With me, puberty brought migraine headaches. I mean the full-blown variety – auras,
nausea, pounding pain. They lasted
about a day. The aura would start as a
small shimmering circle in the middle of my vision. It would gradually – over fifteen minutes – enlarge and open into
a horseshoe shape. When it expanded
beyond my field of vision the pain would start. So I knew when I first saw the aura I had fifteen minutes to
escape to a bed. In high school I got
an excuse from the school nurse and walked home – about a mile. I later learned that physical exercise at
that stage exacerbated the symptoms, but I couldn’t stay at my desk. As I aged the symptoms diminished
greatly. I still get the auras, but
when they disappear, there is no pain that follows. I think calluses have formed on my brain.
They were most debilitating during grad
school. I did seek medical help but
very little was known at that time and what was known didn’t help. I tried every over-the-counter pain
killer hoping to find an elixir. Never
did.
My typical method of studying for a test was to sit
at a table surrounded by books, paper and pencil, and chocolate candy. The next day, during the test, the aura would appear and my test
results would suffer. I would get a migraine during a test so often I wondered if it was psychosomatic. My GPA would’ve
been significantly higher if I had known then what I know now.
I now know – proven by trial and error – that my
migraines are precipitated by allergies.
If I eat a chocolate bar, four times out of
five, I will get a migraine the next day.
Some soft cheeses, peanuts, and some red wines can also be triggers but
with less certainty. I love chocolate
so am, with my callused brain shielding me from gross pain, willing from time to
time to indulge.
Because of the reputation migraines have as a
painful affliction, I suspect that many claims are made, by those seeking
sympathy, to have migraines when, in reality, they have a hangover. But I never doubt those who have an aura –
the signature of a migraine in my mind.
2014 Lester C.
Welch
I had debilitating migraines for over 40 years. Had to carry meds 24/7. Certain foods & fragrances were the triggers. For other health reasons I stopped eating animal protein, that day was the last day I had a migraine, over 2 years ago. Going vegan will improve your life in many way as well ridding yourself of painful migraines.
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