MIGRAINE...Indescribable

Did you know 25% of women and 8% of men suffer from migraine at some time in their lives? There is a well-known association between migraine and affective disorders, but the information is sparse concerning the prevalence of migraine in subgroups of the affective disorders.

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I am a statistic.

Lying in bed in a fetal position, my hands grasp a throbbing head. The frozen ice pack from two hours ago has become warm.

The room is in darkness, however, daylight peeks through the sides of the pull-down blinds. This has been my sanctuary for the last three days. Excruciating pain finds me with a headache that is termed a migraine. Walking downstairs and entering the kitchen to trade ice packs from the freezer, I settle in on the living room couch, hoping a change of scenery will loosen the gap of pain in my head. It doesn’t, and I saunter back up to bed.

The headache is spreading to the left side, right side, now on top, now throughout my face.

Horrendous pain. I am “eating” too many non-prescription meds, praying each time that “these ones” will subside the pain. Nausea follows; nothing is effective and it’s impossible to function. Due to allergies, I am unable to ingest certain pain relievers.

Day four and five – no change. In bed mostly, hiding from the world, living in darkness. I am becoming somewhat used to the pain.

I make an enormous decision to visit the hospital ER. Five days with a migraine has taken its toll.

ER - Two hours pass in the waiting room, someone signals me to “Section C”, where a nurse ushers me to a hospital gurney. I am instructed to undress and replace my clothing with a backless blue gown, and wait to be examined. This will be my new bedroom for the next while. Bright, florescent lights irritate me and exacerbate the pain.

An hour passes and a resident finally sees me. He asks my medical history, and many typical questions; when did the pain start, how do you know if it really is a migraine, have you had it before, what meds are you on etc. etc. He then disappears.

I’m obviously not a high priority patient, and I recognize that. Still, the hours tick by at a snail's pace and at last the senior physician enters. Prior, I eavesdrop on the doctors chatting. The senior states: “Perchance a stroke – better check”. Another load of questions, followed by a ‘stroke’ exam, and although in pain I am impressed by their thoroughness.

A nurse is summoned to insert an IV. I caution her of my poor veins. “Ouch”, she is not gentle, and one poke turns into three. I wince in pain but at last the IV is in place. The “anti-pain” meds are entering my system, where with any luck they will toss me into normalcy.

Three hours follow. The first med is unsuccessful; therefore, a second is administered. I glance at the IV. Drip, drip, drip. A further hour passes and for the first time in five days I feel relief. The pain hasn’t entirely vanished, but absent is the throbbing. Hallelujah! I almost feel like dancing!

I am free to leave.

I bear the wounds of my experience shown with black-and-blue arms where the poke for veins took place. Anything is worth reprieve.

Pessimistically, as a classic migraine sufferer I always await the next attack. But, for now I am thankful to be without pain.

Written by: Me