In my teen years, I started experiencing migraines. My older sister, my mother, and I also suffer from migraines. Our triggers and symptoms are similar. When I was 16 years old, I experienced my first, severe, and multi-day migraine. I ended up in the hospital quite a few times. They did a spinal tap and pretty much every test there was, because I couldn’t eat and I couldn’t see. It was unbearable. It lasted almost a whole week. I started working with my neurologist in order to identify triggers and treatment options. Over time, they became less intense. It has been easier to work with them and around them throughout my adult life. Hormonal changes have probably made it easier. There was a lot to learn.
One thing I learned is that I just can’t do hormonal birth control—that was basically out before it was even in for me. Photosensitivity is another trigger for me, as is barometric tension. If there’s a storm coming, I can feel it. It sounds so woowoowoo that I don’t like even thinking about it. It just feels so foreign to people that haven’t had the same experience. I can imagine people being like, “Oh, sure. Sure it does.” But I swear, it actually happens. If there’s a storm system coming, I have to be prepared and have my medication ready. My migraine can be triggered by a big drop in the barometric pressure. It doesn’t happen every time it rains or snows, but when there’s a major or prolonged shift, like a few days of storms, I’ll start to feel the aura coming on, and if I’m low on sleep or high on stress, it’s enough to trigger a migraine. One thing on its own doesn’t always trigger symptoms, but if it’s that perfect storm of triggers that happen simultaneously, then I’m out.
Both times that I was pregnant I couldn’t take any prescription migraine medication, so that was tricky. It was mostly a “grin and bear it” situation, but I worked through it with help from a lot of acupuncture and massage work. A lot of dealing with my migraines is just accepting that when my symptoms start, I’m going to be down for the count. I need to go to a darkened room. There is no light. I take my migraine medication immediately. Depending on how bad I feel, I might also take anti-nausea medications. I feel very nauseated when I have migraines. These can last for up to three days but sometimes they last just one or two hours. If I take my medication early enough, my symptoms usually disappear in a matter of hours. I’m lucky to be in a good spot right now, where I get migraines only once a month. These were more common in my youth. Of course, now I’ve got concerns about the next phase, when I’m premenopausal. Is the hormonal shift going to put me back in that bad spot? I’m nervous, because being in a good spot has been so wonderful.
It’s a shame, but my children are very aware that I suffer from migraines, and especially photosensitivity. They don’t turn a light on in the house without checking. If we come into the house and it’s dark, they’ll tell me before turning a light on. It’s so crazy, everyone walking on eggshells about something as silly as turning on the lights! But if I’m looking toward that light and not expecting it to suddenly turn on, it’ll send me into a migraine. Everyone in the house is aware that it’s okay to give a heads-up.
Source: Glamour
