine. I googled last night when it wouldn’t go away and they said they can last 4-72 hours! I can’t imagine having a migraine for 72 hours!

  9. I had constant issues with chairs when I was working. When I had it high to work at the desk comfortably, then the arms would not fit under and my feet were off the floor. I think only someone with a long torso can make it work. Yes, keep us posted!

    • That’s exactly the issue I keep having. I’m only 5’3″ and when raise it high enough to work at my desk, my feet are dangling. Also, the arms won’t go under the desk. That’s why I do better with an armless chair. I could take the arms off this one, but then I’d have holes in the side, plus it won’t stay up. I hope the armless one I ordered that’s coming today works.

  10. Susan, I have experienced migraines with aura since I was 25. Mine were mostly hormone or stress related and are rare now. My sure fire “fix” (for decades) to alleviate the devastating headache that follows visual disturbances is a simple prescription of naproxen sodium of 550 or 600 mg. Go see a regular doc about it. You still may have other issues for the next day or so (migraine hangover), but you can sleep and function.

    • I think the ones I had in highschool were hormone related. I am going to ask my docotor for something. I definitely need something stronger than what I took last night. It would be fine if it put me to sleep because they are exhausting to experience. Glad you aren’t having them very often now. Mine last one was a long time ago, sometime last year. I definitely have a migraine hangover oday. lol

  11. I got my chair at Costco several years ago and have been very pleased with it and it has held up well. It’s not a designer piece for sure but comfortable and that’s what counts.

    • I think I may still have a membership there. I never visit the one here because it’s across the street from a mall and traffic is insane. Thanks, Linda…I’ll check them online to see what they have, too.

  12. Thanks so much for hosting!!
    Hugs,
    Deb

  13. Mary from Virginia says

    I hope you are better! Scary!

    • Thanks, Mary! I think it’s the rain/barometric pressure. It’s super overcast today and I can still feel it in my head. Ugh. Nothing like last night though. Hope you are doing great!

  14. I hope you never get a headache like that again! Have you heard of MigRelief? It is OTC for $10 a bottle at the Walgreens Pharmacy counter. It was recommended to us by multiple neurologists and really does work. It is mix of vitamins, nothing scary. <3

  15. Migraines are the worst! I used to have them fairly regularly and finally was prescribed Fioricet – a combination of a barbituate, acetaminophen, and caffeine, which really worked for me during those years. I spent time in the drug store comparing all the various Excedrin options and noticed many of them are the same, with different names – for example, Excedrin Migraine has the same ingredients as Excedrin Extra Strength: acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine. (Other brands – Bayer, etc., plus generics – do the same thing.) It’s a marketing ploy to make us buy multiple bottles, I think.

    I’ve had a few ocular migraines since then, and I’ve noticed even if they seem to be in one eye, if I cover each eye separately, the “aura” or shape is the same. So weird – luckily I haven’t had the headache with them.

    Lastly! My current desk chair has arms and I’ll never give them up! So much more comfortable. It’s one of those ugly mesh styles but I do love it.

    Can’t wait to see what chair you end up with. Your office is so cheerful and inviting and inspirational. Love reading all your posts.

    • Thanks, Patty! Mine was like that last night. It started in my left eye, then started affecting the vision in my right eye. Yeah, I hate taking any of that stuff because it’s all got warning labels about severe liver damage. Scary! Sorry you suffer from these, too. I normally don’t have them, they just started coming around again last year.

  16. Best office chair I’ve ever had is the bungee chair from the Container Store. My daughter told me about them and once I tried I would never go with anything else. I do use a lumbar pillow with mine because I’m pretty short and I like to sit a little more upright-stays firm and molds with you tho

    Sorry about your migraines, been there done that. Sometimes those darn allergies are the culprit like you said- but nonetheless no fun at all. Dr’s always look at you like “huh?” when you tell them your sinuses are involved

    • Kay, it has great reviews online. You don’t feel those bungee cords on your bottom? Does it work for sitting long periods? I am short too, and like setting on a firmer seat…not too mushy. Thanks for suggesting it!

      • the bungees are flat, not like the kind that you would use to tie something up. It works for me for long periods – it is a very firm but comfortable feel.
        The bungees are wonderful- cool too, cause they are covered and separated a bit.
        Another suggestion for people that sit long periods is to stand for part of it with a stand up desk option. Even the employees at my husband’s office have made the switch and most people love it. Those that wanted to also could get a padded anti fatigue mat to stand on. Something to consider 🙂

  17. So sorry to hear about the return of the headaches. I used to have that problem after girl surgery and was put on the patch for hormones. I would always get a sharp headache for the first day after putting one on. Then I started cutting the patch thinking I was getting too many hormones for my body and it always worked until it didn’t and I cut the patch even more until I realized I was hardly taking hormones and the Dr. just took me off of them altogether. Now I use a cream twice a week which works fine. I get dull sinus like headaches fairly often but not those sharp ones. Mine appear to be allergy related now. Sharp ones are scary to me. Do you have a BP device? Does a hot soak in the tub help? Sorry, being a mother hen.

    I know about those desk chair frustrations. Trying to find one that doesnt cause a back ache and is the right fit for multiple purposes is tough. I had a beautiful leather but the leather cracked on the seat sides and one day I tucked my hand under the cushion and I realized it was completely to the point of crumbling. I never thought to condition between the cushions and chair sides. It was 15 years old and was $700 originally. I always felt like Lily Tomlinson playing the little girl sitting in the big chair skit sitting in it. It wasn’t perfect. It slipped out from under me sometimes when I leaned forward. I tried to find a cheaper version to no avail. I now use one of my extra dining table padded seat chairs but if I sit for too long writing my back can give out. I tend to go for more expensive though for something like a well used chair. Have you considered a coordinating color like Spring green to match the upholstered print chair behind the ottoman or a floral print to go with the chandelier? Just a thought. Hope you feel better.

  18. N Akeroyd says

    I found a couple of beautiful , one made by Hooker and another one that I can’t recall the brand name. There was a Serta as well. I looked up beautiful office chairs and a rainbow of possibilities popped up but they were pricey.

  19. Christina Pattyn says

    Hi Susan, I spend most of the work day at my desk. I would get the worst lower back pains from sitting so long in a poorly designed chair. That all changed as soon as I found the Herman Miller Aeron chair. They’re pricey, and an “office-y” looking chair, but so worth it. Here is a link to the Herman Miller site
    https://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/office-chairs/aeron-chairs/
    Hope you’re feeling better!

  20. Susan, I’m so sorry to hear about your migraine. What a year of health issues you’ve had! Hopefully you can get some rest after that long stressful night. As for your chair, it’s something that’s crucial to your job and your back. I hope you find one that gives you the support you need. (And yeah, buy two when you find that unicorn of a chair!)

    • Except for getting the flu in December, I’ve been in great health. Learned my lesson about traveling during flu season! Not doing that again! I know, really! I have the issue Mia mentioned, if the arms fit under the desk, I can’t reach the top of the desk. I’m going back to an armless chair.

  21. I meant to include this in my earlier comment, but got sidetracked. You might want to ask your doctor about trying the migraine medication Relpax. (There’s a generic for it now, which is what I use, called Eletriptan.) My brother has severe migraines, and it works so well for him that I asked my doctor about it. I have occasional migraines and I call this my “magic pill”. If I take it when I get the visual disturbances I don’t get the headache. If I wake up with a migraine and take one, the headache is generally gone within a half hour! Other migraine meds I’ve tried have had intestinal side effects but this one doesn’t seem to. Just food for thought.

    • Yup, I have the same intestinal issues with Advil and Rx like that. Thanks for that suggestion, Joy! I’m going to ask my primary care doctors about some of the meds folks have suggested today. The over the counter stuff doesn’t work.

      • I take the Relpax too, after a lifetime of hormonal migraines they have slowed down but the relpax was the only med I could take that worked. They leave me feeling a bit woozy for the day but better than the headache

  22. Hope you feel better fast and that those headaches won’t occur too often. My DIL has migrains…they are a terrible affliction!

  23. Whenever you have a problem crop up I love the way you can take care of yourself! You access and do what is necessary—like determining the ER or not, whether to attempt to drive further or not. Just like how you handled your illness on your trip. Hope you rest today as it sounds exhausting to go through migraines and you have loads of suggestions from fellow sufferers ti research later. As for the chair, I am dead certain you will find the right one!!

  24. I used to have frequent ocular migraines until domrone introduced me to an essential oil called M-grain, which is sold by Young Living. Until I experienced first hand the effectiveness of M-grain during a parti ularly nasty episode, my view of essential oils was “snake oil”. Foir years later, I continue to be a firm believer in the benefits of M-grain. Just a couple drops rubbed into the temples upon onset does the trick for me WITHOUT FAIL!!!

  25. Michele (Finch Rest) says

    Dear one, I hope your ocular migraine goes away and stays away – I get them and they make life nearly unbearable. Sending up some prayers for you –
    and good luck with office chairs. I am sitting in 4th one and the only comfy ones are ugly as heck. Hey, designers, what the heck?!!? Blogging ladies need both comfort and beauty – you’re missing the marks in that need!

  26. thanks for hosting another great party. i’m so sorry to hear about your migraines. i hope you felt better after your nap… and find the perfect chair. xo- maryjo

  27. Peggy Gordon says

    Had ocular migraines followed by debilating migraines with severe vomiting for years. Caffeine helped (and the presciribed medication was largely high dose caffeine that gave me severe palpitations) but usually the only thing that really helped was getting in bed, in a dark room, lying perfectly still and waiting for it to pass. As others have mentioned, they disappeared entirely with menopause. Good luck.

  28. Barbara Anne says

    As a registered nurse, I once asked a pharmacist how much those outdates and “use before” notations matter about medicines, prescription and OTC. His reply was that they don’t matter at all. It’s lawyer-speak and a way to make more money for the pharmaceutical companies. He said that medicines lose their potency very, very, very slowly over many years and none ever get stronger with time.

    Hope you’ll make note of 24-hour ERs in your area so you can get help promptly if you need it.

    Wishing you well!

    • I always wondered about that, well now I know that Excedrin Migraine doesn’t work for my headaches, because it didn’t help at all. Thanks Barbara!

  29. Oh, Susan, I’m sorry you experienced such a vicious headache. Glad to see all the suggestions that offer help. Please take care.

  30. Cyndi Raines says

    Oh Susan, sorry to hear about that darn headache, hope you find something that will work for you. I can get a really bad headache upon waking if the room is too hot and my sinuses get blocked or when there is a lot of rain so I agree with those who say sinus and or barometric related, I totally agree. Sometimes they can make me feel sick to my stomach. Advil does the trick for me and sometimes I will even have a coke for the caffeine as I’m not a coffee drinker or a quick nap in a cool dark room. I have never had the ocular issue which I think would be very scary. I hope you feel better soon and can find something that works for you. And I agree if your posture has been affected by your chair and the hours over the puzzle, that may have added to the problem. Really thought the chair in the first picture was classy, sorry it didn’t hold up. Eager to see your new chair. Hugs to you.

  31. Dear Susan,

    I follow upholstery evening classes as a hobby here in Belgium. We do not use foam but leaf fiber or horse hair and according to our teacher these last 40 years when foam only lasts a few years. So if you have professional upholsterers in your area you could consider having your former chair refurbished. I have no idea what it might cost in the States but at least you would have the model you liked, you could choose the fabric and it would last for years.

    Well, just another idea for you.

    Hope your migraine won’t come back.

    Take care,
    Dan

  32. Oh Susan,
    I truly hope you’re feeling better! I have experienced migraine in the past, too. I remember that I was afraid to take more than 1 aspirin or 1 paracetamol because they only helped temporarily (if at all) and because of their undesired side-effects, I rather preferred to use an old homemade method: a very strong espresso coffee in which I added fresh squeezed lemon juice. So much cheaper and healthier than some pills and always effective on more than a temporary basis, at least, for me. I once told my doctor I used this method that worked for me and he was okay with it.
    I know, there are many types of headaches, but if you don’t happen to have medicine at home and you can’t drive to your doc you may want to try this.
    I hope it helps you, too!
    And I hope you finally find “your” office chair. 🙂
    ~Big hugs to you~
    Cecilia

  33. I hope you’re on the mend! I’d like to suggest you take a look at the Herman Miller Aeron chair. It is hands down the best I’ve ever used…..they put the “E” in ergonomics. I got the size small (I’m 5’2″ 118 lbs) and got it in a brown/black combination–they have different colors, etc. It is mesh so it doesn’t get hot. I got one with all the adjustment capabilities. I have a wonky back and it is the only chair I’ve used in which I feel good after long periods of sitting. It is pricey but a great piece of equipment and worth it (I think) and the way I look at it is something that allows you to take better care of your body. I think it is at http://www.hermanmiller.com.

  34. Do you not have a local store that specializes in good office furniture? If so, it sounds like you could make it a whole lot easier on yourself if you would assign them the task of finding the right chair for your desk. My experience has been that those people really earn their money. CherryKay

  35. Feel better soon

  36. I’d like to add that it sounds like you need to be seen by a neurologist. My 21 year old daughter suffers from migraines – I did too, before I went through menopause. She sees a neurologist and takes medication to prevent the migraines although I hope she won’t need to be on it “forever”.

  37. Linda Joseph says

    Susan, I, too, suffer periodically from migraines. Some are def weather related; others stress. I keep a knotted rice-filled sock (the white, thinner variety, not real thick) in my kitchen. When I feel a migraine beginning, I sprinkle a little water (optional) on it and pop it into the microwave for about 30 seconds, being careful not to let it get too hot, but quite warm. I then place it on the base of my neck. When it gets cool, I repeat. If severe, I add a icy cool cloth to my forehead at the same time. The heated rice helps dilate the vessels in the neck. Feel better soon!

    • Interesting! I noticed my neck was hurting too, I thought it was from me tensing up from the pain of the headache. Yeah, I think there is a definite weather connection some of the time. All that constant rain the entire day yesterday, I really think that and bending over the puzzle with my face down so much, brought it on. Sorry you have them too…they are the pits. I kept wishing I could drill a hole in the side of my head and let out all the pressure that was behind my right eye. The pain/pressure is so intense!

  38. I’m so sorry, Susan, that you suffered such a horrible headache.
    My husband gets them on occasion and immediately upon seeing the aura he takes an aspirin and then he will lay down until they go away (even if he is at work). I never knew what he was talking about until I got one too. At first, I was trying to push through my work and then it dawned on me that this was what he was referring to. So, I followed his suggestions taking a single aspirin and lying down. It was rather disconcerting because even with my eyes closed the lights still flashed or ran a pattern, but it went away after a bit. When I got up my head felt a little odd, like I’d had a headache, but my head never hurt. I do know that my husband would have had a bad headache had he not immediately taken the aspirin when he first noticed the aura. Both of us have had our vision checked and we are blessed that we have healthy eyes. Maybe early recognition is your key. And aspirin is a lot safer than those other meds that are harmful to the liver.

    Hope you find a chair that fits and holds up. I just went through that and it is far from fun. My new chair seems to “sit out” after awhile. So frustrating.

    • It is bizarre how you can still see the flashing even with your eyes shut. I noticed that last night. It is a freaky experience! I didn’t stop immediately what I was doing so I may have made it worse. Next time I will do that, take something right away and go lay down. Good advice!

  39. penney helms says

    My husband could not get his boss to buy him a chair that would stay straight. He finally bought his own chair and shamed his boss. It saved us a lot of money on chiropractors working on his twisted back from the old chair.

  40. Quite often, arms can be removed from office chairs. Ask when you buy it; they may even do it for you.

  41. I hope your headaches improve! And that you find a suitable chair. I have so many “requirements” for a chair,too that it is a real challenge to find one that works! The last one I purchased had a seat and back that fit my body well, but the arms were all wrong for me, for the desk, for looks. So I just left them off! Works great and you can’t even tell that they are missing.

  42. Have you considered a seat cushion on the chair that you were using? I ordered an orthopedic one for my dad and he thinks it helps his back pain. He sits a little higher so you might need to lower the height a bit to get it back to where you like it. The other thing you could try is a little footstool under your desk so that you can put your feet there instead of dangling. For the headache you might want to see a neurologist. You might need your regular physician to refer you. Some people find when taking otc meds for pain that a combination of acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) taken together works better than either one alone. Might be worth a try.

    • I do have a footstool under there. I tried a cushion in my old chair and it just sunk dow, too. The new chair just doesn’t work since nothing on it functions properly. I hope I can find one locally that will work. Thanks, Lori. If I keep having these headaches, I will definitely do that. They happen rarely, thankfully! I just need something that works on the those rare occasions when they do hit. I assumed this one would not turn into a painful once since the other Ocular migraines have not, but unfortunately, it did. First time an ocular one has done that.

  43. Dear Susan, Sorry you are experiencing the Ocular migraines. I’ve had them off and on for 30 years. Doctors seem baffled about what causes them and/or what to do for them. I have kept records for years of the dates, times, which eye, etc. to see if there is a pattern. You might try that.

    For the past four months I have been dabbling in essential oils (for other thins.) Have you tried them? No, I don’t sell them, but I’m finding they help a lot of maladies. I’ve been advised that there are two top trustworthy companies – DoTerra and Young Living. I’m using the DoTerra. (I’ve heard there are fake companies.) They are all quite expensive, but worth the relief I have experienced. They provide a guide (book) on the bottles of oils, and the Blends. I just looked up Migraine and see that they recommend Peppermint oil, Tension Blend, and Soothing Blend. You have to mix all oils with Fractionated Coconut oil since the oils are so highly concentrated. Here’s the directions: Mix with the coconut oil, apply topically to forehead, temples, base of skull and behind the ears.

    I have also found the oils I’ve been using help me sleep really well (just from inhaling! Lavender is nice on the wrists. Didn’t mean to go on and on, just hope you find something to help! Google them to research.

    Katherine

    • Thanks, Katherine for that info…good to know about those!

    • Katherine, did you notice any specific patterns when you were keeping track of everything? The last time I had an ocular migraine, I think it had been raining all day that day, too. I need to start jotting down the barometric pressure or whatever it’s called because I think that has a huge effect for me. Just wondering if you saw a pattern.

  44. Robin Mayfield says

    I’m a chiropractor. Go to a Relax the Back store and get a good chair. I’m also a decorator. I got one that helps support me wonderfully, then I had a slipcover made for it so it would look pretty at my desk. Don’t mess with Office Depot type chairs, get a good one since you’re in it a big part of the day. Also, find a good local chiropractor that does nutrition and get checked out for perimenopause. Migraines often return when your hormones are changing and that’s easily fixed.

  45. So sorry you had a migraine. Maybe looking for another chair gave it to you (just kidding). My migraines are hormone related. They started when I took birth control pills years ago, and all on one side. Not only was I getting a headache and losing my vision, but my arm would get numb. At one point I was afraid to drive anywhere wondering if I could drive home. Today they would think you were having a stroke. When I got pregnant, back again. When I had chemo, more migraines. Then about 20 years ago, I starting getting cluster type headaches. I am not sure how you could drive.
    My daughter has migraines so severe she can’t work. Maybe talking to your primary care physician to see if anything else is off is next. Goodness knows anybody with migraines wonders at some point if they have a brain tumor.
    Feel better.

  46. Dawne Marie says

    Hi Susan,
    So sorry about your ocular migraine and the night you had last night. I hope it subsides soon. Be sure to call your doctor. Ask what to do next time, who to call in the middle of the night. Drugs on hand. Very scary…you out driving at 1:30 am in pain. Take it easy today.

  47. I forgot to give you this info in my replies last night: something that has helped my migraines is taking eye vitamins daily (advised by my doctor.) I take Lutein, but have also used Ocuvite, AReds, and Preservision. Do you take these?

    • I’ve never heard of those. Wow! That sounds like a good thing to take, especially as get older. I do take a good multivitamin, but will look into those. Thanks, Katherine!

  48. My daughter experiences these…just horrible. Now, her teeth ache afterwards…body chemistry…the greatest puzzle of all. There is trigeminal neuralgia in my husband’s family…starts with headaches… *sigh* Good luck with that chair!! franki

  49. Hi Susan,
    Glad to find your blog again. For some reason i was no longer was getting the daily email since the end of February. I’ve been traveling and just now realized I hadn’t seen any emails. Glad to be back online with you.

    My husband and I just built a lake house in Georgia and I am dealing with the pollen and allergies for the first time! Wow, it’s everywhere!
    Hope you are feeling better. I’ve had a sinus headache for days.

    • Thanks, Denise! Congrats on your lake home! That’s exciting!
      Yeah, the pollen is definitely intense in GA. I’m very familiar with sinus headaches this time of year. Ugh! Hope you feel better!Advil Sinus and Congestion helps me keep those sinus headaches from going into sinus infections. I used to have those all the time until I started taking that if it felt like I was going to get a sinus infection.

      Denise, if BNOTP emails don’t get through, I recommend using a Gmail email address. Yahoo and Hotmail both are bad to block emails and put them in spam folders. Gmail seems to do much better in that regard.

  50. Hi Susan,

    I had an ocular migraine recently and immediately started on the regiment my doctor suggested, which consists of magnesium and Cocutin. He said to keep it up for a week after the last occurrence (they usually come in a series – a few over a week’s time.) But this time I only ever had the one! Yay! My doctor is a functional medicine doctor. You might ask your doc about this as a treatment option. Good luck. I know how scary and miserable they can be.

    Aaannndd … on that note (not lecturing) but wouldn’t it be nice to be closer to your son when things like this happen? Also, next time, take a cab!! What you were thinking, trying to drive in that condition, I do not know young lady! 😀 I hope you feel better.

  51. Bobbi Duncan says

    Just found this post in my spam file. So sorry you had that awful headache. I know how incapacitating those oculars can be. I had them off and on for 4 years when in perimenopause. No meds seemed to help. Michael gets them from time to time with various degrees of vision loss and nothing really puts a dent in the pain. You might want to try what Pam (above) suggested. Hope that brings relief. I now know that doctors have strong meds for chronic migraine sufferers, and botox is supposed to help as well, but I don’t know if they are for oculars. If natural remedies fail, you might find help at a migraine clinic. Hopefully, this will be your last headache. I’m sending healing thoughts. Hugs!

  52. A little late in my comment, but hopefully your migraine is now under control. Though I have never experienced one (touch wood) I do feel for you as I have an inner ear disorder (Meniere’s Disease) that triggers vertigo attacks whose cycles can be very dis-habilitating. Now regarding your chair Susan, provided its mechanism is okay have you considered having it reupholstered? I have a friend that had her office one redone and she was delighted with hers as quote; ‘it now fits ‘her’ like a glove’ with the few changes that were made. (Particularly in the lower thoracic and lumbar areas.) -Brenda-

  53. Victoria Morgan says

    Hey, there~
    Sorry to hear about your headaches. Good advice above. I was wondering f you could tell me where you got the glass that covers all of your desk area.
    Also, where did you get the empty file boxes to “Make your own Desktop Computer Holder” station. Thanks for all you do to bless us! VM

    • Thanks Victoria! For the glass tops, I called a local glass company and they came out and measured and cut those. Where did you see the empty file boxes? All the furniture is part of the Pottery Barn Bedford line of furniture.

Leave a Reply to Katherine Cancel reply

*