Well, That Was Scary.

As you know from reading my blog, I suffer from migraines. They are pretty typical, follow the same pattern each time, and though terrible, not really so much of a concern because I’ve been dealing with them for so many years. I generally try to not think about the fact that it could be something worse and I just don’t know it. I have so much else to think about I just pretend this little nugget doesn’t exist.

Until yesterday.

My migraine was following its usual course. It began Thursday as a dull ache, shoulders and neck completely tense and rock solid. Friday I woke up at 3:30am in terrible pain. I took my usual cocktail of coffee and Advil and set about my day. I do not have time for headaches to get in my way. I sound like a commercial for pain reliever but it’s true. And again, I’m used to this. By midmorning I was feeling better enough to carry on with all of my normal Friday things. I worked, I had several phone conversations, I started some laundry, I fetched my kid from school, all of it. I planned to have an easy night, the first time I didn’t have somewhere to be after work all week, just folding laundry and resting.

Until around 4:15.

You know when someone takes a picture with a flash and you have the bright light in your field of vision and you can’t see? And you know how it goes away? Imagine it didn’t. And then it spread and you couldn’t see out of one eye. That is what happened to me yesterday. I thought maybe my eyes were just exhausted from trying to read ridiculous spreadsheets. The screens were bright and I hadn’t noticed how dark it was getting and I needed another light. My head had been starting to hurt worse again, but I assumed I was tired. You know, until I started going blind.

I tried going into a dark room to shut my eyes, but every time I opened them it was worse. Half of my field of vision was wavy lines and bright blurriness. I have never in my life experienced anything like that. I was talking to Nathan to see if I was slurring and making sure I could move. Then it occurred to me that in my current state I might not be the best judge of whether or not I was having a stroke. I texted my husband to see when he was coming home and mentioned, ever so casually, that I was slightly concerned about what was happening.

He raced home, got my in-laws to watch Nathan and we went to urgent care since, by then, I could see again and the pain was subsiding. I figured if things took a turn for the worse there they could just call me an ambulance.

Diagnosis: Ocular migraine on top of my garden variety one. Treatment: A shot of anti-inflammatory in my ass. Follow up treatment: Call my primary doctor and schedule a CAT scan just in case.

I’m feeling better today, but not great. I’ll be resting, something I never do. (Gee, I wonder why I get so many headaches?) The doctor said it may never happen again. I’m skeptical, but never again would be nice.

This is NaBloPoMo Day 23.
Featured Image Credit: ladies-in-hades-and-the-dyval-wears-prada.obsidianportal.com
You can read more here.

23 thoughts on “Well, That Was Scary.

    1. michellelongo Post author

      I was worried because Nathan was there. I think I would have been less worried if I were alone. I didn’t want him to see something bad happen.
      And thanks, I’m getting better.

  1. Kenja

    I’m nursing a migraine hangover right now. I hate the next day when you are super-tired and feel like a truck ran over your neck. I can’t imagine how scary that must have been for you. Ocular migraine, huh? Here’s hoping I never get that particular experience! Hope you are feeling better!

    1. michellelongo Post author

      That’s where I am, in the hangover phase. I’m not in pain necessarily, but I don’t feel well either. Hope you’re feeling better soon too.

    1. michellelongo Post author

      I will. At least now that I know what it is, I won’t panic again. Apparently most attacks last less than one hour – not knowing if/when it was going to stop was very unsettling.

    1. michellelongo Post author

      Well, you know me, I’ll pull a post out of just about anything. Let’s not consider that the stress of NaBlo contributed to this episode, OK?

  2. daniheart21

    That is scary. My mom once completely blacked out during a panic attack but I was a kid and had no idea what was going on or why she couldn’t see. It subsided as did with you..but you always worry about it being something worse. Good luck with your cat scan…I hope it shows something ..so that they could fix this and you wouldn’t have to suffer anymore. šŸ™‚

    1. michellelongo Post author

      I was definitely more concerned with my son than I was for me. I didn’t want to scare him (though I did). Yes, I hope it’s something definitive. I like definitive things.

  3. Pingback: Sick Day. | Michelle Longo

  4. Samantha Brinn Merel

    Oh my gosh, how scary! This happened to a law school friend of mine about 5 years ago when we were studying for the bar exam, and she was diagnosed with the same thing. Luckily, it just happened one time and never came back. I hope it’s the same for you. Feel better!

    1. michellelongo Post author

      Thanks, I hope so too! I’m sure if anything is going to cause stress related blindness, the bar exam would do it! Not that this explains my situation, you see.

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