oh, migraines...

for as long as i can remember, i have been having migraine attacks since i was 8. i know this is hard to believe, but headache was ( and still is) a word i use frequently. it was very frustrating. in the beginning i couldn't really describe how i felt to adults(they didn't understand why a kid could have a headache as it was considered an adult's sickness) , because what i could feel was a throbbing pain in my head, thus the word headache. i didn't knew the word migraine exist then.

now, nobody really listens to you when your 8, so more when you tell an adult that you have a headache. the pain was so terrible that sometimes i wish i could just lie down and die so the pain could go away. from tv i learned i might have a tumor in my brain that would have cause me so much pain, but i'll get to this part later.

about how i got the headache part, that is a very big question. i have always suspect that the afternoon session tuition classes at primary school where all the students are all cram up in a room with windows where the hot and glaring sun would shine on us, and the non existence curtain and lousy air conditioning as the main culprit. imaging being put in that condition for a whole year. saturday's piano classes are a drag too, because it's always around 1-2pm, where me and my brother will always have to use the cross the pedestrian bridge just to get to the other side of the road under the dreadful hot sun, i will get headaches when i reach the other end.

having headaches as a part of my life isn't fun. the attacks comes when i'm expose to heat, stuffiness, glare, when i'm dehydrated, and lack of sleep. the attacks would normally last for 3 days, and those 3 days would be years for me. i can't sleep in the afternoon because of the sun, and i have no choice but to wait till night so that i could sleep( oh, and that would be a chore too, because i will be waking up in the middle of the night due to the pain) . oh, when i was younger, taking an afternoon nap would trigger the attacks too. i was so jealous when i see other kids sleep in the afternoon, because when i do that, i have to pay the price.

till now nobody really understands the pain that i'm going through every single time i have a migraine attack. oh, i use the word migraine now because i was diagnose by the doctor. i didn't realize an obvious symptom i had, where the pain is always at one side, usually on the left, so i will always, always tilt my head to the right hoping the blood flow will make the pain subside, or even better, go away completely. i was lucky my mum would massage my throbbing head when i get the attacks, and although it won't make the pain go away, it'll still make me feel so much better.

doctor's have given me medication, but i didn't take it at all because i didn't want to be dependent on the medication. paracetamol was good for me at the moment, as i only took them when i started uni because i didn't really have time to rest for 3 full days and do nothing at all! but, i still limit myself to one 500mg a day. my worst nightmare would be the day paracetamols wouldn't work for me anymore.

oh, and the part where i'm really sure it's not the tumor? it's because i went and got a CAT scan of my brain and i was cleared by the doctors. and this was just 2 years ago. but the attacks are more controllable now than when i was a kid, as the numbers have significantly decrease, but the pain is much worse though. it use to be twice monthly (which means there will be a week in a month where i'm useless as i can't think or do anything), but now it's more to 2-3 months once.

so as a frequent sufferer, i regret to say that there is no one solution that would eliminate migraine for me. i usually get better gradually, and even though i've taken pills the migraine wouldn't just leave right away. i've search online and tried some of the suggestions, but still, it always depends on the situation.

here's some solution:

1. (ok, this one i got it from the internet): mix an isotonic drink with water. from the explanation it is because there's not enough electrolytes in the body, thus the migraine. i find it kinda helpful, but this wouldn't work when the migraine is really painful.

2. tiger balm. this is my miracle ointment that i bring with me wherever i go. the balm has this cooling effect, and i will usually apply it at my temple, the brow area, and the back of my neck. i apply ridiculous amounts of this when i have a migraine because it really works! (read: it still doesn't eliminate the migraine though, but it makes me feel better though)

3. water. drink loads of it. for me part of the reason i have migraine is because i'm dehydrated. living in a tropical country where the sun can get really harsh doesn't help. so remember, you've gotta keep hydrated, always.

4. get some sleep. stay away from your laptop. stop playing games. don't drink caffeinated stuff. normally i would prefer being enclose in a cool, dark and quiet place. this is because when i have migraine, even the sound of people talking will make the migraine go from bad to worst, i don't know why.

5. tell yourself that you're not in pain. yeah, it's sort of like a psychological game that you play with your mind. it's like you're having unbearable pain in your head, don't go, oh shit, the pain is here again, pain, pain, pain, instead, try telling yourself that you're going to feel better soon, and focus on how it normally feels when your head is not in pain.

6. try meditating. by meditating, you focus solely on your breathing, and thus, there wouldn't be an excess of thoughts in your mind. for me, by clearing my mind, it helps with the process of recovery.

i hope the suggestion helps.

:)