Finally and unfortunately, I see Aura

Today i.e. the 12th of June 2013 at 9. 30am I had my first migraine attack with an Aura.

It was just an ordinary morning with no prior migraine symptoms. But when I walked on my office floor, I suddenly realised that the lower half of my left eye went blur and there were squiggly and wavy lines in it. The center of my right eye also had these wavy lines. It was like looking through a semi-transparent/patterned glass. 

I couldn't read names on my mobile handset or see faces of people clearly. Thinking that this was another of a low BP symptom, I ran to eat breakfast in a fearing that I will faint. I had almost fainted once in my college and didn't want to do it in office. I drank a can of slice and ate a big dosa. 

Just to make sure nothing serious would happen, I went to the doctor in my company. He told me what I already was suspecting, that this could be happening due to migraine. He however didn't rule out the Low BP bit as it was low too. So, the Rx was rest and eat a lot and drink sweet stuff. 

I took some tablets and slept there for about 1 hour. The headache was very mild but the aura was really frightening. It lasted till 12.30pm, after which I was ok. 

During the whole episode, I was feeling dizzy, confused and lost.  I felt like I was about to pass out or become blind. Or like I had some grave problem in my eyes - like you know something big. I tried reaching people from my family, so someone could get me home, but they couldn't.

I am not sure if this is the peak of the migraine that I am suffering from since many years now. I only hope I don't get such auras again.

Wanted to note this down as it might help someone somewhere reading this and it will help me recollect the symptomps later.
 

Fighting Migraine

It is like a time machine. It begins and transports me to a vortex, a zone, stopping whatever activity I am in, bringing to halt the day I was having. When I come out of it, 2 hours or 2 days are gone. Migraine has been a loyal and a bitter companion to me for over 20 years. I have missed so many moments, events and details about things around me. It is not a serious or sorry thing to write about, but hey, it is my blog.

My mom used to say that I’d complain of headache as a child in school. Migraine back then wasn’t so famous. My simple parents didn’t know what was wrong. X-rays, MRI’s were done, but a neurologist was seen only when I was in my teens. Finally the thing got a name – migraine! (It rhymes!). Tablets didn’t provide long term relief. I didn’t want to continue a tablet a day for the rest of my life.

In my 10th standard during migraine I would draw all the curtains in the house, covering each slit of light coming through the door with a rug. I would lie with my head on moms lap until it passed away. My sisters had to bear with the dark house and no TV on for a day or two. I would cover up for the lost time by studying through the night. The headaches were bad back then. Today I am surprised where I got so much strength to fight those.

Of course my family was very supportive about it. They didn’t even know that it was quite common and there were many people who suffered.

It was there in the engineering and MBA too. Again I wondered how I would take care of my career, job and a family of my own! How will I manage?

When I was in MBA, I read about homeopathic treatment for migraine (A big commercialized doctor in homeopathy claimed that he can uproot it totally.) We went. Fee was too high, but my parents paid it anyway. And there was a slight improvement (should I say touchwood?). I continued it for some years and the intensity and frequency was bearable. He didn’t uproot it, did improve my condition a lot.

Presently it is a combination of allopathy and homeopathy. I know what to do at the onset of such a headache and I am well prepared for it. I don’t expect something for 20 years to go away in 2!

Now migraine is a known word. There are so many websites, informative articles in newspapers, so many medicines in various streams, so many counseling groups, etc. In fact people make faces when I give it as a reason to ignore my duties.

Today I'm managing my career and my family with the help of a person I can rely on always – my hubby. Yogesh makes me feel so cared for when I am in the zombie zone (I never expected somebody other than my mom to understand it). I thank him each time I come out of it.

Thought of writing about it as I lost the last weekend at home due to a headache. It's Friday already and I'm thinking how I would enjoy this one!