Migraine Study

This post is sort of going to be about my period, so any readers who don't want to know, you might just want to skip this one.

So, I was watching the local Waco news the other day. Why was I doing that? Because my Waco TV has only 3 channels and no DVR. Yeehaw! Anyway, they had a little spot on a clinical trial the Waco hospital is doing for menstrual migraines. I have suffered from migraines since I was in junior high. A doctor once diagnosed them as menstrual migraines and put me on a few different medications for them, but nothing I have ever tried has been successful. Since I have become an adult, I have developed pretty good coping mechanisms for it. I pop four Advil at a time as soon as I feel the tightening begin in my head, and that usually makes the pain manageable. I call it the "ghost headache." Where I can actually feel the headache lurking behind my eyes, and if the wall of ibuprofen were not there, it would feel like an icepick through my skull. But as long as I catch it early, I can function like a pretty normal person. If I don't catch it early, I have a day like I had yesterday.

I woke up with a headache. I, of course, forgot to bring any painkillers with me to Waco. My roommate - who is apparently oblivious to pain - does not have any in the apartment. So, I taught my first class with a migraine. Luckily for me, the adrenaline got me through because I was so nervous.

After class, I walked back to my apartment. It was hot, I was in pain, and I honestly didn't think I was going to make it before I collapsed in the middle of the sidewalk. Fortunately, I did make it. At this point, my head hurt so badly that I could no longer drive a car to go pick myself up some pain medication. I just stumbled up to my room and slept on the air mattress, waking up sporadically because of the pain in my head.

After about 2 hours, I returned to my campus office, and there was a girl there who had mentioned having Tylenol in her desk. I asked her if I could have some, and she had not only Tylenol, but my precious ibuprofen as well. I popped four of them, ate a graham cracker (the first thing I had eaten all day), and went to teach my next class. Again, I pulled through on adrenaline.

I decided to drive home to Dallas after class because the Advil wall was kind of halfway up, and I figured I could make it. Maybe that was foolish, but I really just wanted to be home with my dog and my own pillow. Anyway, about halfway through the drive my headache faded completely away, heralding the arrival of my monthly sign that there are "no babies in here."

So, I wrote the hospital in Waco. I am going to participate in a clinical trial for menstrual migraines. We'll see how it goes. I've never done anything like this before, but it also means I have to get back on the pill which makes me want to lose like 15 pounds before I start. I have two months before they put me on any drugs, so here's to losing 15 pounds before the pill forces me to gain them back!