Beta-blockers and Vitamin D

It's motion, I guess. I didn't get to see the article, but Dr. Specialist found mention of a combo treatment with depakote (which I'm already on) and beta-blockers, so I'm adding propranolol to my bouquet of medications. Another blood test scheduled to be taken--something about possibility that my levels are too low, and that that could be tied in.

As for things that don't go into my blood P.O., he's still angling for ketamine or propofol, but he needs to convince the companies to pony up, and then UCLA needs to come round. Sounds like fun, huh? A backup plan involves borrowing Cedars Sinai resources, in case they're more accomodating than "home."

He's also presenting my noggin to the internal headache group. Dunno what's taken him so long.

I whined to him about the ER--the last two visits were nearly pointless...medication doled out in dribs and drabs, even though the last ER doctor managed to get in touch with the specialist while I was there. 8 hours, maybe 2 points reduction in pain.

I think it made him angry. They've gotten to the point where he's taking affront--when they say no one gets 6mg of dilaudid ever, and I say that's what I got last time, and they tell him they can't find my records...well, there's this nifty web interface he showed me. I can just about find my records. And that's before you get to the bit where one of his patients is in pain. Hmmph.

COBRA better not break my budget during the job gap. Things are going to be hard enough.

How Special is your K?

I see my GP every 4 weeks and he handles my MS Contin. I see the migraine specialist every 3-5 weeks, and he handles, well, all the other migraine drugs. With those frequent appointments it's easy to lose sight of a big plan, but I finally remembered to ask the specialist where exactly he was headed.

Ketamine. Special K to the crazy kids. Horse tranqs. In some scenarios it's used to induce comas, but I'm rooting for that not being me. He wants to use that to break the cycle of headaches, and then find the right prophylactics, since we're currently rooting around blind.

Problem is, it's not an established procedure, and I'm not even sure ketamine's in use at UCLA Westwood. So he's wrangling with some Boston folks on my behalf.

It feels very slow. The pain's building up on a weekly cycle. I need to tough it out so that's not Thursday/Friday, but Saturday/Sunday. To make work easier. I mean, I'm here. I just want it to be easier.