Smokers Update . . .

Well, I think I have good news! I went over to the office yesterday, to plead our case about the smoke drifting from our neighbor's outdoor smoking and about their angry response to our request. While the manager was sympathetic, he said that the California smoking laws say that smokers can smoke almost anywhere outside, and if they refuse to be cooperative about it, there is basically nothing we can do. He said that the reasoning being that we can go inside our house or close our windows to get away from the smoke if we find it bothersome. Well, that's hardly fair, and I feel like sending my neighbors part of my PG&E bill to pay, because if we have to have our windows closed all the time, it will be higher, I guarantee!! The manager said that it is unfortunate that they weren't willing to be cooperative about making it comfortable for everyone.

Then he goes, "Wait a minute. Aren't they moving?" I caught my breath -- I hardly dared hope. Could it be??? That had been my fervent wish, that they would move.... The manager goes behind the counter and checks. He said, "Yeah, they're moving out on the 26th!" OH HAPPY DAY!!!! I told him "You just made my day!" He laughed. I said, "Now, can you make sure that no one moves in that smokes???" He said, "Well, there's a couple moving in there, a young couple, and let me check . . . nope, they don't smoke!"

WOOOHOOOOOOO!! We get to enjoy our outdoor area and have our windows open this fall!! You have NO IDEA how happy this makes me!! I was so excited. I hate -- and I mean HATE HATE HATE the smell of cigarette smoke!! I think its nasty and horrible and I don't want to smell it. BLEAH. This was at lunchtime, so I went back to our apartment, and Bill was home for lunch. I walked in the door, and I let out a big whoop and started dancing around. Bill is looking at me like I'm a crazy person. I started dancing around the living room going, "The smokers are moving! The smokers are moving! Yahoo!!!" I think Bill thinks I'm weird for being so militant about my no-smoking thing. But I had a migraine this weekend (on Monday, but that's another story), and part of it is triggerd by stress and cigarette smoke gives me headaches. So the smokers coming over on Sunday and yelling at us (why in the heck did they yell at us, when they knew they were moving?!?)and the smell of their cigarette smoke (they smoked outside a LOT that day, just to get back at us) I think triggered my migraine.

Okay here's the migraine story. All weekend I'd been troubled by headaches on an off, but nothing that seemed to be migraine-like. I hadn't had a migraine at home for almost a year (I had one in Chicago in June, and used my bro-in-law's vicodan) so I had no vicodan. Previous to this year, my migraines were infrequent enough that generally my vicodan prescriptions expired before I used them all. I think that perhaps the stress and perhaps hormonal changes (I am at "that age", after all) is causing the migraines. I have an appt. with my primary care physician later this month, to determine why I've gotten 2 migraines in three months (could be allergies, too, who knows?).

Anyway, after struggling with headaches on Saturday and Sunday, I woke up with a blinding migraine on Monday morning. It was just after 8am, and I asked Bill to take me to Prompt Care, because I had no medicine and I knew that I'd have to go to Prompt Care to get any. Well, by the time I got there it was so bad the light was hurting my eyes, and I was at a pain level 9. I haven't had a migraine that bad ever. It was worse than the one I had in Chicago. Well, they brought me in and examined me (OMG I hate it when they shine the light in your eyes!!! I mean, hello!! Migraine here!!!). Ugh. Anyway, they ended up giving me three shots -- one for the nausea, and two for the pain -- Toradol and Morphine. AHhhhhhhhhhhh blessed relief. The first thing that kicked in was the antinausea and oh that was soooooo nice to stop feeling like I was going to puke at any minute. Then the pain meds kicked in. I was at a pain level 3 by 15 minutes after the shot. Morphine is a wonderful thing!!! They said I'd be woozy for most of the rest of the day, and I hated to waste my holiday off, but I was just so happy to be pain-free!! Bill took me home (we were home by 9:30) and I went to bed and slept on and off all day. By 3:30 I was feeling "normal" enough (when am I ever really "normal?!?" LOL) to go get my prescriptions filled. They had given me prescriptions for 6 vicodan and 6 anti-nausea pills that dissolve sublingually (that's under the tongue for those of you non-medicos LOL). That way, if I get a migraine in the future, I won't have to run to prompt care for meds. Or at least I won't have to until these run out, or until they expire, whichever comes first. I personally am pulling for them expiring before I need them again!! OMG migrains are truly one of the worst pains I've ever had. And then when you're puking and your head is pounding -- OMG you feel like your head is going to explode. Worse than childbirth. Maybe it's just different, but its an awful pain.

Anyway, that was my weekend. Yippee skippy! Fighting with the neighbors over smoking, and migraine city on Monday. Oh well, I am JUST SO HAPPY that they're moving!!!!

Short work week this week. Hope everyone enjoys!