Living With Migraines

It starts with a sharp pain behind the eye, that begins to throb with every blink.  At times, it transfers to the opposite eye, or throbs behind both eyes.  I had a pain so intense on one side of my face, I couldn't lay on my side, my face throbbed so hard.  Light becomes piercing and intense.  At night, when driving, auras surround anything emitting a light.  The pain pierces straight to the back of the head, making anything unbearable.  To block this, I use an eye covering to block out light, AFTER closing all black-out curtains, which still emits too much light.  My feet, which are normally cold to begin with, become freezing, along with my hands. 

Most senses become so heightened and sensitive, it is all I can do to DE-sensitize myself.  Perfumes/Colognes, peanut butter, other foods...  make me so nauseous.  During a more recent migraine, my hearing made me nauseous.  I've often wondered about locking myself in my closet, where it seems darkest, but the air conditioner doesn't reach there.  I almost crave a dark and cool room to lock myself away in.

I have what is called "Chronic Migraines".  I get one 2 days or more out of the week.  Lack of sleep, stress, the barometer / weather / temperature change, hormones, what I eat, if I eat, if I don't get enough water...  My migraine lasts from 1 to 3 days, leaving me immobile and wanting nothing but hiding my head under my pillow.

If I can catch them early enough, I take a "preventative" medication to attempt to stop the on-coming migraine.  I can usually tell if I'm going to have one by the "aura," but, I also get incredibly sleepy, end up in a state of depression, get incredibly irritable, and crave carbs or salty food.  If it's too late, I take an "abortive" medication, which normally never touches it.  

Not many people understand the difference between a "headache" and a "migraine."  Migraine pain feels like it is pulsing or throbbing, vision is blurred, and there's an intense sensitivity of the other senses.  A migraine usually is aggravated by daily activities such as walking up stairs.  Headache pain is above the eyes or ears, behind the head, or in the back of the upper neck, and has many causes. 

To you who have wondered about what a migraine is, and if it is different from a headache, understand that it is.  I am so blessed to have a husband who understands and is willing to help me go with it.