The tide has receded, and the surf has subsided. Amidst the beach foam and fallen branches, the storm that has passed leaves me with feelings of relief, sublimation and catharsis. I'm a survivor, and my nightmare of a living situation has almost come to a close.
I have a new place lined up for February that will allow Oscar to come join me that borders Queen Lili‘uokalani Garden, complete with a swimming pool and a bbq area with a natural waterfall. I will be able to cook in my kitchen without bumping elbows with my roommates (the new ones don't cook), and I will no longer have to bear termites, roaches, mice and rats. I have a ten block walk to Chinatown and a clear head. I have a renewed sense of optimism that I have made the right decision in coming to Hawaii, and a light heart about taking back my dog. Perhaps now I can start to enjoy the weather.
I will, however, be a lot poorer. My rent has gone up by $150 extra a month, which will cause a considerable financial strain. Luckily, I have stuck with the new year's resolution of not drinking and have cut back on extracurriculars with the departure of my visiting mainland friends. I forgot how easy it was to spend money when friends are around. Eek!
We had our Sk808 Derby Tournament earlier this month, and I think it was a very well orchestrated success. I came out unscathed and landed some nice hits... and though I was a part of the team that took last place, we had a lot of fun and fought til the end. My favorite play was when I was in as a jammer... I avoided a four girl pileup by jumping over the mass, and went on to score four points. Man. I wish I had a photo of that. I keep playing it over and over in my head. I love those moments. They remind me that I don't always fall down.
Looking forward to February when mom, dad, and the dog come. Hoping to live as frugally as possible until then.
On that note... I'm looking for a sponsor for my acupuncture treatments. I just can't cut the $35 a week price tag. Any suggestions?
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Ancient Chinese Secrets
It was my New Year's resolution to myself: Find an alternative treatment for migraine prevention and make it happen.
I'm so sick of migraines. They have plaqued my existence since high school and are dehabilitating. I lose sleep, I spend days in a daze, I lose jobs, I lose out on social events, I suffer in silence and cry myself to sleep. I lose boyfriends. I lose patience. I lose self-esteem. I lose my lunch. To my credit, my migraines aren't always caused by alcohol. I just know that was the case in this instance.. but really, I can have a bad run of insomnia or work-related stress and end up on my back just the same. Should I live my life in a protective bubble, staying in on New Year's Eve to do yoga, going to bed at 10pm after chugging a gallon of water? Maybe. But... do I like to take risks?
Haha... Yes =)
I occasionally gamble. On January 1st and 2nd, I lost.
New Year's Eve was fantastic. The migraine was equally... fantastic.
Our evening started on a tame note and ended with my visiting friend from MN cooking breakfast in a penthouse for a bunch of drunken people. Without really breaking it down into specifics, the evening was entertaining to say the least and involved fireworks going off like it was Armageddon throughout the city, multiple swanky venues and interesting people, some crazy fake mustaches, sobercab chauffeurs, VIP status, and oh yes... a penthouse overlooking the entire glittering city of Honolulu. I never know what will happen here. I don't know why I'm still surprised. I should just expect adventure around every corner.
We left the penthouse as the sun began to rise and walked back to the condo that we've been fortunate enough to stay in for the past week, and that's when the trouble really began. I did have some descretion in my drink choices and attempted to make proper decisions, but without prescription medication, I was ill-equipped and in a bad spot. "It's just a hangover," people tell me... but they don't get MY hangovers. Add up all of the triggers... an alcoholic beverage (it only takes one sometimes), dehydration, sleep deprivation, stress.. and you have my moltov cocktail ingredients for one whopper of a migraine. It lasted for 2 1/2 days, ending only by the grace of... ancient Chinese secrets.
Now it really gets interesting.
After the first initial day of "hangover," including a drive to the North Shore that I couldn't get out of (and a horrible night's sleep that was really just me silently gasping in horror at the condition of my throbbing brain), I allowed my good Minnesota friend to guide me into Chinatown. I was desperate. Acupuncture was my last resort before going to the ER. I hate shots of Demerol and the hours of waiting, so I thought a few hundred needles in my forehead--or maybe a lobotomy--would be better. I could barely see. I was blinded by pain. We arrived, and after a little fuss, I was put in the back room behind a curtain. I have no idea what happened to my good friend. I think she wandered around Chinatown in search of a casket.
I remember them asking me some questions, and me mumbling something like "migraine, pain, help." I think they got the picture. My eye was running, teeth clenched, my brain close to exploding, and they probably thought I might kill them if they didn't subdue me. Then I was on my side facing a white wall. I was at their mercy. The needles were pricked into the top of my head, along my hairline, into my temple, down my neck, down my spine, around my shoulder blade, into my wrists. I don't know how many. I didn't even feel them. I honestly felt like being hit over the head with a club would have helped take the edge off.
Next, I received a special Chinatown surprise. I don't even know if this is legal...
Each tiny needle had a tiny wire clamped onto it. Pulses of electricity tapped away in code. I imagined them sending my brain SOS signals.. or waving tiny white flags. I lay motionless on my side through this process, for every shift of my jaw or brow sent horrible pain into my temple. I was a little scared to move. An egg timer went off after what seemed like a long time, and the next phase began.
Wires were removed, and "cupping" therapy began. Oh my!! Hollow glass "cups," the size of baseballs, round and smooth and clear, were heated, dipped in alcohol, then suctioned all over my neck and back. I am fortunate to have a high pain threshold. I felt like I was being attacked by an octopus (or maybe a junior high boy with bad aim). I lay there, still in pain, until the next egg timer went off. The cups were removed, and a soothing ointment that I can't pronounce was laquered onto my back and neck. I am certain it was liquid vicodin. It felt great. I bought some for the road.
An hour later, this whole debacle was over and I was paying for my treatment. I still had the headache, though now I could see straight and I didn't want to kill. I was to come back in a few days for a second treatment (because chronic migraines take several treatments). As a consolation prize to remind myself of how much fun I was having, the Cupping therapy left gigantic bruises all over my back. I look like a torture victim. I'm a derby girl, yet ashamed. I gotta say... they're kind of hard to explain. At least with derby, I can just say, "I play roller derby." How do I explain a back full of perfectly symmetrical, baseball-sized bruises?
I learned a lot about Chinatown that day, especially these two lessons:
#1: Ancient Chinese Secrets will be disclosed to you IF you don't ask questions and IF you are brave enough to go back several times, and
#2: Don't purchase bananas from the first vendor you see.
I've had two treatments now and will need to go back in another week. If I remain migraine-free for over a week, I can slowly go up to receiving these treatments once every other week, then every three, then four, and so on. If that happens, I will be paying 1/4 the price of western medicine co-pay and prescription costs, which makes a big dent in my monthly budget. Just imagine. me... MIGRAINE-FREE!!
It's good to take risks. Even when you end up blind in Chinatown.
ps. In other news, my EBT card stopped working for a few days and then started again, and the house in which I reside is now being auctioned off. Surprise!!
The adventure continues.
I'm so sick of migraines. They have plaqued my existence since high school and are dehabilitating. I lose sleep, I spend days in a daze, I lose jobs, I lose out on social events, I suffer in silence and cry myself to sleep. I lose boyfriends. I lose patience. I lose self-esteem. I lose my lunch. To my credit, my migraines aren't always caused by alcohol. I just know that was the case in this instance.. but really, I can have a bad run of insomnia or work-related stress and end up on my back just the same. Should I live my life in a protective bubble, staying in on New Year's Eve to do yoga, going to bed at 10pm after chugging a gallon of water? Maybe. But... do I like to take risks?
Haha... Yes =)
I occasionally gamble. On January 1st and 2nd, I lost.
New Year's Eve was fantastic. The migraine was equally... fantastic.
Our evening started on a tame note and ended with my visiting friend from MN cooking breakfast in a penthouse for a bunch of drunken people. Without really breaking it down into specifics, the evening was entertaining to say the least and involved fireworks going off like it was Armageddon throughout the city, multiple swanky venues and interesting people, some crazy fake mustaches, sobercab chauffeurs, VIP status, and oh yes... a penthouse overlooking the entire glittering city of Honolulu. I never know what will happen here. I don't know why I'm still surprised. I should just expect adventure around every corner.
We left the penthouse as the sun began to rise and walked back to the condo that we've been fortunate enough to stay in for the past week, and that's when the trouble really began. I did have some descretion in my drink choices and attempted to make proper decisions, but without prescription medication, I was ill-equipped and in a bad spot. "It's just a hangover," people tell me... but they don't get MY hangovers. Add up all of the triggers... an alcoholic beverage (it only takes one sometimes), dehydration, sleep deprivation, stress.. and you have my moltov cocktail ingredients for one whopper of a migraine. It lasted for 2 1/2 days, ending only by the grace of... ancient Chinese secrets.
Now it really gets interesting.
After the first initial day of "hangover," including a drive to the North Shore that I couldn't get out of (and a horrible night's sleep that was really just me silently gasping in horror at the condition of my throbbing brain), I allowed my good Minnesota friend to guide me into Chinatown. I was desperate. Acupuncture was my last resort before going to the ER. I hate shots of Demerol and the hours of waiting, so I thought a few hundred needles in my forehead--or maybe a lobotomy--would be better. I could barely see. I was blinded by pain. We arrived, and after a little fuss, I was put in the back room behind a curtain. I have no idea what happened to my good friend. I think she wandered around Chinatown in search of a casket.
I remember them asking me some questions, and me mumbling something like "migraine, pain, help." I think they got the picture. My eye was running, teeth clenched, my brain close to exploding, and they probably thought I might kill them if they didn't subdue me. Then I was on my side facing a white wall. I was at their mercy. The needles were pricked into the top of my head, along my hairline, into my temple, down my neck, down my spine, around my shoulder blade, into my wrists. I don't know how many. I didn't even feel them. I honestly felt like being hit over the head with a club would have helped take the edge off.
Next, I received a special Chinatown surprise. I don't even know if this is legal...
Each tiny needle had a tiny wire clamped onto it. Pulses of electricity tapped away in code. I imagined them sending my brain SOS signals.. or waving tiny white flags. I lay motionless on my side through this process, for every shift of my jaw or brow sent horrible pain into my temple. I was a little scared to move. An egg timer went off after what seemed like a long time, and the next phase began.
Wires were removed, and "cupping" therapy began. Oh my!! Hollow glass "cups," the size of baseballs, round and smooth and clear, were heated, dipped in alcohol, then suctioned all over my neck and back. I am fortunate to have a high pain threshold. I felt like I was being attacked by an octopus (or maybe a junior high boy with bad aim). I lay there, still in pain, until the next egg timer went off. The cups were removed, and a soothing ointment that I can't pronounce was laquered onto my back and neck. I am certain it was liquid vicodin. It felt great. I bought some for the road.
An hour later, this whole debacle was over and I was paying for my treatment. I still had the headache, though now I could see straight and I didn't want to kill. I was to come back in a few days for a second treatment (because chronic migraines take several treatments). As a consolation prize to remind myself of how much fun I was having, the Cupping therapy left gigantic bruises all over my back. I look like a torture victim. I'm a derby girl, yet ashamed. I gotta say... they're kind of hard to explain. At least with derby, I can just say, "I play roller derby." How do I explain a back full of perfectly symmetrical, baseball-sized bruises?
I learned a lot about Chinatown that day, especially these two lessons:
#1: Ancient Chinese Secrets will be disclosed to you IF you don't ask questions and IF you are brave enough to go back several times, and
#2: Don't purchase bananas from the first vendor you see.
I've had two treatments now and will need to go back in another week. If I remain migraine-free for over a week, I can slowly go up to receiving these treatments once every other week, then every three, then four, and so on. If that happens, I will be paying 1/4 the price of western medicine co-pay and prescription costs, which makes a big dent in my monthly budget. Just imagine. me... MIGRAINE-FREE!!
It's good to take risks. Even when you end up blind in Chinatown.
ps. In other news, my EBT card stopped working for a few days and then started again, and the house in which I reside is now being auctioned off. Surprise!!
The adventure continues.
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