What is a migraine? Migraine Headache Information
My symptoms are:
* Depression, food craving, irritability
* Pin and needle sensations in arm or leg
* Pain on one side or both sides of the head
My symptoms are:
* Depression, food craving, irritability
* Pin and needle sensations in arm or leg
* Pain on one side or both sides of the head
* Pain that has pulsating or throbbing quality
* Sensitivity to light, sounds and sometimes smells
* Nausea or vomiting
* In bed for hours or days due to severity of pain
Sometimes, I can't relieve much of the pain. If I can't get it calmed down with ice or a cool shower in the dark, I'm guaranteed to have nausea or vomit. Like most people, I avoid the last one at all costs.
My next doctor tried the preventative migraine medications and all kinds of blood thinners. When those didn't work I tried over the counter medications. Those would work for the beginning of a migraine but if I couldn't catch it at the onset, it was just a matter of time. Then I tried banging my head against the shower wall or taking a butter knife handle and bouncing it on the throbbing pain. When I told my doctor this, she would prescribe a pain medication (Not to worry - I've never been addicted to pain medication and believe me, I've had many opportunities). The problem is that we'd never know if it would work until I had a migraine.
Consequently, I had frequent visits to the emergency room. I was given pain medications which took the pain away but I wanted to treat what was causing them. Was there a trigger? It wasn't until I was under the care of my current physician that I sought help from a neurologist. She diagnosed it as chronic migraine headaches. I followed a regimen - regular monthly visits to make medication changes and/or adjustments, track the migraines (when they would start, hormone related, stress related, etc.) and she gave me the right pain medication that kicked the migraine out in about 5-7 minutes.
She told me to make some changes in my diet, get more sleep, find fun stress relievers, and stop hitting my head against the shower wall.
My next doctor tried the preventative migraine medications and all kinds of blood thinners. When those didn't work I tried over the counter medications. Those would work for the beginning of a migraine but if I couldn't catch it at the onset, it was just a matter of time. Then I tried banging my head against the shower wall or taking a butter knife handle and bouncing it on the throbbing pain. When I told my doctor this, she would prescribe a pain medication (Not to worry - I've never been addicted to pain medication and believe me, I've had many opportunities). The problem is that we'd never know if it would work until I had a migraine.
Consequently, I had frequent visits to the emergency room. I was given pain medications which took the pain away but I wanted to treat what was causing them. Was there a trigger? It wasn't until I was under the care of my current physician that I sought help from a neurologist. She diagnosed it as chronic migraine headaches. I followed a regimen - regular monthly visits to make medication changes and/or adjustments, track the migraines (when they would start, hormone related, stress related, etc.) and she gave me the right pain medication that kicked the migraine out in about 5-7 minutes.
She told me to make some changes in my diet, get more sleep, find fun stress relievers, and stop hitting my head against the shower wall.
What are the migraines like today?
I wish I could say I'm completely free of them. I'm not. I have internal issues (like childhood physical abuse, serious car accident, etc.) that caused the vulnerability to my head, neck and spine and there are external factors (like the barometric pressure, bright lights) I can't predict. Neither of these did I nor do I have any control over.
What have I learned?
I've learned that even though I have chronic migraines I can use that time to talk to the Lord. When my head is throbbing and I'm sweating and I can't get comfortable on the bed...when the ice pack is melting and my stomach is nauseous and I want a hammer to deaden the pain, that's when I start singing praise music.
I'm not belting out a chorus - I'm singing softly and slowly. I picture Jesus. He's walking toward me with His arms stretched out. I leap into His arms as a little girl. As He's holding me and rocking me back and forth, He's smiling and calling out my name. My adult Amy is watching this treasured moment unfold and while her body is trapped in pain, her spirit has been set free. That's when I start singing....slowly.....softly...to my Savior...who watches over me.
I wish I could say I'm completely free of them. I'm not. I have internal issues (like childhood physical abuse, serious car accident, etc.) that caused the vulnerability to my head, neck and spine and there are external factors (like the barometric pressure, bright lights) I can't predict. Neither of these did I nor do I have any control over.
What have I learned?
I've learned that even though I have chronic migraines I can use that time to talk to the Lord. When my head is throbbing and I'm sweating and I can't get comfortable on the bed...when the ice pack is melting and my stomach is nauseous and I want a hammer to deaden the pain, that's when I start singing praise music.
I'm not belting out a chorus - I'm singing softly and slowly. I picture Jesus. He's walking toward me with His arms stretched out. I leap into His arms as a little girl. As He's holding me and rocking me back and forth, He's smiling and calling out my name. My adult Amy is watching this treasured moment unfold and while her body is trapped in pain, her spirit has been set free. That's when I start singing....slowly.....softly...to my Savior...who watches over me.
