Monday, April 15, 2013

A to Z: M


Migraines

Migraines run in my family. I was lucky enough not to get them until my mid-20's. My sister, for example, has had them since her teens. They are horrible.

I had a migraine yesterday for the first time in about a year and a half. It snuck up on me because I'm not used to the warning signs any more. Suddenly, I was so light and sound sensitive I had to completely separate myself and throw a pillow over my head for about three hours.

I haven't had a migraine in so long because I had a particular procedure done in September of 2011. I had my occipital nerves blocked by receiving injections through my neck with the help of an x-ray and some numbing shots. They couldn't knock me out because I was pregnant, so it was continue suffering, or suck it up and get it done.

(I found a perfect photo for this, but it's watermarked copyright, so I'm going to play it safe and leave that one alone. If you're interested, you can google occipital nerve block, or go to this link http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/occipital%20nerve)

I am so happy I got it done. Even my migraine yesterday didn't touch the back or top of my head where the nerves reach. There was pressure, letting me know if I could feel them, I would, but even the pressure wasn't painful.

This migraine settled into my forehead and up through my hairline. A sinus migraine, most likely, with Spring breaking into the air. I'm on medication that can inspire headaches as well, and since I'm already primed for them, I suppose it isn't too surprising.

They suck, though, as I'm sure you know if you have them. I hope it isn't going to become a regular thing. I'm not sure there's a similar shot for sinus migraines. If there is, though, sign me up, please!

10 comments:

  1. Migraine and sinus problems are horrible. Hope you feel better very soon.

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    1. Thank you. They are usually manageable for me, ever since I had that procedure. This year's strange weather already has my allergies inflamed, though. I hope it calms down with the weather.

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  2. I used to get migraines. I don't anymore. The worst was when I was a drug rep and was out of town. All I could do was park and pray for it to end so I could drive the hours 2 home.

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    1. :( It's hard to explain the pain to someone who hasn't experienced them before. Do you still drive a lot? I found driving (the movement and sudden change of light levels) was one of the causes for me. Perhaps, if you don't drive so much any more, it was similar for you?

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  3. Luckily I've never had to deal with migraines. It is hard to imagine how debilitating it is. Is there something specific that triggers them for most people or do they just randomly pop out of nowhere?

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    1. That is very lucky. :) I hope you continue that luck. Yes and yes to what causes them. Sometimes there are triggers you can try to avoid. Sometimes, it's just a little too much of this or that, and you're done. Migraines are one of those things no one really knows where they come from and because of that there are a ton of ways to treat them. Going through the gambit of therapies and medications to find the right one can take a very long time.

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  4. Carrie, usually a massage by an expert therapist helps to abort my migraines. -Belinda.

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    1. I love massages. :) Unfortunately I have two blood clotting proteins so I can't have the lovely, deep, get something done massage, but am limited to relaxation sessions.

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  5. Hey carrie, sorry to hear about your migraine, I'm not prone to them myself but a friend I worked with used to get them all the time. I didn't know there was a procedure you could have done, I might recommend it. Glad you am now!

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    1. Thank you. :) I had to work my way up to the procedure via lots of medicine, but they finally cleared me for it. I have a feeling it's more an insurance thing than a doctor thing, but it is the best thing I've done. I used to not be able to watch TV, to always have to have the curtains drawn, to close my eyes in the car. I don't have to worry about that anymore, thanks to the procedure. It may definitely be worth it for your friend to check it out.

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