Today I went to the VA for a neurology appointment about my migraines.
Nothing exciting. Just your standard appointment where I expected to talk about headaches, answer some questions, maybe adjust a medication and go on about my day.
Except this neurologist did something I wasn’t expecting.
He pulled up the medications prescribed by my previous neurologist and asked me:
“What do you actually take?”
Well, sir. How much time do you have?
Then he wanted to know WHEN I take them.
He had me walk him through my day. What I take in the morning. What I take later. What I take when a migraine starts. What I take if it doesn’t go away.
Then we talked about triggers.
How long my migraines last.
What makes them better.
What makes them worse.
Basically, this man conducted a full investigation into the inner workings of my medicine cabinet.
And then came the verdict.
Apparently, the way I’ve been taking some of my medications is…crap.
Excuse me?
Not necessarily the medications themselves. The TIMING. Which ones I’m taking together. Which ones may interfere with other medications. When I should be taking certain things versus when I actually have been taking them.
And my immediate question was:
WHY IS SOMEONE JUST NOW TELLING ME THIS?!
I have had these medications prescribed by doctors.
Specialists.
Primary care.
Neurology.
Everybody has access to my medication list.
So do these people read each other’s notes?
Do they communicate?
Is there a group chat?
Carrier pigeon?
Smoke signals?
Because apparently one neurologist finally decided to ask, “Hey, Tracy…how are you actually taking all this stuff?”
And suddenly we discovered there might have been a better way to do it.
But then things got personal.
We started talking about migraine triggers.
And this man looked me directly in my face and said:
No bananas.
Okay.
Then:
No peanut butter.
SIR.
We are entering FALL.
Do you understand what happens in America during fall?!
REESE’S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS COME IN SEASON.
Pumpkins.
Ghosts.
Bats.
Trees.
Probably tiny Reese’s turkeys eventually because capitalism never sleeps.
And now you’re telling me PEANUT BUTTER is off the table?!
I came here for migraine treatment.
I did not come here to have joy systematically removed from my life.
At this point, I’m afraid to go back.
Next appointment he’s probably going to lean across the desk, take my hand gently and say:
“Tracy…there’s something else you should know.”
Santa isn’t real. 🎅
Dr….
Adjust the medication.
Leave Christmas out of this.
P.S. There was an intern in the room. At the end, the neurologist asked if she had any questions for me.
She said no.
Then paused.
“Actually, yes. What do you do to make yourself not look like your age?”
Well.
Somebody in that room was looking out for my mental health. 😂
I walked in with migraines, lost bananas and peanut butter, questioned the entire medical communication system…and walked out feeling fabulous.
We’ll call it even.
Until next time…xoxo
Tracy
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