Sharing from a Facebook post, so no editing or proper writing..
Long week. I spent Tuesday through tonight in pain with a migraine. I feel like writing about it…so…
Here is how that looks:
My alarm goes off at 6, but I couldn’t get to sleep because of pain the night before, so it is hard to get out of bed. I lay there assessing if things are better. When they aren’t, I reach over on my night table and grab the Vick’s, I place a little under my nose even in my nose!!, on my temples, and behind my ears to take the edge off. It’s a miracle how it works. It gives me enough relief to walk to the bathroom, where I wash my face in the dark because I’m not ready for light. Then I put more Vick’s because I just washed it off. As I get ready, there is a break every few minutes as I put my head down into my hands and just sit there in pain. I apply some pressure above my eyes, at my temples, and in the back of my head. Applying pressure here helps. I put as little make up on as possible especially near my eyes because, well I don’t know why. Mostly I don’t feel like doing anything. I put a comb through my hair. I try my best to look presentable, if I’m not, I really don’t care.
Each step I take upstairs sends throbbing into my head. I’m nauseated and can’t eat. I’m usually running behind at this point from the breaks I had to take getting ready. Because food can make things worse, I make salad or something light for lunch. I stick to vegetables and fruit, they are safest.
Driving sucks. Unfortunately, you have to keep your eyes open. (I need darker sunglasses by the way.)
I enter my office and have a habit of turning the lights on (imagine that), turn the computer on. Walking back through the lobby with no sunglasses on kills me, it’s too bright, but I have to unlock the doors. I should probably keep my glasses on! The blinds stay shut next to my desk, and the lights will eventually be turned off. Some days I’m in such a funk, I forget to turn them off and suffer. 😠 I adjust my chair over and over, adjust the brightness on my monitor, put my feet up under my desk, lay my head back often.
At my desk is more Vick’s, a massage tool a friend left for me, over the counter meds I can take during the day, those disposable heating pad things, capsaicin cream, mountain dew for the high caffeine that might help, and headphones to try to block out the noise. Ice is readily available in the kitchen (love my friends Deb and Terry for that)
If the noise escalates in the hall, the pain in my head does too. Teachers sometimes have to speak louder when kids don’t listen. Today, it was so loud I put my headphones in and my hands over my ears. It didn’t help. The pain immediately made me sick and I had to run to the bathroom.
I try to smile the best I can. I must look like death because usually everyone asks if I’m ok just by looking at me. If the lights are out, they all know me well enough and understand it’s a migraine. For those I don’t know well, I smile and say yes, I’m good thank you. Lies!!!
Driving home sucks again.
Once home, I figure out dinner because I was too out of it in the morning to plan ahead. Today I couldn’t worry about dinner right away. I collapsed on the couch and slept for two hours. I woke up, made dinner, washed dishes and sat there hoping for relief. This was Day 3, so I’m exhausted by now. I take a muscle relaxer, go outside to water my flowers once the evil sun disappears, water the grass, do some laundry, and anything I can fit in from 8:30-11pm. For some odd reason, my headache finally lets up during that time.
I’m afraid to eat, and afraid to move. Right now I have pain still lingering around my right ear, tomorrow may be a repeat. But three days is usually my norm. Let’s hope so, I’ve taken way to much medicine this week!
I have had these migraines since I was 11 (right, mom?) They come for different reasons like stress, hormones, my Osteoarthritis in my neck, sleeping wrong, and the wind blowing just right. I think this particular episode is my fault for lifting way more than I should on Tuesday- so my neck. Cervicogenic migraine. Yay!
I will wake up tomorrow better or I won’t. People are so helpful!! Always giving me advice and helpful remedies. Many people DO NOT understand migraines. They can be debilitating. It can become a disability for a reason. The severity changes, and some days you can’t move at all. I’ve pushed through most of my life and have rarely even missed work due to migraines. That’s not the case for all. I have more experience than most people with this ailment. Almost my entire life has been plagued by this horrific issue.
No matter how many remedies and tricks I keep up my sleeve, sometimes there are no answers, or ways to help. It just has to run its course. I can’t take the migraine medication, and there are only a couple meds for hemiplegic migraine anyhow-unfortunately, combined with another issue I have I can’t take it at all. The days I can’t speak and half my face goes numb are scary. Especially when driving. No medicine or remedy helps those days.
I keep going. That’s life. But some days I get frustrated and so I explain it all on Facebook. Even if no one reads this I feel better explaining it to myself again.
I’m a beast! I try so hard to keep going. 💪🖤
Thank you Miss KatyLou for this information:
Authentic Truths 