Sledgehammer

It is that time of the month again! Well, yes that time of the month too. But I was actually referring to Migraine-time.

To say that I only started having Migraines would be only partially true. In fact, I suspect that I have been having them for years. What would be a more accurate statement is that I was only recently diagnosed with Migraines. It took a trip to the Urgent Care clinic over Thanksgiving weekend with a headache that no OTC medicine (or some other-wise prescribed pills in our medicine cabinet) could come close to touching before I realized that its not actually normal to have pain that brings me to my knees (quite literally, sometimes).

Friday night it began. I took my medication and made it through services. My head was still rather achy on Saturday and Sunday it was back in full force. One problem -- I was out of Imitrex and didn't get a chance to get refill it before my very long day started. PC (that's Prince Charming for the uninitiated!) didn't pick it up (too long to explain now) and during dinner, I just had it. The sounds, the noises, the smells -- everything! I actually contemplated going to the ER for help. The vision of boring a hole in my temple (not the shul type...the one attached to my head) in order to release the pressure always arises at this point a a truly viable option.

After a run to the drugstore, relief was just one pill away. That and some Tiger Balm on the temples and a cool, quiet, dark bedroom. It still took about 45 minutes to kick in, but the relief is almost unbearable -- if that makes sense. It is like removing a throbbing, searing band that has been constricting your brain -- the pain is so constant that the absence of it can set one off-balance.

As I explained to Beernut that I wasn't able to put him to bed and that he would have to come into my room for bedtime prayers, I wondered if he will look back on all the times that I need to lie down in the dark as having some negative effect on his childhood. Hope not. Can't really help it, anyway. And he'll need something to discuss with the therapist...