Vestibular migraine

One of the more common neurological conditions is a migraine headache but some people don't even consider it a disease. My research has shown me that migraines often involves more than just a headache. Visual aura can be the person sees flickering light spots sometimes with dark holes inside or zigzagged light flashes like lightning. The visual aura tends to appear about 15 minutes before a headache. Many people don't realize there is also an association between migraine and the inner ear and the brain mechanism that influence hearing and balance.

Classic Symptoms of migraine are severe throbbing headache on one side of the head. Chloe's headaches were only on the left side of her head the phase "lopsided headache" was used to describe her headaches and other symptoms she complained about were only on the left side of her body and head.First diagnoses suggested was Menderes Diease later ruled out. Other symptoms she experienced were: Nausea and vomiting, extremely  sensitivity to light and noise, and the need to go to a dark and quiet room to sleep.


Vestibular Symptoms are: Vertigo, Imbalance Dizziness,Unsteadiness, Extreme sensitivity to motion and Hearing Symptoms. As a child Chloe saw a neurologist for possible seizures. The neurologist ruled out seizures but Chloe seem to fall on the floor and thrash back and forth for no reason. The medication she is on to treat headache and partial seizures with the other medication to prevent nausea and vomiting due to motion sickness seems to be greatly helping in this area.


Otis Migraine comes from the word meaning ear, and often occurs without headache. We questioned
If Chloe had hearing loss because her speech developed uniquely like  she was talking like under water. We got her reading,to help her enunciate her words better. We also found out later that she had tinnitus in her left ear that lessen with medication and her enunciate of words and sentences improve too. She saw an OtoLaryngologist (ENT)till about school age trying to figure out her hearing and speech issues causes. Hearing comprehension of the spoken word and her enunciation has improves with the medication she is now on.

So Chloe migraine treatment has seem to help her understand the spoken word, improve her communication skills and strength her endurance . One side of our family has migraines and the other side has vestibular issues so this treatment actual makes sense.

Neuropathic Pain

For 25 years we have been in pursuit of why our daughter was diagnosed floppy infant and had a general weakness  on her left side that caused her to have a left shoulder to be asymmetrical in shape to her right shoulder since she was born. Then she was put on a seizure medication used for epilepsy and neuropathic pain that has greatly improved her quality of life. This chronic pain state usually is accompanied by tissue injury. These nerve fibers themselves may be damaged, dysfunctional or injured. The damaged nerve fibers send incorrect signals to other pain centers.  Because of the tissue damage she was put on  a muscle relaxer with this medication which seems to be a winning combination.

Looking through several disorders symptoms lists I found the closest symptoms to match up with her disorder was Fibromylgia. So besides the symptoms mention above that she was born with here are some other symptoms.

Morning stiffness: Chloe needs time to get started in the morning and time for her medication
to works!
 Headaches:   Chloe's most intense headaches seem to happen the period of 5am to 9am. Medication has helped to lessen the intensity. She has less intense headaches during the rest of the day which shows her medication for pain management helping her do more things. She is able to describe her headaches and beginning to ask for what she needs before resuming her activities.
Fibro Fog:Her memory problems and cognitive problems have signification improved with this
 medication combination.
Sensitivity to Loud noises or bright lites:This has also improved with the mediation combination also!

This is what we see so far! Jacqueline

Alternative treatments

We are on a journey of exploring what works on Chloe upper back nerve issue condition. The problem causes headaches, weakness on the left side arm, shoulder neck and face since birth!

Here are some treatments we are working on!

             Dentist/Oral Surgeon: Chloe had 4 wisdom teeth and a molar removed in 2015 in a hospital setting. After that one of her left front teeth cracked off due to excessive grinding. I took a while to find another dentist. Then I got lucky and found a dentist who also worked 2 days a week as an oral surgeon. He found the tooth that cracked off was infected and gave her antibiotics. Chloe is going to get a root canal in his office after. She is on a seizure med that deals with peripheral nerve damage that now lets  Chloe lay on her upper back in a dentist chair without significant pain like before so she can have the procedure done in the office dentist chair!

            Another Treatment we are checking out is light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder also referred to as winter depression.  

Symptoms are :

Apathy, Fatigue,Sadness,Irritability, Weight Gain, Lack of Energy, Increased sleep, Carbohydrates Craving, Difficulty in Awakening, Decreased social Activity

Both my Kids were tested to be Vitamin D deficient and have at least one or more of the symptoms mention above.

Treatment is they are in front of light box that emits intense bright light.The light enters the eye, hits the retina which sends a nerve impulses to the pineal gland which controls melatonin secretion. 

So far both our young ladies sit in front of this right for 30 minuates and really seem to enjoy it. One likes to read the other is on her computer during the light Therapy.

Tens Unit is still used for pain management issues but now is on an as needed bases.

Chloe also works at our local fitness club with her adaptive personal trainer working on core issues and using her arms without headaches

2016 recap and 2017 update!

Life in 2016 had us take a break from these updates and taking care of life!

Natasha has been working since the end of August with people she is friends with. She finds the work interesting. She is also working on what it means not to have a gall bladder and what that all entails also pondering what is next in her future.

We also dealt with the illness of a relative then the unexpected death! My asthma medication needed to be increased but of course it could not possibly because of  Global warming . At least if you believe the Republican logic! Then I got an upper respitory virus that lasted about 2 months. It was having a major argument with my asthma! With all the coughing and sneezing I fell and sprained my big toe that I am still recovering from. Crazy year of manageable obstacles that had to be worked through!

Chloe has been on this seizure med that deals with the nerve damage in her back for now over a year. She appears to be in less pain because she comprehends the spoken word has improved and follows  directions also improved. She is working with an Adaptive fitness trainer . She works on her social skills, her ability to follow directions and appropriate social interaction.

The tens unit has help her nerve problem in her back. She uses it 10 to 15 minutes 3 times a day. The probes are put around the base of her neck in the middle part of her shoulders. This seems to improve things too.

Our goals are continue to assess if we have the correct medication and the correct use of the tens unit.
This problem could be a genetic defect in a nerve bundle in her back that she was born with. Doctors are still not ruling that out as a possibility.


Jskubal.anderson@yahoo.com

Migraine without aura and without status migrainosus not intractable!

Chloe had her 3 month medication review with her Neurologist to review the medication and make adjustments.

I shared with the the Neurologist some of Chloe's issues in these past 3 months. She had intense pain in her left front tooth which caused her to crack it. I learned this could be from diffuse pain which means it is spread out over a large area, not concentrated. We shared that  Chloe still has  headaches on Thursday and or Friday several times a month. She is able to be reason with and work through issues easier then before the nerve pain medication. Chloe is also able to open her mouth wider then before. We also have had 2 vacations up at the cabin and she enjoyed sight seeing !

Showing no negative side effects to this nerve pain medication, her Neurologist suggested that it was time to go up in dosage to address some of these problems that were mention in previous paragraph.

Today we went to get a Wisconsin State ID.  Chloe handled the group of people very well and we were out of there in 30 minutes, She awake with eyes half shut and complaining of a headache. With this medication for nerve pain she was still able to complete what we need to complete.

We will see the doctor in 3 months. We will also call the Doctor with our progress every 2 weeks.

Any further questions contact us at; jacquelinediscoverytrail@gmail.com

Unique treatment for Unique disorders!

This update will be giving you a view of how Doctors deal with these unique disorders!

Natasha has finish treatment for her Mirizzi Syndrome and had her gall bladder removed. She has just started back to work  and is adjusting to a 40 hour work week, She has completed treatment and now trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life.

I too have a disorder found after our kids were born. The medical field did not have a way to test for it till 7 years after our last child was born. I have Factor V Leiden homozygous which is the most serious form of this disorder. I have a blood clotting disorder and I have had blood clots. But if I take aspirin based medication I have hemorrhaged.Now I am taking a non-aspirin base  blood thinner, and have a Inferior Vena Cava filter. Medication has greatly stabilized my disorder and my health greatly improved with this proper treatment. I have allergies and asthma and am treated for this too.

Chloe our youngest has a different medical issue. She was born with a weakness on her left side of her body. At 9 months this weakness,  was described by her  first neurologist she saw, This condition could be  caused by a malformed nerve bundle on her left side. Her left shoulder is asymmetrical  to her right side with forehead issues, teeth and neck issues all on her left side. With exercise and medication for nerve pain  we are seeing Chloe able to interact with her world and express her opinion. This medication has shown us that pain was her  predominate issue, She is also being treated for allergy and asthma issues.

Medication used for many different disorders

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Chloe is making steady progress on this new medication, The medication is used for treatment of many different disorders. It is an anti-epileptic or anti convulsant that affects chemicals and nerves in the body. These nerves and chemicals that cause some types of seizures and or pain.

Some other uses for this medication are the following nerve pain conditions.

1. diabetic neuropathy
2. peripheral neuropathy
3. trigeminal neuralgia
4. restless leg syndrome 
5. herpes 
6. shingles

Chloe's medication is working on her headache issues, stamina, ability to respond to questions appropriately and motor planning issues and improve control of her anxety to name a few. Chloe remember things she did before she was unable to express it to us and now asking questions she probably she wanted to ask years before.

One example of this was the last time we went to see her neurologist, she asked me. "Mom did we live in a group home."  My response was to explain to her that until 2000 we lived in an apartment above the group home that I ran. Car rides are great times to discuss things and we seem to be doing more and more of that. 

We are still in pursuit of the correct daily dose but are very pleased with what we see so far. Her speech and response time is continuing to improve. We will always wonder how much pain she was in before started working with this medication.

We are beginning to research what activity level should we increase to also and what types of activities.

email: jacquelinediscoverytrail@gmail.com