Thursday, June 19, 2008

The lies we tell ourselves

Been a rough week to be my head. I'm not sure if it's just the weather, or the pollen-filled breezes, or hormones, or WHAT precisely...but I've been hurting all week. But as I continue my fight I constantly am trying new methods of warfare. Today I tried "Denial," and I honestly do not recommend it to anyone. Sheesh. I woke up feeling thick in the head, with that aura accompanied by the pain behind my right eyebrow -- and since the pain is 99.9% of the time behind my left eyebrow I thought "well, THIS must be a sinus headache," so I took my daily allergy pill plus some Alleve and figured it would go away on its own. Four hours and a second Alleve later I had pain behind both eyebrows and a creeping vise grip on the back of my head and neck and still I thought "oh, it must be the pressure system." Finally at 1:15 I went to Duane Reade to get a pill-cutter and came back, split a 100 mg Imitrex in half and took it and - whoa - felt better in about 30 minutes. Huh. Guess it WAS a migraine.

Today I just did not want to be that person with migraines again. My good friend NK, a fellow sufferer, and I laugh about the things we do in life to avoid headaches...and how we sometimes go ahead and plunge right into a situation rife with triggers because we just can't stand staying home one more evening. For example, we were supposed to have an "unlimited champagne brunch" last Sunday but I opted out because I started getting the twinge as I was getting dressed. She went and later had a headache and acknowledged via text message that the brunch "really wasn't a good idea for people with heads like ours." But how do you always know? I could have 3 beers tonight and be fine, and tomorrow have one and get a three- hour migraine. Red wine? Hmmm. Car trip? Forget it. Flying? Ughhh. Too much sleep, not enough sleep, dehydration, BREATHING...where does it end? And I love when people say to me "Well, have you tried eliminating your triggers?" OH! Wow! THANKS! I never thought of that! I just ordered my bubble to live in and it will be here next week. You'll all visit, won't you??!!?!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am google searching for info on migraines and came upon this...very familiar sounding. I was wondering if you have ever felt a small nodule-type thing around your eyebrow prior to getting a migraine? I have noticed (sometimes) there is a lump that if I can successfully rub away, my migraine doesn't hit me or I just get a normal headache. I'm trying to figure out what that thing is! Right before I found this, I found this (btw, I'm not a spammer, I'm a real person) which is really interesting since I was just told that I have TN too - oh the joy: http://www.migrainesurgery.co.uk/therapy/migraine-procedure.html
Anyway, just saying hi.
Anis
counselingirl@yahoo.com