Crescent moon migraine morning

And there it is this morning… it’s a crescent shape in my left frontal forehead. A crescent moon shape of pain… a rumbling brawl that will not be silenced; complaining, grumbling, muttering… demanding to be noticed. And so, yes, I acknowledge you, Migraine. The crescent slides down into my left eye. There it is: Chronic Migraine.ย  I admit it to myself again that – verily – I do have Chronic Migraine. We forever walk hand-in-hand. Old frenemies; recognizing each other every day. Each day the sun rises, arcs across the sky, and sets, as the moon follows. There are no holidays. There are no resets. There are no interruptions… our relationship is built on rock and resolve. We are in this body – and share this life together. There is no cure for Chronic Migraine.

I’m listening to you crescent moon. I hear you. When I close my eyes… when I open them… I hear you. And I recognize and know you.

It is time for me to be honest, and it is time for migraine medication. I’ve moved back to my prison bed… supine pose… I took a maxalt with Marc’s assist because he is just that awesome and I love him dearly with my whole soul.

And the riddles start immediately: will the medicine work on crescent moon? If I stop here, right now… supine in my prison bed, resting, releasing every tenion in my Chronic Migraine body; a state of intentional repose… will the maxalt start to erase the constant fierce ache slipping into my eye? Will it do anything? Will my body just ignore the maxalt? Or will it stand at attention, metabolize and perform as it is intended, and silence the crescent? Always the same riddles. It’s boring. It’s tedious. It’s stupid. It’s repetitive. It’s the same old story and just a new day.

As I bring this small post to a close (keeping only one eye open and intentionally reslaxing), I can report that the crescent is quieting. For now, at this time, maxalt is working.ย ๐ŸŒ™ And that is a wonderful, wonderful thing.

Migraine is poorly understood

Migraine remains a poorly understood illness…The syndrome is too various, too complex, to mixed up with external stimuli and the personality of the sufferer..I have come to understand that my headaches are cyclical and that they play a part in my emotional economy.. The truth is that separating neurological from pschiatric problems is often artificial..

Siri Hustvedt, from “Arms at Rest,” excerpted from “So Much More than a Headache: Understanding Migraine through Literature, Edited by Kathy O’Shea

12 hours of mini coma

Let me tell you a tiny story about Chronic Illness.

Last night was a typical night… I’d rested all day. No makeup, no clothes, just PJs and ice and heat and medicine. I fell asleep at 02:00 am. with my head wrapped in ice and 2 heating pads on my back and right hip. Mini coma ensued. I dreamt. I kept sleeping.

At 2:00 pm, I woke up. Detangled myself from heating pad cords, got to the restroom, and took my morning meds.

A 12 hour mini coma. Restful, right? Nope. I’m absolutely EXHAUSTED. My head has a mild migraine, my back is screaming. I slipped back into bed.

It’s now 5 pm, and here I lie. Changing my head wrap ice, laying on the heater, and binging Millionaire Matchup on Netflix. I’ve had some coffee and my medicine. I can’t face getting up to actually eat anything because I’m too tired.

How can anyone be tired after 12 hours of sleep? ๐Ÿ™‹๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ

And that, my friends, is Chronic Illness.

It controls my life, it is bigger than my life. It’s a huge monster, and I’m this tiny spark of a person living under its smotheringย  layers and layers. It makes me very sad. Never in a million years could I have imagined this kind of existence. I had no idea it was a possibility. As they say: with Chronic Illness, you don’t get it until you get it.

Maybe I’ll be adventurous and actually get a small snack when I get some new head ice? Wish me luck!

Hello World and all that inhabit it!๐Ÿ˜Š

#ChronicIllness #ChronicMigraine #ChronicPatient