The Eternal Migraine and Other Tales from the Summer

I started having migraines when I was 17.  It was severe and lasted a couple of days about 1-2 times a year.  In 2004 when I was 26, I started getting chronic migraines that would last weeks or months.  I've seen about 10 neurologists in the last 10 years.  I've had CTs, MRIs, Spinal taps, EKGs, blood tests, etc.  I've been on more than a dozen different drugs with no real relief.  My current migraine has persisted since 7/5/2015.  I've been in the hospitalized 5 times since then.  My doctors all seem baffled.  I'm trying everything under the sun to get it under control.  Sometimes it seems hopeless, but it can't last forever, right?  On a positive note, My husband has been super supportive and my doctors do seem committed to helping me get better.  I've got an appointment in a few weeks with a new neurologist and I'm hopeful that he'll have some new suggestions. 

Right before the current monster migraine, my family made our annual July trip out to South Dakota to see my husband's family.   First we stopped at the Mall of America in Minnesota which is sort of on the way to SD.  The hotel we stayed in had recently remodeled their pool area and added a really nice toddler next to their regular pool and whirlpool.  The kids loved the pool and were easily in the pool 2 hours the first night.  There was a small slide and fire hose that they monopolized most of the evening.  Since it was Toddler Tuesday at Nick Universe in the mall, the boys were able to ride an unlimited number of rides for 5 hours.  Toby was the one pulling us to each ride, but Zach was the one who seemed to be having the best time.  After the park, we did some light shopping and I picked up an old Sherlock Holmes board game my parents had.  Justin found these cool metal Star Trek models and the boys got to see the ninja turtles before we left.

We then travelled to Justin's parents house and got to enjoy our time with his side of the family.  I got to meet his cousin Evita and play Magic with her.  I'd like to say she won because I hadn't played in several years, but she was very good.  Friday, we went with our boys, Kathie, Erika, Chris, Jeff, and Rachel to the Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead.  We rode in a covered wagon and toured the old schoolhouse.  Toby rode a horse and a pony and Zach rode in the carriage that Toby's pony was pulling.  Neither of them wanted to leave.  We had celebratory Rachel's birthday/ Fred & Kathie's anniversary dinner.  Saturday the rest of the family came out and it was nice to everyone.  I saw Nick for the first time since we had Toby and he got to meet them for the first time.  Both the boys loved Grandpa Fred's boat and every time we were outside Zach would lead me to the boat and try to get in.

With all of the down time from the migraines, I have read a little and watched some shows.  First I'll discuss a little of what I've read.  During our SD trip and right before the current monster migraine, Justin and I listened to Oil by Upton Sinclair and Paper Towns by John Green on the two 12 hour trips.  Oil was incredibly well written and still as poignant today as it was in the 1920s - 1930s.  I've read and seen several books and films from this time frame and the book transported me back to this era.   Knowing the history gave the book a sense of foreshadowing.  The socialism espoused in Oil by the rich main character, Bunny, was a product of the time and still relevant in our current political climate.  Paper Towns was equally enjoyable and I felt teleported back to high school in this story.  The main characters were so smart and witty, especially Quentin and Margo.  Their shenanigans throughout the book are entertaining but seem somewhat unrealistic.  John Green does a good job describing high school as a socio-ecosystem with the varying degrees of popularity and the characters we expect in their roles.  The popular sport guy, popular bitchy girl, bully, band geek, nerds, etc.  Despite the somewhat flawed stereotypes in the book, the main supporting characters, Quentin's best friends, are well written and add depth to Quentin's state of mind as he becomes obsessed with finding Margo.  I look forward to seeing how this book is translated to the big screen.

For comics, I've been getting into several Image comics.  There was a time I would have said I'm a Marvel in a Marvel/ DC debate, but I've slowly been trickling over to Image.  I want to have a full debate about that, that I will save it for its own blog.  Right now, the ten comics I'm always looking for the next issue are in no particular order: Deadly Class, Nailbiter, Saga, The Woods, Gotham Academy, Harley Quinn, All-New X-men, Rat Queens, Mind MGMT, and Lumberjanes.  I don't think that anyone will argue with this being a good list of comics, but there are definite omissions (Sex Criminals, Chew, Bitch Planet, Wicked + Divine, Batgirl, Ms Marvel, recently ended Hawkeye).  I pull about 30 titles a month and I can't list them all.  I recently discovered Deadly Class & Nailbiter and had to share with my brother in law Jesse.  They're both a bit violent and that's just how he likes them.  Deadly Class is set in the 80s and the main character, Marcus, is living on the street and is offered a spot at an exclusive assassin school.  His decision about the school changes everything for him and it forces him to redefine himself in a fun way.  It also shows a fairly accurate description of how teenagers believe they're immortal and above being caught.  Nailbiter is about a town that has produced 16 serial killers and the most recent one, Nailbiter, has been acquitted of series of murders.  He's returned to his hometown of Buckaroo and so have the police & media to determine what is creating these killers.  The main character is a suspended federal agent who has come to the town to help his profiler friend that has gone missing.  The story is captivating and the characters have good chemistry.  My only criticism is how slowly the main arc is being unravelled to the reader.

Also with my many hours in a hospital bed, I've watched a few shows.  With my migraines, sometimes reading makes me nauseous and I've thrown up a couple times that way.  Watching movies is a safer way to pass the time, but even that becomes too much at times.  Over the summer, I discovered Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Fargo and re-discovered Elementary.  There were many other things I watched, but these 3 were my favorites.  I had long avoided Brooklyn Nine-Nine due to the silliness associated with Andy Sandburg, but took a chance and was glad I did.  The show has such a great diverse cast of characters with the chemistry between Jake and Captain Holt being the icing on the cake.  I love each year's Halloween episode and hope for a third season one.  Fargo lived up to the hype.  I don't have cable so I don't get AMC and had to wait for it to be released to watch it.  Martin Freeman was incredible and Billie Bob Thorton played an evil psychotic exceptionally well as usual.  The main female deputy did an amazing job to and I look forward to seeing what she does next.  

Elementary seasons 1-3 are now available on Hulu.  I had originally bought seasons 1 & 2 on DVD since we don't have CBS.  As I re-watched older episodes and watched others for the first time, I was impressed on how well they tell these Holmes stories and from such a different angle than the British Sherlock series.   I enjoy them both in different ways and both Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch portray Sherlock Holmes well and somewhat differently.  Elementary is just as much about the mystery and interaction between Holmes and Watson as Sherlock.  Elementary puts more emphasis on Holmes' drug struggles and his attempts to be more social and maintain friendships outside of Watson.  Sherlock focuses more on Holmes and the way his mind works.  Sherlock's Holmes seems even more antisocial, but somewhat less aware of his social failings.   Sherlock also seems more grandiose and due to hour and a half format makes each episode feel like a movie.  I'm very much looking forward to both shows starting up again soon.