When I’m in Montreal, I feel like I’m in a whole other reality, dealing with a whole alternate set of tasks. As a result, I will sometimes forget myself. And this blog. Which was the case yesterday when, amidst all the action, I completely forgot to update. So here, early Wednesday morning, is your Tuesday update!
This visit has included a fair amount of unexpected hospital time. First, it was my cousin, Carolyn, who we went to visit after learning she had been admitted. Then, my mother who has suffered from years of debilitating migraines. In the case of the latter, mom had to spend the night in hospital undergoing tests and, after years of guess-work, doctors have finally occipital neuralgia.
In the interim, the migraine has abated and she’s much better and I’ve been doing some research. Apparently, certain execises may help. Anyone familiar with the condition?
Between hospital visits, I’m doing a little writing, a little reading (The Legacy of Heorot), and some zooming (mom’s backyard offers the perfect zoom backdrop). Also, caught up with my old high-school buddy Lawrence and his wife, Mel, last night over sushi. And cooked mom up that Australian wagyu I brought over from Toronto. It was a hit!
Your second regularly-scheuled blog entry coming your way later today.
If I remember!
Big fan of these cookies mom made with pure almond flour.
Finally, a coffee shop within walking distance of mom’s place (although, I suppose, it all depends on how far your willing to walk). La Station Cafe (they’re on Instagram) is located in a train station where my mother (and occasionally my sister and I when we were kids) would catch the train to go downtown every day for work and where my father would pick her up at the end of every day, after work. The layout is quaint and warm but the hours are short (closing at 2:30 p.m. on weekdays) presumably to take advantage of the rush hour crowds. They apparently make their own oat milk (which I aim to try the next time I visit). Their baked goods are homemade as well, but the cookies I tried tasted a little on the healthy side, so may go with the brownies next time. If you’re in Beaconsfild, check ’em out!
The Australian wagyu. I like mine a little less done – but mom prefers it a little more.
Finally, last night’s sushi outing. I forgot to take pics of Lawrence and Mel so here, enjoy this photo of the sushi cake.
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Wowza! You’ve been busy! Glad to hear your mom’s migraine is better. I’m a migraine sufferer myself but don’t have a diagnosis to the cause. I hope she can get the treatment she needs to prevent those. I’ve read that packing your head/neck with ice that will help. My reply was, “it’s difficult to keep an ice pack on when your upchucking.”. Those really bad migraines are NO joke! Do the triptans help your mom?
Glad everything else is going well there.
How’s the weather?
Any chance of your mom sharing that cookie recipe? I have a friend that is gluten free.
Hopefully the doctors can get your mom on some medication that will help. At least they know what it is now. Glad she is over this particular event. I had one year while taking care of my parents, that I had to take one or the other to the Emergency room 7 times. I just kind of got use to it and knew that hospital inside out.
The food all looks awesome, especially that steak!!! It looks perfectly cooked to me!
Joseph,,,I tried Hydergine years ago to treat migraine,,,it acts as a prophylactic for migraine,,used for that purpose in Europe for decades…
Steak looks a little raw for my taste!
Sushi cake looks great.
What flavour is the jam on the cookies? Apricot?
One is orange, the other plum.
I make those exact same cookies. We call them “Italian Biscuits” so that checks out! 100g almond meal, 100g icing/confectioner’s sugar, 1 egg white. I bake these biscuits to use up left over egg whites after using the yolks to make ice cream.
I live in Wagyu country here in Tasmania. Plenty of beef (as well as dairy) farms nearby. I wonder which part of Australia your Wagyu came from?
Yum! The cookies and steak are makin me hungry. xo
I definitely miss a good juicy tender beef steak cooked medium-rare.
Migraines:
I’ve been a severe sinus triggered migraine sufferer pretty much my entire life. Various temperature and weather changes, certain outdoor allergens, and some odors set it off. i.e: Indian and Thai food spices, even when just heating a frozen box dinner with these spices in the microwave, cooking fresh fish stove top in a non well ventilated kitchen, bleach, ammonia, lysol type sprays, etc. etc.
My eyes become severely light sensitive, often I become nauseous and sometimes suffer bouts of vomiting. It also effects my taste buds so simple foods I might normally eat taste inedible. Tried a variety of different medications over the years. Nothing fully worked. The only thing that has been one hundred percent successful is prevention and cupping my hands over my mouth and nose, shutting off all lights, computer and phone and lying down, closing my eyes when I feel one coming on, to sleep it off. Most of the time I will deep sleep for 4-6 hours and the episode will have at least eased enough to go about the rest of my day normally. Other times the episode remains severe 24-30 hours and all I can do is remain in darkened, quiet, room, sleeping pretty much the whole time. Drinking an abundance of spring water when I experience initial symptoms seems to help lessen the episode a bit.
Regardless of what the trigger is for your moms migraines, it is important she immediately shut off computer, phone screens, tv, closes her eyes and cups her hands over her nose and mouth to regulate air. If Andria is present when your mom feels one starting and has a functioning electric hand held massager that emits vibration ‘without heat’ she should place it on the muscle at the rear base of her neck where it meets shoulder, alternating 5 minutes for each side. It is necessary your mom allow her arms to relax/droop straight down while Andria does this. This will at least ease symptoms long enough for your mom to lie down and fall asleep for nap.
Thanks, Drea.
Brain is scrambled again of late. Did not mean to say trigger prevention is 100 percent effective. (obviously I would no longer suffer any migraines if that were the case). Hopefully though you understood what to convey to your mom and Andria