Sandy, I had daily migraines from the time I was a small child. I learned to live with them. Usually I could continue on with life, only occassionaly having to blacken the windows, put cotton in my ears and writhe on the bed for a few days. I was about 28 and working as an accountant when I suddenly had blurry vision every day at about 2:30 pm. I was still having the painful kind too. After a few weeks I went to the Dr and he told me I was having cluster migraines. He gave me some meds that would help for a couple of weeks then all the pain would come back and he'd switch to another med. The final straw was when I was driving to work (luckily I had a jeep and lived in the country) and looked at the sun and it had beautiful rainbows around it and I just drove toward it. I "came to" way off in a field, still driving toward the beautiful sun. I carefully got back on the road and continued on to work. I called the Dr and told him what happened and that I would rather have the migraines than experience all I'd been through with the meds. He said, "You know there is a government grant for something new called bio-feedback training and a local nurse practicioner is doing it here in Vt. I don't know anything about it, but I'm going to refer you." That was the end of my migraines. All kinds. For the first time in my life I my head was pain free. I guess it's like the silent migraines you talk about. They are still happening, but my body automatically goes into the bio-feedback routine all by itself after all these years (I'm 62 now). Sometimes I'm aware of the bio-feedback kicking in. If I consciously look for the migraine I can find it and sort of feel it, but no horrid pain. I have a bad headache about once or twice a year, but they don't act like the migraines I used to have. I guess they are just plain old headaches. I never thought of having an EEG. It would be interesting to see what it shows. Anne

Happy April Fool's Day everyone. Hugs to everyone who needs them. We got here on Saturday & got everything unloaded Sunday. We got the truck taken back on Monday. I still have a few things to put up but for the most part, everything is in its place. It looks really nice. Here is the sad news. We took our furbabies to the vet yesterday. The oldest one, Lucy, has heartworms. We have to take her back on Monday to have them staged. We have had her a week today & have already had to pay out the wazoo for her. We love both the little ones. Just trying to figure out how we are going to afford the treatment. It is very, very sad & I wish I could say that this was an April Fool's joke but it isn't. Besh~I know how you feel. Dave tells everyone that it took us 10 years to even be able to consider having another dog after we had to give ours up when we moved to Florida. We were still crying every time we said their names. These 2 little ones have already brought us so much joy. If you or RAEANNE could let me know the best thing to pick up hair, I would appreciate it. Papillons are not supposed to shed but IDK if it is b/c of stress or b/c they weren't groomed properly or petted enough, they are shedding. Not as much now as they were a week ago!!! I cannot tell you how far they have come in a week. I'm so glad that Maddie got to do Rabbit, Rabbit. LOL I got Dave this morning. He has been winning a lot lately. I am thinking about all of you & I wish I had been able to write down what each of you said so I could comment but I have the computer on my bed right now & 2 dogs & a snoring husband in a pear tree! LOL I hope that all the MIAs will come out & play. Did we ever find out what happened with John? I miss him. He snagged himself a GF & doesn't have time for us anymore, right? It is supposed to be in the 90s here this weekend so our 4 year old granddaughter is playing 2 soccer games tomorrow & we are going to watch them. Hope everyone else enjoys their weekend. I will make the ultimate sacrifice & get a sunburn for everyone if you want me to. ;)

As I lay here in bed reading this, I have a large pad on 2 sheets of paper towels folded long ways two line that pad, 2 depends pull-ups on, a disposable Chuck, a fabric Chuck and a towel underneath all of that. I along with many other women that I've read about on this thread have suffered these 'monster' periods for a very long time, well actually to the tune of 25 years. I have left my stamp (flooding Period gushing pools) at work at home, at the child Gymboree class, on Greyhound buses, on every form of Transport known to man. I have always had to have the heaviest flow pack of pads I can find along with Depends pull ups and tampons and black pants at several strategic locations during my day. One kit in my car, one at my job and always in the house. I could identify with the frustration and I was happy that some people mentioned the mental anguish and the feelings of being just out of it. Feeling isolated and unsociable. Over the last 25 years I have adapted to living with the memory loss, fog and just kind of drifted through my day on auto during these episodes. I was not financially position to be able to stay home during the illness, and on one occasion I remember coming up off the subway train and bent over on the street screaming in pain. But this was New York so everyone passed by and ignored me, indifferent to what they were seeing. At that time a taxi driver saw me and had pity on me. He insisted that he take me home. but I was adamant because I didn't want to lose my job; so I told him to take me to work. By the time I got to work they had to call an ambulance and rush me to the hospital. I was dehydrated and anemic due to the blood loss. it was the first of many occasions like that, and I would frequent the ER bleeding heavily and dizzy over the following years. 10 years ago I had three fibroids removed of which one was the size of a grapefruit. The monster periods lightened up for maybe a year or two but then it came right back with a vengeance and was like Clockwork every 3 weeks as per usual. Heavy and uncontrollable with massive clotting. I was too afraid to have the hysterectomy because of people's horror stories including my own mothers; and the fact that it apparently brings on menopause, along with all the syndromes almost immediately. My little sister had gone through menopause at age 43, so I figured I'd wait it out thinking I can't be that far behind. I am 51 years old, and to my absolute Delight had not experienced a period in the last 7 months; so I thought I was done with it all , thinking that it was all behind me, that the nightmare was over, and got rid of all my stationed 'kits.' Yes it meant I had terrible hot flashes, but those paled when measured up against those monster periods... Which brings me right back to today laying here reading all your heart wrenching stories. At this point I don't know what to do and I really don't want a hysterectomy after suffering so much with the fibroid removal. moreover I don't have the luxury or option of taking time off of work. I guess I will make the appointment with the gynecologist and see what options are out there two decades on. I'm hoping for a miracle. Again I want to thank all you ladies for being so candid and sharing your stories. It has been really helpful to me and, I'm sure, to many other women going through this nightmare. I wish you all success with your various treatment options. I will definitely come back and update you on what treatment the gynecologist recommend.

Gardenspice, the doc told me hormone levels wouldn't be conclusive because I still get my periods regularly? I am kind of skeptical about that, but he usually knows his stuff, so he is probably right. The thyroid test was in conjunction with my annual blood tests and he said all of those were normal, except for anemia. For the anemia, he sent me to have a colonoscopy and endoscopy to rule out anything sinister going on. I believe he ordered the cardiology tests because my father had his first heart attack at age 51, and died of his third age 58. I am glad I was checked because those palps scared the heck out of me. It's easier to deal with them now that I know they are nothing to worry about.