Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Migraine


It is not that unusual for me to have a headache.  I have them all the time, almost daily, but I've learned to live with them and do what I need to do.  I also have migraines on occasion.  If you've ever had a migraine, then you know it's not your usual headache.  The pain is debilitating.  When I have a migraine, my senses become hypersensitive, especially to light, sound and smell, though touch and taste can also be affected.

I say this because for the past two days, I have had one of the worst migraines that I can remember.  Migraine specific medicine and strong pain relievers can mask the pain for short periods, but so far it has not cured the pain I am experiencing.  I even had to take a sick day at work yesterday.  (I very rarely take sick days.  Most often I work through an illness.)  I had taken some medicine before I left for school hoping that it would kick in by he time I got there, but I was mistaken.  The pain only grew worse.  So, once there, I arranged for a substitute, got some work together for my students, and went back home to bed and stronger medication that would allow me to sleep.

Thankfully, I woke up and my headache is mostly gone (these really bad migraines usually last 24-72 hours and luckily I only get then 2-3 times a year). I have a shadow of the headache still, in which the pain is considerable less but still there, and I can go about my day at school.  I hate being sick and preparing for a substitute.  When I can prepare ahead of time, I can make sure that I am in a good stopping place and can have worksheets, reading assignments, or a film for the students to watch.  However, when I am in the middle of a series of lectures, it is nearly impossible to prepare for a substitute.

8 comments:

Michael Dodd said...

Hope you are totes better and back in the swing.

silvereagle said...

Get well and stay well!!!

Anonymous said...

I do know the pain of a migraine. Fortunately for me, they only come on once or twice a year. When they do, they are debilitating. Sometimes I have aura that is so distracting that my vision is distorted. Sometimes the field of vision shrinks and I am temporarily blind and have to feel my way to the bathroom to vomit, that usually is near the end of the migraine. About ten years ago I had a migraine so intense that I could not think clearly for two days afterward. It took me four hours to grocery shop the day after the migraine because I had to think about how to start the car, concentrate to drive, think through the simple act of picking a can off the shelf and putting it in the cart. I am so sorry that you have to go through this with everything else.

JiEL said...

That's part of being human.
Headaches are often there to tell us that we've over use our brain.. (Joke)

Must say, in joke also, that «migraine» is the same word in French BUT, if we play with that word by saying:"J'ai la «mi-graine»..." It means in a «common language»:"I have a «half-dick».." Which is more puzzling than just having a BIG headache...

Take care..

Anonymous said...

Let me first say that I've been a reader for quite some time and I've more than once read you saying you had a headache. I used to have such terrible headaches also..and occasionally still do. I don't know how you feel about seeing an allergist and or a chiropractor but I believe that you are allergic to something in your environment or food that you are eating. I know that not all people are going to be able to deduce the root of their physical malady by RAST testing or skin prick testing or seeing a specialized chiropractor that can diagnose food allergies but I strongly believe that you will find something consumed or in your environment to be the cause. There might be something you can do to avoid these in the future. Otherwise keep on teaching, take care.

Anonymous said...

I wake up with headaches 3 to 4 times a year. If it's a work day, it's a struggle to send my "out sick" email. I take OTC stuff, and it usually works.

I hope you feel better soon!

Peace <3
Jay

Robert said...

I truly feel your pain. I suffer from migraines once or twice a year. Fortunately I've become accustomed as to the warning signs that one is coming on. If I can catch it early enough, I'm able to take medicine that often lessens the severity of it.

Definitely go see your doctor!

fan of casey said...

Hope you feel better, continue to get rest.