Thank you for everyone who gave me information on headaches on my last post. Having a possible name for the pain really helps – it helps find information and possible solutions. It also helps give me hope.
I’m writing this on Thursday night and I haven’t used ibuprofen for 28 hours (knocks on all the wood!) and my head is not throbbing. And that is despite the fact that we were practicing break falls on Wednesday night at the dojo and I hit the ground in a way that I was sure would exacerbate my headache. And yet, I didn’t take any more ibuprofen on Wednesday night, or Thursday morning, or all day Thursday and Thursday night, as I write this post, I’m feeling okay. I’m REALLY hoping I broke the tension headache, and that I don’t need to start researching migraines or rebound headaches. At last not yet…
I’ve been thinking a lot about how important it is to have a name for pain. When my glute was hurting I fell down a very deep, dark internet rabbit hole of chronic back pain and its possible causes. I was starting to get very freaked out. I read about so many possible causes for my discomfort, but none of them seemed to fit. Then I finally came across a website about periformis syndrome and it all clicked. Having a name for my pain, along with possible courses of action, made me feel so much better.
And my pain did subside. For a while. But it came back, mostly because I stopped stretching and strengthening the area when it started bothering me less. But I didn’t feel so hopeless when the pain came back after I had a name for it, because I better understood what was happening and why.
I’m still managing my periformis syndrom, and I think I will be managing for a long time. But now that I know what it is, I feel like I have the right tools to manage it. And even when the symptoms are flaring up in ways I find frustrating, I am less likely to lose hope.
I remember when my RE diagnosed me with Dimished Ovarian Reserve, I was both devastated to learn that our options were so limited (IVF is generally not a great option when your body won’t produce very many eggs), and also relieved to have a name for the constellation of reproductive problems I’d suffered since I was 15. It was validating to know that there was a real, medical reason for my amenorrhea, and my short cycles, and our failure to get pregnant. It was a relief to be able to name what stood in our way.
I am lucky to be a relatively healthy person who has sustained few major injuries. I definitely expect my body to perform at a certain level, and when it fails to do that I get frustrated. I know I’ll be dealing with more of that frustration as I age and things start to break down. I know how to build strength and stamina. I know how to push myself physically and mentally. I think my next challenge will be identifying when I need to rest, and learning how to best give myself opportunities to recuperate.
In that spirit, thank goodness it’s Friday.
I definitely agree with “naming.” My daughter is experiencing a learning issue that we can’t name yet; without a name, I don’t know how best to help her. Can’t get her in for testing until May and it’s going to drive me crazy until then (just praying testing identifies the issue!).
Culturally ‘naming’ gives validity to the emotion or pain or condition. Makes it known and less dismiss-able by others and ourselves. Language is so powerful.
Fingers crossed for everyone’s weekend … wishing all joy, fun, love, companionship … and hoping you have a new week with peace.
Thank you for being here.
Sometimes naming helps and sometimes…not so much. When I was 18 I injured my ankle. Something I’d done many times before, but that was one different. After rest and ice it wasn’t feeling better. After being put in a cast the pain was worse- a lot worse. I went back to the doctor who insisted I was being a baby about the pain. From there I went to my parents house, got my dad’s saw and hacked the cast off. That was the start to the year plus journey to get a name. Which I did. But, when there is no good treatment? A name just sends you down another rabbit hole. I spent the next 5 years or so trying all kinds of treatments- from nearly 100 medications to nerve blocks and other things. Three decades later I still have it, there is still no good treatment, and doctors still don’t want to prescribe medication that actually helps the pain. So, it has a name, but it hasn’t helped.
Yeah, it doesn’t always help solve the problem, or alleviate the symptoms, but I still think I would prefer to know the name of what ails me, even if it doesn’t help me find a solution. Because at least I know I’m probably not missing a possible solution by not knowing what it is.
I’m sorry you’ve been dealing with that pain for so long. And that the medical establishment negated your experience.