I suspected last night. There was a very strong smell in the kitchen. I threw out an old container with coleslaw but had cleaned afterwards or had I? I cleaned ones more but the smell still lingered. And I was tired, oh so tired. I usually turn the lights out by 11pm or midnight but was dozing off around 10pm already. I was feeling fine so I told myself I am just tired and probably missed some funny smelling leftover somewhere.
5:15am – I walk up with my right temple beating meaning the warning signs were right after all. Maybe I should have set my alarm to 4pm? It takes about two hours for the medication to properly kick in so that would have helped considering the main alarm goes off at 6am (and yes, I know that going to sleep at midnight leaves me with only 6 hours sleep which is not enough, but that is for another day). I get up and take my migraine medication (a triptan) and rinse down the taste with 2 ibuprofen (doctor recommended) and lots of water. For good measure I apply some tiger balm to my temple and neck and go back to sleep.
6am – The morning alarm goes off. Two hours are not up yet so the head is still throbbing. I hit snooze three more times before getting up for good. Breakfast for the kids and coffee and cereal for me.
7am – I slowly feel the pain abate. I take a hot shower even though the water feels like pin pricks on my skin (one of the side effects of the medication for me) but it still helps wake me up for good. Lunches need to be packed and one of the kids reminded to get ready (so thankful for my independent teenager). The kitchen still smells funny but apparently it’s just me who smells it.
7:45am – Load up the car with me and one kid and off we go. Grateful that I treated myself to a monthly parking pass this month. Headache is gone now but oh so tired. I make it to work alright.
8:30am – Sitting at my desk at work I contemplate what to do (or not do) today. Because I always feel slightly exhausted even after the pain is gone I tend to be more clumsy and slow. Since my work includes chemicals and biohazards I want to be sure I am up to the tasks ahead. Deciding on the cell culture room and some very easy tasks. I need to pay extra attention but I can do this!
10:30am – I finally starting to feel more like myself. So far I did not make any mistakes so all is well. It’s my lucky day.
Just for some general context: I had migraines on and off since my teenage years. They stopped in between to really kick back in during my early 20s when I got properly diagnosed. I am not sure if it’s done the same way but basically they ruled out any other neurological problem and my symptoms are textbook pretty. I have the pulsating pain on one side of my head (worst behind my eye), darkness is my friend and I am nauseous if the pain is too strong. I tried relaxation techniques, acupuncture, beta blockers, not eating certain types of food, cutting out alcohol – nothing of the then available preventive measures seemed to help. The acute medication did though (to the extend described above on most days). Apparently for me it’s mostly hormonal and related to weather changes. When we first moved to Northern California the very constant climate helped get them down from weekly to monthly what was a big relieve at the time. During both my pregnancies and two years after I did not have a single one. It recently got worse again with almost weekly attacks. There are some new treatment options out there but for now I am hoping it will calm down again eventually.
Things that help me get through the migraine day:
- Sleep, sleep, sleep
- Tiger Balm on my temple and neck
- A quiet room
- Herbal Tea
- Heating Pad for my neck (cold compress as you see recommended lost of places – not so much for me, so you just have to try)
- Taking the medication early enough
It’s okay, I am okay. I did not want to complain, I just wanted to share. If you have them, know that I am sorry and that you are not alone. If you have recurring headaches the first step should be a visit to your doctor to try and rule out more serious issues and to find solutions. It may be tricky but you might be able to discover triggers which you potentially can avoid. The American Migraine Foundation and the National Headache Foundation have lots of helpful resources including information on medications and therapies. There is hopefully something out there that will or already is helping you. I learned to live with it but I probably will never get used to it. I still feel a little guilty when I have to call in sick at work because of it or feeling bad because I barely manage to take care of my kids and have to leave it to my husband. It’s still like missing a day out of your live so for me that is probably around 40-52/year.
Home here and there 