A clasic migraine nightmare

I'm at work. It's 'rush hour'.
A client want's to know the specifics of a dishwasher.
While I'm talking to him my thoughts drift a little: "what's wrong with this guys face?"
I look again, nothing seems out of the ordinary. A few seconds later his face strikes me as 'odd' again, something is wrong with it but I can't put my finger on it. Weird.
I walk towards the store computer to check some prices and while I move my hand to the keyboard and on the keys I stop everything and stare at my fingers. "These are my fingers, but the more I look at them, the more they aren't. Who's hand is that? It's mine, but it doesn't feel like my hand". I look up over the counter, to the entrance, the people, the walls. Faces look deformed, walls seem to breath and there is an unnatural sound in the air "Something is definitely 'not right' here. Omg! Please not in the middle of rush hour!"

I tell myself to stay calm and walk over to my colleague. I ask him if he can take care of my client, the one who wants the dishwasher, because I need to go into the back for an urgent matter. Ofcourse he'll look after my client for me.

I'm in the back, my wristwatch in my hand, staring in front of me onto a blanc wall.
"Where is it? If I'm right then It should be here by now. Damn, what a timing, they can't miss me in the store right now!"
I urge myself to stay calm and keep thinking while I'm still able to think clear. I take a piece of paper and start writing, slowly, concentrating on each letter while my hands tremble:

"Can't see, can't speak
Give me 30 min.
It's Migraine
I'm sorry"

Glad that is done I stare back at the blanc wall "there it is! The Aura."
Pfew! It IS a migraine after all, nothing bad happening, just a migraine. I can relax now, or at least try.
I look at my watch while I can still read it, it's 2.10 PM. This will be over by 2.30 PM.
I'm still thinking straight and remember to fix a codeine drink, because when this is over I will have a splitting headache and I MUST go back to work in about 30 min. I make the codeine and drink it already so it will, hopefully, be kicking in before the headache sets off.

It's 2.20PM. The Aura is covering half of my vision now. My ears have a loud 'ring' in them and my hands and face is tingling. I ask myself "what's your name?" I remember my name. I remember that I have a cat." What's the cat's name?" Damnit! I can't remember, what the hell is the cat's name? I can't remember the name of the store I work in either.

My colleague walks in "are you ok in here?"
I want to tell him that I have a migraine, I open my mouth and what comes out is something that sounds like: "bwawlr fwrulb". So I show him the note I wrote before.
He reads it and says:"ah ok, take your time". He looks at me like" wtf?" and leaves.

It's 2.25PM. The Aura is becoming smaller again, I'm still not thinking straight.
By 2.32 it's gone, my ears still have a loud ring, but that will last some hours, I remember that my cat's name is Angel.
I feel the headache banging, softly, like background noise in my head, It wants to come to the surface and I can only pray that the codeine can kick it back.

The colleagues don't bother me. I can hear the people in the store, it's still busy in there, but I stay on my chair till 2.40 PM.
Then I stand up, "wow!", woozy, but pleasant, the codeine is working and I'll be headache free for at least 4 hours, I feel light in my head but happy that this episode is over.

I walk back into the store, there is a client inspecting one of our LCD TVs',
"Good day sir, how can I help you today"?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The above is a true story that anyone with migraines will recognize.

For more information on migraine and migraine aura's
please visit the following link.
www.migraine-aura.org...

I'm a little thrown off by the sentence "The above is a true story" - I'm under the impression that it's not only true, but also yours? I guess it doesn't matter whose it is, really - it's very interesting to read. One of my longer relationships was with a girl who had heavy attacks of migraine - although those attacks differed a bit from this one, it took me back for a while
Turns out I almost forgot how surreal they can be for the one suffering from it, even though I was 'closely observing' (trying to take care, but what can you do except hold perfectly still ) - all of which makes this inside view more intriguing.
In addition it's incredible to see with what ease you (?) deal with it, not just well prepared in logistics (noticing onset, preparing medication and notification) but most of all 'planning' the attack as if it were a lunch, just to return back to a world of busyness and business. Speaking for myself, the more surreal the attack, the more surreal it is to see someone 'simply' deal with it and return back to reality. Impressive story!

Its a somewhat uncommon story, but I'm glad you liked it and can relate to your ex's experience with migraines.
Yes it's a true one and written from my own experiences. I have classic migraines since I was 12, but back then even the doctors didn't know what was wrong with me. They thought I had a heart condition the first years, although they couldn't pinpoint that one either Thank god for the Internet and (finally!) usefull information, lol

I'm 33 now, it takes years to manage your live around the attacks, lucky me they always happen when I'm at home or with people who know about it. I would panic if I were to be in a strange place or town and alone, because you simply don't function normally when an attack occurs.

thanks for the reply

reply to post by GypsK


Wow, I get migrane headaches just like that, I'm impressed by how true your representation is! The "aura" thing lasts about 30 min for me as well. The auras are annoying as they ruin my vision for 30 min..But I always know it's going to be a BAD one when the tip of my nose, and my pinky goes numb...moving toward my thumb then repeating. From my nose down into my throat then repeating..It's a horrible time!

It's rare to find someone out there with the same experiences. It's always the worst while at work.

[edit on 19-7-2009 by Wookiep]

reply to post by GypsK


I would like to add (since I had to rush reading your post, and couldnt comment much for a while) that if only it wasn't for the symptoms...the waiting on the aura to subside...waiting to be able to not gag from the numb feeling in my throat, that eventually moves back to my nose.. The headache itself it terrible, but much more managable than the symptoms that precede it. I've been getting these for 19 years and yet still, *every* time is as freaky as my very first one. So I understand being "happy" when you realize it's "just a migrane and not something else". 30 minutes is a loooooong time..

I completely understand what your saying These 30 min are a nightmare, something you never 'get used' to.
I have migraine headaches about 3 times a month, sometimes it lasts 3 days. This year I had two aura's already, last year 1 and the year before that 4. I've been aura- free for 4 years once and there been years that I had it maybe 10 times. It's so unpredictable. But always scary as hell.

Did you know that Picasso probably had aura migraines? Scientists think that that is what he is showing in his paintings, hence the weird nature of them

Originally posted by GypsK

Did you know that Picasso probably had aura migraines? Scientists think that that is what he is showing in his paintings, hence the weird nature of them

That is interesting, I've often wondered how this would be drawn...to me it looks kind of like looking through warped-glass. Then when I close my eyes it can take on many colors.



[edit on 20-7-2009 by Wookiep]

WOW! I have never heard of this! I had taken my son from the pediatrician, to an eye dr., to a heart dr.. Not one of them could explain his complete blindness before these massive headaches. His migraines started when he was about 14, and he would average about 2 a month and he would always know when it was coming on because he described it as getting blinder and blinder accompanied with nausia. He hasn't had one in a very long time now. He is now 17 & is addicted to Gatorade. Everything I have just now learned describes his symptoms. I will bring this up to his next Dr. app... Thank you for this info!
It was frustrating and worrisome as a parent to see you child go through this and not get any answers. Great post

I get the nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity and "Kicked in the nuts -for your head" type pain. I've never had the distorted vision, numbness and blindness.

I guess in a way I'm lucky. It could be worse but I didn't realize it was that much worse.

Got a tip for you when you're just lying there in the dark miserable. Frozen baby peas.

Keep em in the freezer and when you need an ice pack just slam one on the counter. They are small and round so they conform to your skull perfectly without extra pain.

Good writing by the way. Great imagery.

Originally posted by badgerprints

I get the nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity and "Kicked in the nuts -for your head" type pain. I've never had the distorted vision, numbness and blindness.

I guess in a way I'm lucky. It could be worse but I didn't realize it was that much worse.

Migrane headaches can be much worse than most people realize. It's always frustrated me when someone tells me "ahh my head hurts, I think it's a migrane!" 9 times out of 10 it's just a bad heacache and not actually a migrane. Course there are different types of them. Did you know they are actually small seizures in the brain?

Originally posted by j.r.c.b.
WOW! I have never heard of this! I had taken my son from the pediatrician, to an eye dr., to a heart dr.. Not one of them could explain his complete blindness before these massive headaches. His migraines started when he was about 14, and he would average about 2 a month and he would always know when it was coming on because he described it as getting blinder and blinder accompanied with nausia. He hasn't had one in a very long time now. He is now 17 & is addicted to Gatorade. Everything I have just now learned describes his symptoms. I will bring this up to his next Dr. app... Thank you for this info!
It was frustrating and worrisome as a parent to see you child go through this and not get any answers. Great post

If you think your son has this then check out the link I provided under my story, it has great information and even artwork of the symptoms. One of the creators of that site, Dr Podoll, has done a case study on me several years ago.
I think you just described how my parents felt when I first got these

Originally posted by Wookiep


Did you know they are actually small seizures in the brain?

It's not realy seizures, more like spasms of the blood vessels or overstimulation of certain nerves in the brain.
well actually, that's what they think because they don't know exactly what causes it.
at least it's not gonna kill us so that's one good thing

Originally posted by GypsK

Originally posted by Wookiep


Did you know they are actually small seizures in the brain?

It's not realy seizures, more like spasms of the blood vessels or overstimulation of certain nerves in the brain.
well actually, that's what they think because they don't know exactly what causes it.
at least it's not gonna kill us so that's one good thing

Actually, migrane headaches have long been associated with seizures. I was once put on a medication that helped with seizures while also known to help supress a migrane. (wish I could remember the name of it!) It seemed to work quite well...You're right tho, it's not completely known but heres a couple interesting articles.

www.ingentaconnect.com...

www.neurology.org...

You won't believe this but you are lucky. I would trade my cluster headaches for your migraine any day.

While migraines are awful the cluster headache is more like having a stalking phantom that you can just barely see out of the corner of your eye.

You know he is there and he is going to strike but you are never quite sure when or how viciously.

He is well known for hitting you upside your head with a baseball bat and his favorite time is between 2 and 4 am. Sleep is no refuge and he will actually bring you to your knees. He can have you writhing on the floor.

Keeping him at bay is a very tricky task and only works about one third of the time. Zomig is a God send but so expensive that few people can take it the way it was designed to be taken and the insurance companies give you hell about coverage. The beauty of Zomig is that it is not a narcotic. That is probably why they charge so much and will only cover a small amount. They want to keep us hooked on the hard stuff.

Remember that there is a big difference between an addiction and a dependence. Most people don't know the difference and they will try to punish you for their ignorance.

ive been getting cluster headaches for 10yrs now ..mine are due to start in the next month.

It wasn't really my intention to play a 'who got the worst' game

The intention behind the story was to describe the mental progress that accompanies my migraines, the panic and disorientation, the feeling of going insane, hallucinations, etc...

it seems that a lot of md's don't recognize the symptoms as migrains, because in the case of 'classic migraine' it is much more then the headache.

I can handle the headache, with the right medication it's not that bad.... but everything that comes before it I rather not have