Wanderings

Anything you dream is fiction,
and anything you accomplish is science,
the whole history of mankind is nothing but science fiction.
- Ray Bradbury
September 15th, 2009

The Complete Headache Chart

I’ve had a headache for a week or more. I wake up with it and then it gets a little better and then at night it starts to get worse. It is mostly a dull pain and not very extreme, just always there and annoying.

I found the Complete Headache Chart that describes what I have as:

Arthritis Headaches:  Pain at the back of head or neck. Intensifies on movement. Caused by inflammation of the blood vessels of the head or bony changes in the structures of the neck.

or:

Tension-Type Headaches: Dull, non-throbbing pain, frequently bilateral, associated with tightness of scalp or neck. Degree of severity remains constant. Causes: Emotional stress. Hidden depression.

I don’t have much emotional stress or hidden depression, but I could use some time off – I am very sick of working all the time.

I am going to the doctor today to get another Lyme test, and whine about my headache. I think it might be strain from reading on the bus or trying to use the laptop computer while Ollie sleeps on my chest, but there may be a medical reason for it. If the Lyme disease is still with me, then this could be a symptom.

The Complete Headache Chart

via National Headache Foundation – The Complete Headache Chart.






June 14th, 2009

Tick Bite

I get tick bites from time to time. The cats bring in the ticks and sleep on the bed or the ticks jump on me when I inspect the bees. I get tested for Lyme disease regularly, but I have a feeling that I may have developed antibodies because it never comes back positive.

About two weeks ago I was bit on the back on the left wing bone side. I did not realize it, but it itched and I scratched it when I wasn’t thinking. Since I didn’t think to twist around to see my back in the mirror I was not really aware of the bite other than a persistent itch.

Yesterday, the bite became badly infected and my shoulder, underarm and upper arm started turning red and swelling. I am now on Tetracycline. The swelling is down, but there is still a huge red patch on my back. Tetracycline makes me feel sick and I have a killer headache.

I will call the doctor tomorrow because I don’t want to feel crappy on my Cape Cod trip.

For the three of  you who were reading this blog a year ago, you will remember that Larry and I try to take a couple of days off and go near ocean every year. We leave Thursday and will return Saturday night. I will bring the ‘puter and a camera to take some pictures.