So it has been 3 months and 16 days since I had my first Botox injects; and roughly a week since I went for my second treatment (you have to go every 12 weeks for injections).

In those 3 months, get ready for this, I had 5 headaches! I know that may seem like pfft whatever but for me that is ahhh-mazing, if you know me or if you have read my previous posts about my migraine situation you know that 5 is pretty much a miracle. And to make it even better these headaches never got to the point of no return like my other headaches use to do. These past 5 I was able to take an Excedrin or Relpax and bam no more headache.

I honestly wish I had known about Botox sooner, or that it was even made an option available to me years ago; I told my neurologist this too. My neurologist said that Botox is a last resort and the reason that they do not offer it is because it is so expensive. I will have you know I have a warped sense of real world insurance costs because I work for a big healthcare company that graciously offers benefits at a low cost to me. So for my injections I pay five bucks, that’s it, five and done. I was curious to know how much Botox costs in the real world so I did a little bit of research.

Botox prices can range from $10 per unit up to $18 per unit, there seems to be no rhyme or reason for the cost fluctuation some websites I read seem to suggest that it has to do with the physician giving the injections; if he/she is in demand, how much Botox they buy, the areas that it is injected, etc.  So I figure the average price per unit is around $15, which doesn’t seem so bad until you take into account how many units you actually need per treatment. Botox for migraines requires 155 units for the treatment. So 155 units x $15 = $2,325 Yikes. When I sit back and look at that number I think is that amount of money something that I would be willing to pay for? I mean for my migraines I would give anything, but cosmetically is that really worth it? At my age now I would say no, but who knows what I will say 30, 4o years down the road when my skin starts to sag and I get wrinkles and such. I do know that I won’t have a problem with forehead wrinkles thanks to my migraine Botox. (kidding, but only kind of)

I really just wanted to update about my progress with the Botox treatments; scariest, yet best decision I have made to get my head under control. Rumor has it that after about a year’s worth of treatment that the headaches should just dissipate and hopefully they will cease to exist; I can’t complain about that. I cannot even express how nice it is to have my life back, to not miss out on activities because I have a migraine. I can also genuinely say that I am happier, living in constant pain really does put a damper on things and now that I no longer have that pain I feel like a weight has been lifted off of me and it is fabulous.

r

5/28/14