The primary signal I get of a migraine assault is my imaginative and prescient going blurry. Usually it’s the writing on my cellphone going fuzzy and distorted. It’s shortly adopted by one aspect of my physique going numb and the whole lot tingling together with my mouth. Then the headache comes and it seems like a hammer inside my head, with strain increase on the similar time. I really feel nauseas and I’m often sick. All I can do is lie in mattress in a darkish room for hours, with a relentless banging in my head making me wish to rip my head off. It may possibly final something from a number of hours to greater than eight.
After the ache begins to go I can lastly sleep, however I’ll have a uninteresting headache and never really feel proper for days generally weeks. The migraine hangover actually is a factor.
You don’t simply recover from an assault when it finishes, it actually seems like a hangover
Typically once I’m in a cycle of assaults, the headache from the final one remains to be there when the subsequent assault begins and I get no aid.
My first reminiscence of migraine is taking days off faculty once I was round 15 with a wierd headache. It felt completely different to a standard headache and I couldn’t operate or get off the bed. Initially the GP mentioned to relaxation, take ache aid and keep away from stress. I attempted numerous completely different medicines and generally they might assist for a number of months or a yr and I’d assume all was okay, then I’d have an assault and it could begin once more.
This cycle of GP appointments, A&E visits and coverings that simply didn’t final went on for years. I attempted all of the weight loss program modifications, minimize out caffeine however nothing helped.
I went to school to develop into a nurse however began having common assaults whereas on nursing placement, so determined to take a while out and defer for 2 years to try to get a deal with on my migraine however the cycle simply continued. As soon as I lastly graduated and was working as a nurse the character of shift work with per week of nights then per week of days led to common assaults beginning up once more.
I hated letting my staff down
Particularly understanding how brief staffed the NHS was however all I might do was lie down and wait to be picked as much as get house.
I felt determined at this level and paid privately for Botox. That was nice for some time and enabled me to do a Masters and get again to work, nevertheless it stopped working and the previous cycle returned.
In September 2022 I used to be prescribed Aimovig by a neurologist and it’s been life altering for me. I’ve gone from 15-20 headache days and fixed assaults each months, to possibly 10 headache days and one assault within the final yr.
It meant I might go on the 2025 The Apprentice, I wouldn’t have survived previous week one in any other case. There are loads of early begins and late nights, not sufficient sleep or meals and no routine and all of the issues they are saying to keep away from actually!
Folks assume migraine is an terrible headache nevertheless it’s a lot extra
I can cope with a headache, I can operate. A migraine assault is a unique expertise, it’s fully debilitating and is a lot greater than the bodily ache, it impacts the whole lot. Typically I’ll say I’ve a headache and folks assume I imply migraine, I’ve to actually clarify the distinction of a headache day in comparison with a migraine day.
I’ve had actually low psychological well being days once I’ve thought ‘what’s the purpose?’ in getting a brand new job or planning as I’ll must cancel or stop. For a very long time I had a concern of leaving the home and didn’t exit for weeks or months at a time in case I’d have an assault someplace alone and be driving or unable to name for assist. I’ve missed numerous large life occasions for my associates together with their weddings and milestones with their youngsters. At factors I felt like I let folks down a lot they simply stopped asking me to issues. That made the whole lot really feel even worse.
I’ve been fortunate to have at all times had nice managers at work, however once you’re taking months off at a time folks begin to query. In addition they anticipate you to have the assault then come straight again as an alternative of being within the cycle of assault, hangover, assault. I nonetheless discover it onerous to clarify a migraine hangover and meaning it’s onerous for another person to grasp too, you simply don’t really feel proper in any approach.
Now I work for myself and my enterprise accomplice has seen me have assaults and recognises the necessity to recuperate afterwards. I’m additionally in a spot the place I really feel snug speaking about my migraine and the assist I would like with it, however not everybody feels snug or in a position to do that and never each work place is supportive. That should change.
My accomplice didn’t see me have an assault till a yr into our relationship as I had been doing so nicely on treatment earlier than then. I feel it was a shock at first to see me crying, being sick, unable to stand up, however now he is aware of what I would like and as quickly as I’ve the primary indicators he helps to calm me with eucalyptus oil, will get a bucket and water prepared, and brings a full fats coke. My household are related, they simply wish to take it away as they see how debilitating it’s.
It feels higher understanding extra migraine medicines are coming via as an alternative of simply being tried on issues developed for various situations. Having charities akin to The Migraine Belief is extremely validating too. It’s superb to have a spot to attach folks and listen to from others in related experiences. It’s vital that we hold getting the phrase out.
