For most of you who read the blog this is doubled (or even tripled) information but it’s that time of year again – aka The Great Culling of MCD’s Mailing List! This simply means that anyone who hasn’t opened my last five emails (through my mailing list, not the blog) is about to get the opportunity to ‘reengage’, or I will remove them. Keeping ‘nonopens’ on my mailing list costs me $$ (read: really just pennies per subscriber) and actually reduces my delivery rate (the more serious issue), especially through email providers like Gmail.
Anyway! I wanted to have a post on the blog for anyone who wishes to remain on my list to click through to ‘reengage’ and survive the great culling for another year.
So without further to-do …
Things I published in 2020:
The first book in the Misfits of the Adept Universe Series: Misplaced Souls. Narrated by Mory.
The fifth book in the Amplifier Series: Idols and Enemies. Available in eBook, paperback, and audio.
The audiobooks for the Reconstructionist series (starting with Catching Echoes). Narrated by the brilliant Whitney Dykehouse. The third book should release any day on Audible, Apple Books, Amazon, etc.
And! For fun: A series of character bios for the Adept Universe bible with sketches from Memo: Wallpapers: Mory and Ed Sketches: Jade, Kandy, Kett, Mory and Ed, Liam, Benjamin, Burgundy, Scarlett, Pearl, Gabby, Peggy, and Tony.
Release plans for 2021 (headache dependent):
Awakening Infinity, the prequel novel for the Archivist Series is currently being serialized on my blog and will release on March 2, 2021, in eBook and paperback on all retailers. I have plans to release the next two books in the series in the first half of 2021. [Again, fingers crossed]. I’m currently halfway through the first draft of Archivist 1.
The sixth book in the Amplifier Series is outlined and scheduled to release in the latter half of 2021, followed by the second book in the Misfits of the Adept Universe. Misfits 2 is outlined and from Kandy’s POV!
Bonus short stories: I’m writing a randomly themed short story set in the Adept Universe and releasing them (unedited/unproofed) exclusively to my mailing list each month. At the end of the year, I will bundle the shorts together, have them properly edited, and publish them on all retailers (so … possibly early Jan 2022?). I’ll ask Memo to do a sketch for each of them as well. The first short – from Kandy’s POV – releases to the mailing list on January 27, 2021 (so make sure you are subscribed!)
More sketches: Memo will continue doing character sketches for the Adept Universe bible. Next up: the nine guardians! I’ve also commissioned three (for now) character renderings from Nicole Deal for the Archivist Series that I can’t wait to share!!
You can also find me on Facebook (mostly writing-related posts), Instagram (mostly food, pets, knitting, and sunset posts), and Twitter (a combination of posts).
On a personal note, it’s been an insane year for us all with Covid19 and unfortunately my constant headache is still going strong. I’m finally seeing a menopause specialist this week (since everything else has been ruled out) and I have hope that she will finally be able to help me. Thank you for reading this far and I hope you enjoy how the Adept Universe unfolds over the next year and beyond.
Love and Light!
So glad to be here!! Here’s praying you get good results for that headache. I can’t even imagine.
Thank you! Fingers crossed!!
Good luck with the headaches. Someone recommended black cohosh to ease menopause symptoms to me. I haven’t tried it yet, but it may help you too. Also, have you had your sinuses checked? They were the source of my headaches (my sinus cavities weren’t draining). Hope that you can figure it out. Looking forward to Kandy’s story. She’s one of my favorite characters!
Black Cohosh is specifically for hot flashes, which I don’t have yet. It also has some harmful side effects (and is unproven/unregulated). Proper hormone therapy is the best way to treat menopause. The scaremongering around it, and the lack of care women receive by our medical society is ridiculous. I had to wait 9 months for this appointment. And I still might have to beg a specialist to try helping me. at least I’ve got a ton of research to back me up now.
It’s good to know that about black cohosh. I hadn’t started the research yet on it, since I have other issues to resolve. I totally agree with you on the lack of care, lack of research and treatment of women by health professions. It’s absolutely awful. I hope you’re able to get treatment and a specialist is probably the way to go! Good luck!!!! It absolutely sucks. Menopause is completely minimalized and trivialized by society in general – it’s almost a taboo topic (especially with men).
I hope you’re able to find an answer soon. Headaches can be so debilitating.
Wishing you the best of luck in 2021 Meghan, I really hope your headaches are resolved 💕
Thank you, Casey!!
Onwards and upwards in 2021, def minus the bedbugs & headaches xx
🤞🤞🤞
Best of luck and so much to look forward to this year from your prolific writing. Relax when the headaches are bad-your loyal fans Wil wait and understand and we’re rooting for a good healthy year for you and yours.
Wishing you answers from this dr visit. I had headaches for years and part of it was TMJ related. It is exhausting to have them every day. Best wishes on getting them stopped.
Your books and blogs are a highlight in my days. Thank you for writing! You are so much appreciated! Take breaks when you need to. We can wait!
You have quite a writing schedule ahead of you – but I know we are all going to enjoy the fruits of your labour! I hope the new specialist gets on top of the headache issue for you. I can’t imagine living with that (I get miserable from headaches for a week or so when I have a ear infection – would hate it to be almost permanent). I think it is going to be another Covid year, but here’s to us all beating the virus and living the good life! Thanks for continuing to engage with us all, I always enjoy your posts (even if I don’t always answer).
Always look forward to new books or short stories…actually anything you write! Hoping for relief from headaches. I tried Amovig..its really not working as much as I hoped for. Trying to decide as it is very expensive!
Yeah. I did three months of Aimovig. Very pricy. Didn’t work. But it spiked my blood pressure which has always been low. 😭
Love your writing, books comments and all! Looking forward to more. I admire your dedication
Thank you!!
Your books and blog plus social media are great. I look forward to all the snippets and stories. Look after yourself and that amazing brain of yours. Heres to a good year.
🙂
Sending you good thoughts for your appointment, and that your headaches will be lessened. And know how much I appreciate your writing!
💗
I usually binge read your newsletters once a month. Distance learning is kicking this elementary teacher’s butt! Lol, seriously though, I enjoy your newsletters and look forward to reading every story you put out :0) Thank you so much!
Thanks for all the updates! I’m looking forward to more stories.
As someone who has migraines & headaches (that sometimes feel just as bad), I sympathize. I’ve visited multiple specialists who did numerous scans & tests throughout the years (30+ now). They still don’t know the *actual* (medically diagnosed) cause, which is frustrating.
I have managed to do my own research, think outside of the box a bit, & by trial & error figured out some things for myself (most of which were never suggested by the doctor as a cause &/or treatment, because they aren’t all “traditional” medicine things).
I do have/take prescription meds for migraines & tension headaches, but I try to avoid the migraine meds unless necessary since ‘bounce back migraines’ are a problem when you take too many in one month (no daily med for me).
Hopefully my explanations make sense & maybe some of this can help you with your headaches, especially if the doctors aren’t able to figure out an effective treatment for you.
Here are some of the things that I have found that cause my migraines or headaches & what I do to either limit the number I get/month, the intensity/strength, &/or help to mitigate/shorten the duration for me:
#1 Recommendation
Severity can be MUCH worse if I’m dehydrated, haven’t been stretching/doing yoga, I’m run down or stressed out, &/or not getting enough sleep.
If I even think my typical symptoms are starting, I immediately drink at least 2 large (8+ ounces) glasses of water & make sure I’m drinking significantly more water for the next few hours. Staying well hydrated can help offset some of the other problems (sleep/stress). I also stretch really well (yoga has many specific stretches to help target problem spots), especially my neck, shoulders, & back (since that is where my tension likes to live).
Caffeine + OTC
Caffeine combined with medicine (even if meds are OTC Tylenol/Aleve) will be more effective. Caffeine can help to reduce inflammation*.
*This is most helpful if you already aren’t drinking a lot of caffeine, because if you are over caffeinated already &/or are going through caffeine withdrawals because you’ve cut your intake &/or have stopped drinking it, you will have more headaches until your body adjusts to less/none.
I cut almost all caffeine when I was a teenager & it was brutal, because I was drinking about (6) 20 ounce Mountain Dews a day. It wasn’t the most fun adjustment period, but I also didn’t acquire any ulcers or major health issues from the ongoing chemicals from the MD either (win!).
I do drink caffeinated beverages now, but in moderation, so the caffeine + meds works decently when I do it.
[https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/triggers-caffeine]
OTC Med Tx
My OTC first med attempt typically consists of a highly caffeinated beverage (2 shots of espresso with steamed almond milk -or- a large mug of sweet black or green tea) WITH 2 Aleve Gel Tabs (these are dairy free). If this is only partially works, I will add a dose of my prescription muscle relaxer a few hours later or combined with a 2nd dose of the OTC med. (If I know it’s a tension headache, I add the prescription med with the 1st OTC dose.)
Weather
I’ve noticed a lot of my migraines/headaches are directly affected by *weather*. The change from hot to cold, storms in/out, etc. I’ve guessed that it’s something to do with barometric pressure (& this seems to be the theory from others too), but since I can’t actually control the actual weather, I haven’t really researched the specifics. I try to use it as more of a possibility warning to watch for symptoms & to treat them as early as possible (early treatment is when OTC seems to be most effective as a preventative).
Hormone Changes
Seem to definitely trigger more long lasting headaches/migraines even with treatment. Like the weather, I don’t have any control, so I just try to watch when I know it could be the most likely. I’ve had a variety of tests specifically for hormone issues & they haven’t shown anything wrong. Per some research I’ve done, I would need much more comprehensive testing to accurately diagnose possible issues (every day for a month or more) & even then treatment might work for my issues.
Food &/or Environmental Allergies
This is something that most Doctors don’t consider at all. I’ve been tested for environmental allergies multiple times (& am allergic to the world), but the possibility of *food allergies* (or even intolerance) was never mentioned.
Unfortunately, food allergy tests aren’t reliable &/or even particularly accurate in most cases. Symptoms/reaction cancel out tests every time. The best way to figure it out is via an elimination diet & start with the top 8 allergens (you can do 1 by 1, typically picking the most likely offender first or one that has given you digestive issues/other symptoms).
Most of the time food allergy tests require you to ingest the food to cause a reaction for the test.
I have a dairy allergy (milk proteins more than lactose) that has gotten worse as I’ve gotten older. I could have avoided many other health issues as a child & adult if it would have been diagnosed 35 years ago (as it started noticeably manifesting when I was around 10 years old – looking back).
My dairy allergy causes a noticeable reaction when I eat 2 pieces of bread that have (baked) dairy since I’ve eliminated it 100%, so I’m not about to eat enough to trigger a reaction for a test (& deal with the reaction for months), since I already know about it & there isn’t a way to cure the problem. I don’t have an anaphylactic reaction (which I’m very thankful for), but I have noted it as an allergy with doctors, pharmacies, etc. just in case I ever do.
I cut all dairy as an experiment to alleviate other health issues (as I had read it could be the cause) & one of the ‘side effects’ was that the number of migraines I was having also decreased (& I inadvertently eliminated some of my other health issues all together, because the dairy was triggering the issue in the first place).
Other Treatments/Preventatives
Yoga/Stretching – I’m pretty flexible, so when I’ve been lax about daily stretches/doing some yoga & I’m tense/stiff or stressed out? It can definitely contribute to my overall pain & the length of time it takes to get rid of the headache/migraine.
Massage/Pressure Points – If I can’t get a true massage, having someone press firmly/deeply with their fingertips on specific ‘hard knot’ muscle points can help to release tension points & help stretching/yoga be more effective.
Acupuncture – I tried acupuncture specifically because I was interested in getting a daith piercing in my ear & I wanted to see if it would help (& it did!). I went weekly for 8 weeks & had really good luck with the headaches/migraines (which were a few times per week at that point, with various levels of severity) & it also helped some of my other health issues too. I moved & I’m hoping to find another (reasonably priced) acupuncturist because it was so awesome overall.
Daith Piercing – About 4 years ago, I had my left ear done & am still REALLY happy with the results. It didn’t eliminate all of my migraines/headaches, BUT… the frequency is reduced, they are less severe, & typically don’t last as long when I do have them. Getting the piercing done was initially painful (it goes through cartilage), it was only a bit tender for a few weeks. Once it was 100% healed (4-6 months), I didn’t even notice it anymore & haven’t had any issues with it since. I highly recommend having it done by someone who has a lot of experience & is familiar with the acupuncture aspects. If you have a local acupuncture clinic, they might have recommendations where to have it done. I also would ask any friends/acquaintances with piercings if there is any place they would recommend/avoid.
After the piercing was done, as long as I start treatment ASAP when I get symptoms, most of the time, I can treat them with my OTC med/caffeine combo & prevent a full blown reaction (so I don’t have to use my prescription meds). This has been a huge relief, as the prescription meds are essentially make me too foggy to be functional & I normally need a quiet space to lay down due to the pain at that point.
Supplements (Vitamins/Minerals) – I’ve added a variety of supplements to my daily vitamin & some are more noticeably helpful than others. Women are typically Magnesium deficient, which can directly interfere with your amount/quality of sleep, so making sure to have the right amount daily via diet/supplements made a noticeable difference for me (& it’s cheap). Anything you take should be recommended (& depending on what it is monitored) by an experienced professional (holistic practitioner &/or your doctor). Like I mentioned, not everything work
Whole Food Diet – Cutting processed/prepared/premade foods (anything with a high amount of preservatives/chemicals/fillers) out of your diet is a good idea. A *lot* of the preservatives, chemicals, & fillers used in commercially prepared food (canned, frozen, boxed, fast food, restaurants not cooking 100% from scratch) can trigger a headache/migraine. I had to cut a significant amount of this anyway due to my dairy allergy & it’s made me much more aware of ingredients in what I do purchase pre-made & what I eat when I’m out @ restaurants (aka “How to find out if your local restaurants know how to make food from scratch, can make menu adjustments, if their food isn’t all prepackaged/commercially bulk produced, & use real/fresh ingredients!”).
For drinks – don’t drink ‘Diet’, ‘Low Calorie’ &/or ‘No Sugar’ anything (unless the ingredients list nothing but water + real food).
The artificial sweeteners aka chemical sugars or sugar alcohols are pretty commonly known to trigger headaches/migraines. I specifically avoid all of the following:
– NutraSweet/neotame (pink packet)
– Equal/aspartame, acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), dextrose, & maltodextrin (blue packet)
– Splenda/Sucralose (yellow packet)
– Sweet & Low/cyclamate & saccharin (pink packet)
– erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, &/or advantame
I also avoid monk fruit extract (orange packet) & stevia (green packet) because I don’t like the way they taste & would rather use a smaller amount of real (organic) sugar/honey instead.
Chiropractor – I have had chiropractic care with adjustments on & off for years. It’s definitely been helpful to help keep other health issues from contributing to/causing my headaches. I’ve had some neck/back alignment issues which I know contribute to my tension headaches (& I’m sure they probably contribute to the migraines as well).
I’m completely to blame for some of this issue, due to my love of reading & being comfy (but in my case, comfy doesn’t necessarily equal good posture or alignment). I will probably always require some adjustment to help correct this (because I don’t really love the uncomfy but good posture reading recommendations)!
I hope that some/any of this is helpful &/or can alleviate some of your headaches. Feel free to send me an email if you have questions.
Thank you so much. I’ve been working on this headache issue since the spring of 2017. And on the acute constant headache for over 17 months now. I have tried everything you suggested (my diet was already ‘clean’, etc) with the exception of the daith piercing. Trust me, I don’t like being in constant unending pain as. I’m doing my best to mitigate it. 😊 I’m glad you’ve found some relief.
Hi Meghan, I tried the daith piercing and I think it was actually working. Unfortunately the ring was surgical steel and as usual my body rejected it. I’ll try again with gold after the virus has gone. Good luck with your headaches. I know how crippling they can be.
Sounds spectacular Meghan, I can hardly wait. Crossing fingers & toes for good health for you going forward. Lets hope for a miracle doctor for you! You so deserve it.
Wishing you both health and healing this year dear. I almost panicked thinking I was going to be dropped from your list! Ive saved all the recent mailings so I can read them all together. Nothing worse for me than waiting to read the next part of a story. I need to devour all at once! Take care be well and safe <3
Hi Amy. The blog posts aren’t the same as the newsletter. They are separate lists.
Hey MCD – I had some horrible periomenopause symptoms. Lots of tests and finally it just came down to my gyno suggesting to try birth control pills to regulate. I asked for a progesterone only one and after two cycles everything became so more normal. Good luck and don’t let people tell you nothing is wrong.
This is a good book. Whole reason I was commenting. Estrogen’s Storm Season: stories of perimenopause
Dr. Jerilynn Prior
Thank you! I’ve found the Menopause Doctor’s book and web site so up to date and informative.
Good luck!
Thank you. I tried a low estrogen BC for four and a half months. It reduced my symptoms but didn’t take the daily headache away. I’m trying Estrogel and micronized progesterone now but I’m only three weeks in. I had to drop the progesterone a couple of days ago, it increased the pain.