June 8, 2018, 1:30 p.m.
I woke up at 7:00 a.m. with a bonafide migraine! Got up, took sumatriptan and two Aleve, and went back to bed with an ice pack on my head and my feet on the heating pad. Fortunately, I woke up just in time to get a shower and pour coffee for us to take with us to Union City. Still bummed, though, about why I would be getting a migraine now! I’m convinced it’s because the Clarified (brand) 4:1 tincture I’ve been taking for the past three weeks is just not enough THC to provide the prophylactic effect of my 1:1 tinctures.
Francis was ready to start on time, and I followed him through the corridors to his office. He had to unlock two hallway doors and the door to his office. I appreciate the level of security that Kaiser provides for this building, which houses psychiatric and addiction facilities as well as pain management.
We talked first, about how am I doing and reiterating what my goals are. I felt free to tell him what pain medications I’m on but that my eventual goal is to get off all pain medications, like I was able to get off all diabetes medication, except insulin. He asked if I was still eating low-carb and my response was, “Oh, yes! It’s an ongoing permanent lifestyle.” I told him about my horrific headaches with gabapentin and that the pain pharmacist was working with me to switch to Lyrica. “We’ll see,” I said. He was looking at my records on his computer and confirmed that I had last talked with John Poon, pain pharmacist.
He asked me how I’m doing with acupuncture, and I told him, “Fine. Paul Simon told me I’m a good patient!” I told him I have every intention of continuing with acupuncture as long as possible. Francis then told me that patients have a limit of 10 individual sessions with an acupuncturist. After that, patients can go back to group acupuncture for an unlimited number of times. At $35 co-pay for each visit, the same cost as going to individual sessions with Paul Simon. I asked Francis if there is a limit like that for physical therapy visits. He said he didn’t think so. That he continues with a patient either until they are totally pain-free and healthy or until physical therapy has done all that is possible to do for them. I told him I knew that degenerative disc disease is not going to be cured, but that I’m determined to find out how to live with DDD without the level of pain that I have experienced.
I told Francis that Paul Simon had asked me if I was using any topical medication for my neck pain, and that I told him what I had never told any other Kaiser practitioner (except for Francis) that I used medical cannabis salve. “CBD?” he asked. I shrugged. “I have no idea. The container just says ‘Medical Cannabis Salve’.”
Francis had me go to the exam table where he checked how I’m doing with the exercises. He seemed very pleased that I am mastering the initial exercises, so he added dimensions to make them harder. He added one more exercise, which is like the one I’ve been doing lying down and turning my head as far as possible to the right. Only this one is done standing up against a wall, keeping head against the wall while turning it to the right and back again. A new challenge!
Near the end of the session, when I was still sitting on the exam table, I spotted a trifold brochure in a display on the wall. It was from Harborside. Just one copy, with a business card stapled to the top, and writing all over the brochure. I mentioned it to Francis. “Harborside?” I grinned. “Oh, yes,” Francis said. “You’ve been there?” I laughed. “Yes, that’s where I got my medical cannabis salve.”
He scheduled me for my next appointment after our planned road top. “First Friday in August?” he asked.
While I was in my physical therapy appointment, Linda and Emily stayed in the van, and Linda took measurements of various parts of the van and wrote them down in a notebook. When I came out, we drove to Home Depot on our way back.
Linda knew exactly what kind and size of wood she wanted. A very nice employee with the last name of Hernandez helped Linda find what she was looking for and then put the wood on the cart I was pushing. Emily and I waited patiently while the cuts were made. Linda located the hardware and drill bits she needed. The young Latina cashier was also very sweet and helpful. I was even able to load the car and unload it when we got home.
But I’m still quite bummed about the migraine I had this morning.
