Migraines.
So, I have had these sporadically throughout my life.
I very distinctly remember what was likely the first one when I was around 12, and being told by my mother to quit being a drama queen when I told her I felt like my head was going to explode. So, I just dealt with it as best I can, forcing myself to go through my days unless I was actively throwing up.
And in the last couple of years, they started happening more frequently and with more intensity. I occasionally lose vision in one eye. I frequently throw up. I nearly always lay in bed with a sleep mask covering my eyes, longing for the sweet release of death.
Recently there was an announcement about a breakthrough in migraine treatments. And after discussing with my migraine doctor, after she saw me react to sudden bright light (not well), I learned that are nearly as many triggers for migraines as their are migraine sufferers.
So, I went and looked up the website for the main Migraine Research organization. They are not so sanguine that the new discovery is the ONE that will stop migraines for all time. In fact, reading their write ups, I definitely got the feeling that this was not their first rodeo.
So, we have a list of shit that appears to trigger the damn things: hormones, stress, the sudden absence of stress, dehydration, sunlight, those stupid blue-tinted halogen headlights, nutrasweet, too little sleep, too much sleep, 90% of all artificial scents, particularly those found in perfumes and body products marketed to everyone, patchouli… I can keep going.
We have a list of symptoms.
What we do not have is a definite fix.
This was my first migraine free week in over six months. My record was 7 vomit inducing, blinding migraines in a week and a half.
We have a few things that help… -ish. Caffeine. Some pain meds. Anything that knocks me the hell out.
But the thing is: I’m one of the lucky ones.
I have really good insurance. I have FMLA protection and know how to use and keep it. I have bosses who have had migraines themselves. I have doctors who took me and my pain seriously. I have a network that HAS migraine doctors in it.
I can’t imagine dealing with this shit without any one of those things listed above, let alone with none of them.
And the thing is, no one should have to deal with this shit without medical help. Migraines can be debilitating. There have been days that all I can do is curl up on the bathroom floor with a blanket, because I can’t quit throwing up long enough to make it back to bed. And unlike with say, food poisoning or a hangover, throwing up doesn’t even make you feel better for a little while. Everything still sucks just as much as it did before you barfed. There are days I literally cannot open my eyes with any light in a room whatsoever. There are days when I can’t see, I literally cannot see enough to function.
We, as a society, as a world, need socialized health care because no one should have to suffer through shit like this on their own.
Polimicks 
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