A few days later…

10:52 pm Wednesday

Here is a recount of all the details I need to record. The pain began in a subtle way at work in the afternoon, nothing major more like a mild headache. All was normal. I did not miss a meal or undergo any major stresses at work.

On the way home things began to get intensify. My appetite which was strong during the day went into overdrive. The left eye began to ache. The tendons on my neck, specifically on the left began to throb.

Ate lamb curry for dinner while watching Babel with my girlfriend. The move was intense and it basically got my brain working in many dimensions. This was probably not the best time to watch an intense film. It triggered all the fight or flight senses putting my brain into high alert mode.

My stomach wanted more. I was tired. My appetite was there but I was tired and as the movie ended I knew it was to late. Now it was about 9:30 pm Monday.

After all the bed prep was complete I attempted to fall asleep. I tossed and turned for a few minutes then decided to eat. My appetite was immense. I at a bow of Cherios…Multigrain with a cup of milk. It evaporated instantly.

I tried to lay down again. Then the real pain set in and I felt so hopeless. I saw very distinctive patterns and the pain was located in specific areas.

The Primary pain came from my Left Eye. Directly behind the retina. Other pains were my neck as described earlier and the left side of my Nose. My upper left Molars also ached along with my Stomach. This pain was very odd in that I was threatening to hurl but yet I was ferociously hungry.

After numerous hot packs and gentle care from my girlfriend I had a little relief. This was short lived and the pain kicked back in quickly. She awoke again as I asked her to help and she game me more compresses and a Vicodin pill.

I had to try something else. It was now 12:30 am. I went for a hot shower and this seemed to loosen up some tension. I was able to fall asleep around 4:15am.

I woke at 6:30am peed and called into work that I would be late. I then ate some food to keep the stomach gods well fed, then went back to sleep.

The aftermath of the big one…

I was a bit groggy at work but no threat of an aftershock. There still is a slight pain that surfaces now and then but it recedes. I am trying to eat well and rest but this week has been very full. I did stop at Safeway to pick up some meds in the interim to the doctor visit on April, 11.

The drugs…

After a quick word with the pharmacist I picked out this generic Migraine medication, knowing full well that this is a temporary solution until I see a professional. It is called “Safeway Caplets Migraine Relief.”

These are the contents:

acetaminophen 250 mg……………purpose pain relief
asprin 250mg………………………….purpose pain relief
caffeine 65mg…………………………pain reliever aid

My sister’s experience

“Hey Josh

Sorry to hear that you had a migraine….they suck for sure. I’m certainly no Doc…but I suspect that what you had was a “cluster headache” as they are more common in men than migraines.

Were you vomitting? Did one side of your head hurt (more than the other — or one eye more than the other?) Were you (negatively) affected by noise, light, smell etc… Some people who get migraines have an “aura” at the onset – or some see spots or flashes of light. All of those are signs of a migraine. I would recommend that you go to the Doc. I don’t know if you have a regular doctor out there yet or not…but I know you have insurance.

When/if you see a doc. tell him/her about your headache – with as much detail as possible. Don’t minimize the pain. If it was in fact a migraine, there are lots of prescription medications out there. Most of them (that I am aware of) you would only take when you need it. I used to vomit – so I had to use something like an epi-pen and self-inject.

I am not as familiar with cluster headaches…but I’m sure there are med’s for that too. There must be info. about them on-line. The Doc. may order a CT Scan or maybe recommend you to a neurologist to be sure there is no other reason for the headache(s).

All I know is: bad headaches are paralyzing. They render me useless. Fortunately I haven’t had one in a long time (knock wood), but I remember the pain very well. Ughhhhhhh…

I wouldn’t dismiss it – because if you were to get another one, you’d want to have the med’s in hand to feel better. Let me know how you are doing….

Take it easy —

Love ya,

Audrey

Recent thoughts

So I have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to consider. I am thankful that I have loving caring people who can and want to help me. I am thankful for my employer and the provision of health insurance!

I have had bad headaches in the past. Mostly the originate behind the Right Eye and they are intense. This was the worst and I still have a hint of pain now and then that reminds me it could strike again.