WOMEN'S HEALTH


Migraine Headache

I am not an expert on migraine headaches. I would simply like to say that they
have been a part of my life for 20 years now. I have not gone the usual route of doctors
and strong drugs. I learned early on that there is quite a stigma attached to having
migraines. At age thirty, when I had my first migraine, I thought surely I must be having
a major incident in my brain. I awoke at 3:00 am from sleep, and my head felt as if I'd
been impailed to the pillow by a sharp lance. The room was dark, and my husband was
sleeping next to me. Not wanting to disturb him, I tried to sit up as the pain held
a steady, hard grip on me. I stood and felt as if I would fall over, from the dizziness.
I held on to the edge of the bed as I moved toward the wicker sofa nearby, and collapsed
there.

Throughout the rest of the night I moaned in pain, as my stomach rolled over and over.
I had no idea what was happening to me. I could not rise again, or call out for help. I
just held my head between my hands and waited to die, for I was positive that I was about
to pass on. As the dawn approached the light began to filter in through the window and
my eyes were seared with even more pain. I thought I would go crazy. I summoned my
strength to cry out for help, causing even more agony. And my husband asked what was
wrong with me. "My head!" was all I could say. "It hurts so bad!" He brought me a
glass of water and some aspirin which I managed to swallow with difficulty."

Not sure that he should leave me home alone, he asked if I wanted to see a doctor.
I didn't feel that I could bear to move, let alone travel outdoors. So he left the
telephone at my side, instructing me to call if I needed anything. When he came home
at noon, I was still as he'd left me, and again after work ended. And for the next
three days, I endured this unrelenting suffering. This would only be the first of many
such occassions. For roughly every two weeks since then, for twenty years, I have had
migraine headaches. I later learned that I was not the only member of my family to have
them. They had occured on both sides of my family tree.

I did see my family doctor about them. He said that the headaches were psychosomatic
and perscribed antidepressants for me. The new medication made them even more severe.
When I told my doctor this, he suggested I see a psychiatrist. I abandoned that avenue
of help, and started trying most of the over the counter pain killers available. Some
would help a little for a while, then became ineffective. I learned that I must ride out
the "storm"as best as I could, on my own. This led me to much research reading, until I
finally learned that I wasn't "crazy" but had a genuine health problem.

This is why I'd like to use this page to give my sister and brother migraine sufferers
some links to more info about migraine.

LINKS
For information and support for chronic pain visit:
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