Travels of Gilamonsta & The Ijit Dragon: I have MIGRAINES, argh!

I have suffered from migraines since I was 8 years old. I had my first one in 3rd grade and continued to get them every 3 months for 10 years. They then changed and came and went on their own schedule, never knowing when they would happen.

Normally people say they have a migraine when they have a bad headache. Migraines are more than a bad headache. Mine never used even come with a headache but always with auras. 30 years ago, I was part of the 1% of the world population that had migraines with auras. Now it has increased to about 4% of the population. 12% of the population has common migraines.

An aura is a group of sensory, motor and/or speech symptoms that act as a warning sign of a migraine headache. Seeing spots, zig zags, flashes or even losing sight for a short time are some of the experiences I have now. When I was much younger the warning signs were lost of feeling in my right hand. I would go numb slowly, starting at my fingertips and flowing all the way through my right side to the point where I could not walk. I had double vision and slurred speech. I would hide in a pitch-black room for about 24 hours until it went away.

My father suffered from them as well as he would say it is a 2 Fiorinal headache and go to bed as well. Fiorinal is a prescription drug not meant for kids, therefore I was never allowed to take them. Most of my childhood I simply suffered alone. I was taken to a doctor when I was 12 and was dismissed pretty quickly. When I was 18 my dad had a new prescription, and I would take one of his pills when the pain was so utterly debilitating.

When I was in my late 20s, I went to have my physical and I told my new doctor that I had migraines. I explained that I had auras and difficulty with walking, speaking, seeing and understanding. He asked a million questions that no one had asked before. How long do the auras last? Are they caused by coughing, straining, lifting heavy objects, or bending over? Do they increase in frequency or changes in intensity? He obviously did not like my answers because he ordered an MRI to see what was going on.

An MRI uses a powerful magnetic field to take detailed pictures of the brain. MRIs can reveal various brain conditions, such as tumors, bleeding, inflammation, low spinal fluid pressure and blood vessel problems. An MRI usually takes between 30 to 60 minutes. So now I am scared because I do not want to be stuck in a box and have a head scan. Through the whole process of the MRI I am freaked out that I will get a migraine while in there. Luckily, I did not have one.

3 days later the results were in, and I was referred to a neurologist, scaring the bejesus out of me again. Migraines often have triggers such as food, hormonal changes, stress, lack of sleep, loud noises, bright lights and chemical smells. I had to wait 3 weeks for the appt, and subsequently 3 migraines all stress induced. I was scared to meet him as I did not think that migraines were a big deal and that they were something you simply suffer through. Having to meet neurologist changes my opinions on migraines.

He showed me my MRI results and explained that there was significant change in the white spots on my brain. These spots are called white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) which are lesions in the brain visualized by areas of increased brightness. They can vary in size and location in areas of the brain. White matter hyperintensities appear as they do on MRI scans since they represent areas where fluid is accumulated. Lesions are more common in people who have migraine with aura compared to those who have migraine without aura.

In rare instances, a stroke can occur during a migraine attack, usually in young women who have a history of migraine with aura. This is so uncommon that the vast majority of people who have migraines will never experience this rare complication. It is most likely to occur when the aura has been going on for more than an hour.

So, he told me that the change in white matter in my brain indicates that I have had several strokes. He could not tell when they occurred, but I am sure they started back when I was 8 as I always felt liked I “stroked” on my right side. My symptoms were numbness in my right hand, arm, face, and then to my leg, I was confused and could not understand simple words, I would have trouble speaking, often being completely incoherent, I could not write or read, I could not walk straight and often lost my balance, I would suffer from double vision and lastly felt extremely nauseous.

My maternal grandmother died from a stroke, and they are hereditary. So, he said I was at increased risk for strokes in the future. He recommended that I take a daily medication in order to prevent them from occurring but that it would not really help because they are not recurring weekly. They are usually months apart. He did give me a drug that I could take as soon as I had the first warning sign of the aura. He recommended that I no longer ride the migraine out but stop it as soon as possible.

34 years later I still suffer from migraines. They no longer feel like a stroke which is most excellent. They still suck though. They change every few years and my auras are different but similar enough that I know it is a warning sign. My body became used to the drug he prescribed and became ineffective, so I have seen other doctors to get different prescriptions. My current drug is an over-the-counter drug from an Egyptian doctor when I lived in Saudi Arabia. 5 years and it still works.

Why is this post on a travel blog all about migraines? Well, it is because the day that we were supposed to be visiting Candice and Greg in Chicago became a full day of me sleeping in the camper.