Those of us that suffer from frequent and awful weather-headaches (what I call weatherheads) could have told the scientists this years ago - and I have been telling my GPs and other MDs this for many years:

Do weather changes cause headaches? : Scientific American Blog

Mine seem to be affected/triggered by changes in any or all of; air-pressure, temperature, light levels. Probably also by a load of other weather-stuff that I have not yet worked out for myself (because the MDs are not going to help work it out for me!).

It is on days like today that I really wish we lived elsewhere - somewhere with less frequent weather changes, less rain and some warmth without high humidity - preferably with nature and water (sea or lake). It has been raining on and of (but very heavily when it does) for a couple of days now and the weather-headache/migraine (it fluctuates between the two depending on the current weather, whether I have been asleep recently and how medicated I am) has been around for as long.

This (pain, nausea, visual disturbance, balance disturbance) makes me grumpy as well which then causes misunderstandings. Yes, I could go back to bed but I have not been awake long and am, to be honest, not sleepy enough to sleep. I am, therefore, knitting, drinking water, spodding on the mac and taking medication when I can. Eventually, hopefully, this will make me sleepy and I can go hide under the duvet again.

My feet, ankles, shins and calves are probably the most swollen they have been, hurt despite pain mends and feel like they will burst if I (or anything) touch(es) them! The new GP has ordered an ECG an chest x-ray for me in case it is related to my heart in any way - a strange correlation that I cannot understand to be honest. I'd have thought that it was to do with water retention and/or my lymphatic system rather than my heart and blood circulatory system. She is also wondering if it might be a drug interaction but I have not started any new drugs as recently as this swelling started. Ho hum...

… although the microblogging is happening over at Twitter, it is just not getting copied here to LJ by LoudTwitter for some reason.

I seem to be blogging and microblogging far less than usual, at least partly because I seem to have the sore throat and ear infection of DOOM!!!! This s meant that I am sleeping a lot and so doing less.

In other news, Pixel has a growth between the toes on his back right foot. He is licking it non stop. We have him booked into the vet tomorrow afternoon.

In other-other news, my new (used three or four times for very small jobs) sewing machine has died. It no longer seems capable of picking up the bottom/bobbin thread with the top/nneedle thread and so is also incapable of sewing. I have had to resort to hand-sewing. A lot. Hubby needs a number of new pairs of trousers taking up 3". I am okay hand-sewing having done a lot over the years, but my eyes tire very easily right now (The MonSter, I bet) and so I can only really manage one leg hem at a time before needing a break.

Note to self - make optician appointment as soon as you are able to use the phone again.

In health news and in reference to making phone calls, my good ear for the phone (the one that is usually the least deaf) - the left one - is currently swollen shut and PAINFUL from yet another ear infection. I get them quite often because the dermatitis inside my ears gets infected. The pain does respond to ibuprofen + cocodamol (codeine and paracetamol) eventuallybut the swelling does not reduce much and so I am still, to all intents and purposes, deaf in that ear. That and the attendant sore throat make phone calls almost impossible - they can't hear me and I can't hear them with my right ear - hence why I usually use my left ear for the phone! I already had an appointment with the new GP this evening^† and so It will have to wait until then.

---

^† "Hello new primary care doctor, I am the awkward one with a long list of meds and pre-existing 'conditions'. Now, the question is;

- are you a doctor that believes that I am the expert patient with respect to my my own unique subset of MS (and other) symptoms?
(in which case I will happily see you again)

- or are you, instead, one of the doctors that believes that patients should be seen, not heard and told what to do - they should definitely not have a mind of their own, a BSc Biochemistry and be able to do research for themselves into their symptoms and conditions on the internet let alone want things to be explained to them and be able to understand? (in which case I will avoid you forever even if you are the last GP on the planet)"

Unless I struggle hard to concentrate, this is what my eyes are like right now, but without the cool two colour effect and with added pain (also! swollen feet!):

( click for wide comic pic ... )

feeling crap. can't see straight. put laundry on. folded shirts badly. zero spoons. muzzy head. no fever now. freezing cold. moan over. how are u all?

I copied that from my twitter and edited it. Now to cap it all I am in a LOT of pain - time to go back to bed, methinks. Opening mail will have to wait.

I think that I need a TMIStuff filter. In the mean time, only click on the cut link below if you don't mind some TMI bodily symptoms information/writing (no photos);

( I am in a lot of pain but the details may be T.M.I. ... )

Stitchlinks would appreciate it if any and all stitchers/knitters could answer their questionnaire about knitting, pain, depression and addictions.

Betsan Corkhill of Stitchlinks is working on exciting projects to help measure the effects of using knitting and stitching to help ease and manage pain, depression, to quit smoking and other addictions and ailments. Stitchlinks is an international friendship network that combines the health and community benefits of knitting and crochet with practical health information. Betsan will be one of the speakers on Stitch’n’Bitch Day on Saturday.
Stitchlinks needs your help. Collecting a large amount of anecdotal evidence will help Stitchlinks get knitting officially recognized for it’s therapeutic benefits. That means thousands of examples, so the help of every knitter and stitcher is needed. Click here to fill in the questionnaire. Please encourage as many knitters as you know take part in this unique research!
Visit www.stitchlinks.com for more information.

See also my previous post about therapeutic stitching...

I have just found an article online about the therapeutic benefits of stitching, especially knitting. I know that I forget any pains while I am knitting, crocheting or cross stitching. I also snack less and drink more water. Despite the sedentary nature of sitting and stitching, I am losing some weight. I am calmer. Yes, there is still underlying pain, stress and depression, but I find it easier to cope with. I think that there may be something in this.

The painkillers are starting to work (pain in my left shoulder and neck). I may actually be able to sleep soon...