Headlights in the Fog

Forget me not

I took Kitty to the eye dr on Thursday. She had complained a few months ago about her vision being 'fuzzy.' Well, nothing is wrong. They did every test known to eye drs (ok, maybe not every one) and she was healthy, healthy, healthy. She's a tad far-sighted, but apprently that is normal for a 5 year old and they don't do anything to correct it as it interfears with the natural changes in the eyes as kids grow... she might grow out of the far-sightedness. They also dilated her eyes to check in the interior of the eye and see how it looked. Looked great. On the way out we were given a large pair of dark sunglasses for Kitty so the sunlight would not hurt her eyes. Kitty was a bit quizzical about how the glasses made her vision look once we were outside. When we got to the car she said, "This isn't what life looks like."

Lately things have been going askew... we got a letter from the bank saying that we (Me) had made an error on a deposit slip in the banks favor. They fixed it. Tuesday, Kitty and I went to the library where I returned a huge stack of books and then got another huge stack out. The next day, it occured to me that I hadn't mailed my netflix movies but they weren't in the library bag. Turns out I 'returned' them to the library with all of my books. The very nice woman at the front desk told me they'd mailed them already! Now that is a full service library!

Cookies and Botox

I am blessed that my children consistently take good pictures together... hugging, looking happy, etc. It's a small thing, but I really appreciate it. Below is another snow photo I somehow missed :

Again, a great picture of two smiling kids. Last weekend we made teddy bear 'cookie pops.' Much fun was had by all. I have to say that Thom outdid himself with the angry and scared cookies:

I still laugh looking at that picture. Below are two more cookie making photos:

We learned how to make the cookies by watching our hero baker, Liv Hansen. She makes awesome cakes and cupcakes. I bet I've mentioned her before as 2 summers ago I made Thom a Byzantine Coin cake using her techniques. Kitty has been watching her videos on my iTouch and asked if we could make cookie bear pops. And so we did.

I think probably a great deal of you who read my blog are aware I have headaches. Some of you may know I have them daily. Very few of you know my condition has a name: Chronic Daily Headache. It essentially means that I have a headache every day that is between a 2 up to a 6 level on the pain scale.

I am a patient at the Jefferson Headache Clinic in downtown Philadelphia. I've been a patient there for 7 years this July. I love my neurologist. He is very funny as well as answering the 28 questions I bring with me (give or take a few) each visit to ask him. There are three broad catagories of headache medication: one to stop the headache, one to mask the pain of a headache and one that is called a 'preventative': you take it in hopes of decreasing or lessening your headaches. I take all three types of medications. Well, a new type of treatment for my particular flavor of headache has just been approved by the FDA. Botox. Yes, you read that right... Botox. My neurologist had talked to me about it in the past but insurance wasn't covering it and it costs $1000 a treatment. Once the FDA approved it for use in Chronic Migraine it seemed worth the $1000 just to know if it works. It does, it doesn't take my headaches away but it greatly helps with the level of the pain I expereince and actually has give me some headache-free time. Hopefully my health insurance plan will cover it soon now that it has been given the green light by the FDA. I had my second treatment last week. It takes 2 weeks for it to 'work.'

I'm very sensitive to botox jokes ever since I've had mine done. I really don't think I look like someone who would have botox (what would that person look like?) This past treatment my neurologist changed some of the spots where he injected me based on feedback from me on how the last treatment felt. Most of the shots (30 or so) were in my forehead, scalp and brow area. He did put 4 shots on either side of my nose which is part of the zone where the pain hurts most. He told me, however, that I would not be able to scrunch my face up like a bunny rabbit as I would have no control over the muscles at the top of my nose up to past my brow. I find things like this slightly amusing but I have to realize not everyone would find it funny. So, If you see me in the next three months and my nose and eyebrows are oddly still, you'll know why. My neurologist said to me at my first treatment, "It's too bad you don't have any wrinkles because they'd get knocked out as a byproduct of the botox treatment."

I (heart) my neurologist.