Love Letters

When you're going through a health crisis, you cling to whatever little thing makes you feel better. See: My favorite, ancient pair of ratty pajamas from Gap Body. I don't know why. My body feels good in them, they're soft and soothing, it's sounding a lil' crazy here as I type it, but I often feel like I'm going crazy so . . . I just succumb to the ratty pajamas.

See also: Bobby Brown Creamy Concealer. My jam is "Sand." Every time I'm interviewed/write about "things I love," I laud this product. I think this might've been my very first premium cosmetic purchase, about 100 years ago when I was a junior litigator. As a woman who's part Lebanese, I have always sparred with the dark under-eye. The pruney color gets worse with crazy a schedule (junior litigator), lack of sleep (junior litigator, fresh parenthood, stale parenthood, shuttling a junior athlete around the country, insomnia since forever, cancer #1, cancer #2, chronic pain, explant exploration). This stuff makes me look like I actually might've slept. I am not a natural-born sleeper. I just dip my pointer finger in the little pot, schmear some magic under my eye (and into the inner corners, ladies! Life Lessons from Glamour mag!) and KA-BAM. If I can fool the world, I can sometimes fool myself. Been fakin' it 'til I make it for almost 25 years with this stuff. Kisses to you, Bobbi.

Neurontin/Gabapentin. Discovered by Gerhard Satzinger. OMG, ILY Gerhard! I first heard of this stuff years ago when my husband was prescribed gabapentin for chronic back pain (changed his life while he was on it). Then our DOG was prescribed gabapentin last December when she had an acute glaucoma flare and almost went blind (this has been A YEAR, letmetellyou). Then, last April, a doc suggested gabapentin to me when I could JUST NO LONGER SLEEP. We titrated me up to a 400 milligram dose every night and OMG, I loved my bed again for the first time in months. Still do.

My love for the stuff has only increased. A few weeks ago, I was desperate in Baltimore. Despite horrible pain and the inability to walk much, I'd had to travel with my daughter because my husband was having such severe back pain, he couldn't (again, "shit-show" cannot begin to describe this summer). My PCP and I had a long talk one afternoon about my back pain, my implant surgery, etc. and he suggested I try taking gabapentin during the day, just to see what it did for my pain. The mouthfuls of Aleve and Advil were doing nothing. 

Well. I'm going on 3 weeks and I want to do a dance for gabapentin. I want to shout from the rooftops because a measly 100-milligram dose, 2x during the day has given me a window into a pain-free life. I went out to lunch with my daughter last week and DIDN'T GRIT MY TEETH THE WHOLE TIME. I went to Trader Joe's the other day - I didn't browse, but I could do a little shopping. Like 10 minutes, but still. Do you know how long it's been since I've been in a grocery store? Could this allow me to cook a meal? I dunno. But not having to lie on the floor or in bed all the time is AMAZING. I can sit up. I'm living a tiny bit better through chemistry.

Last one: Tylenol 8 Hour Arthritis Pain Relief. I found this at CVS a couple weeks ago . . . had to make an Extra-Strength Tylenol run (no anti-inflammatories as I want to be ready for surgery at ANY MINUTE). Each cap is 650 milligrams of acetaminophen, but they're enteric coated so they're "extended-release." I was skeptical - was this a way to charge me more for Tylenol? I queried the ever-present, Tiniest Pharmacist In The World at my "favorite" CVS. She told me it's legit and encouraged me to give it a go. You can take up to 6/day, I take 2 in the morning, 1 after lunch and 2 at night. This with the gabapentin has been amazing for my pain. I got the CVS version, FWIW. 

Because you can't take the lawyer outa the patient, I've gotta say, "please speak with your physician before taking any medications," but as an ailing woman, I can vigorously urge you to immediately pull out your rattiest pajamas and slather on whatever concealer takes you out of the running for the cast of the "Living Dead."

Party on, patients!