Migraines, Kidnies, and Livers...Oh My!

Let's see... when we last left off, I was wondering if I had my first malar rash, but was still busy baking. I had started taking Diflucan. After 30 days, I was still symptomatic for systemic candida, so I moved back to a very strict diet and got a second prescription for Diflucan. I'm not sure if it was really a malar rash as it only really showed up for a few days when I took a shower, so I feel lucky.

Last week I started getting annoying headaches, and perfumes or colognes make them much worse. This weekend I went through a department store on the way to an adjoining restaurant and came down with the beginnings of a migraine about 3/4 of the way through the meal (I had eaten beforehand, so I know it wasn't something I ate). That turned into light sensitivity and nausea, and I staggered through a bookstore that was closing down. It was a great sale and I scored some cookbooks and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest. The migraine stuck around at varying degrees (from able to function with waves of nausea to curled in the fetal position) through Monday morning. Annie took advantage of my fatigue and we had a nice long nap on Sunday.


The perfume wasn't the only thing that set off my headache. I spent Saturday morning going through my closet and chest of drawers for Goodwill and cleared out a lot of space. And kicking up a lot of dust! I finally ordered our wedding and honeymoon pictures and got the big pictures in frames and started moving boxes around. Streaking through a department store and then sitting in the restaurant later that day, surrounded by food full of gluten, soy, and who knows what else were the final straws.

I'm really tired, have nausea, mid-back pain, and arthritis. I was thinking about how little blogging I've been doing, and that usually means that I don't have the energy to bake and write after coming home from work. This weekend's turn of events has forced me to seriously reconsider how I am going to proceed with The Discerning Kitchen. I was planning on working full time and baking during weekend evenings and going to farmers markets. I see now that is not realistic with my health. I'm going to keep trying, but I'm not sure what things will end up looking like.

Next steps are getting blood work to check liver and kidney function. My doctor has suggested a couple of medication options if the migraines continue. I'm hoping the diflucan has done its trick, but I have a suspicion that the intestinal ulcers have continued. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

In other news, CNN and other headlines drummed up news about the new Lupus medication that the FDA has approved. I would encourage people to read the research study carefully and weigh whether the risks are worth the reported benefits. This is how all medications should be approached. While I agree it's great that people are looking into the disease, the medication is not perfect. Understanding how the disease is triggered and progresses would be a great first step. Some of the theories are laughable. Recently my mom heard on the news that doctors wondered if lupus occurred more often in girls because we are kept so clean. I spent much of my childhood covered in dirt and playing in trees. I guess they have to start guessing somewhere.