As I got into bed last night, at 9:30, I felt a little odd. It was an incredibly early hour for me... I usually go to bed after midnight, which gives me from 8pm to whenever I go to bed to work on things for my shop (I've been working on dolls and another surprise project that I think a lot of people will be excited about!). But last night I was, for no particular reason, exhausted. I even brought Maggie with me into the big bed so that I wouldn't have to get up in the middle of the night with her. And then, as I lay back, I realized what was going on. It was a migraine aura. Ugh. They always surprise me. And compromise my thinking a bit, because if I wasn't in the midst of one I'm sure I would have realized much more quickly what was going on. For me it sometimes begins with almost giddiness, or dizziness, or feeling like I'm in the fog of morphine that they gave me after my first c-section. If Paul didn't know that I pretty much limit my alcohol to a glass of wine on very special occasions, my migraine auras often look a lot like drunkenness.
More often these days the right half of my face goes numb, and my right hand goes numb and I'll think for a split second: "Am I having a stroke?"
The scariest part is when it happens when I'm driving. Which these days makes me avoid driving as much as I possibly can.
Thankfully, since we've moved, the headaches only happen two or three times a month. Lately, now that I've forgotten what three or four a week felt like, that is feeling like a lot though. And when it starts with an aura, the "soaking my feet in almost scalding water" trick, seems much less likely to work (if it starts with the headache it works like a charm!).
So today I took one of the pain pills that I didn't use when I had my last c-section (since that's also what the doctor recommends for these headaches, since I can't take any of the "migraine" medicines while Mae is still nursing) and the headache that struck last night has abated.
Maybe I will make another appointment at the clinic and see what they say this time... Although it's a bit depressing to hear that there's really nothing they can give me other than hydrocordone as long as I'm nursing Mae (and I'll be nursing Mae for another 14 months if everything goes as planned...).
Hope you get better soon Cam & they stop coming so frequently........I suffered from migranes when I was at school they weren't fun :(
ReplyDeleteI feel for you! The numbness in the face/arm is terrifying! I've also had it where it compromises my ability to speak--which TOTALLY makes you think you're having a stroke. My neuro said the only way to know the difference is if the numbness/aphasia lasts longer than the migraine would--that's how I know it's a stroke. Not the most settling of feelings. Praying for you! St. Teresa of Avila and St. Denis are great for migraines!
ReplyDelete