Migraine, Day Three. Or Is It Four?

Tuesday morning this week, I woke up with a migraine. Not a bad one, but it was definitely migraine pain. I decided to go to work anyway, because I had a migraine the previous Tuesday, and I don't like to take more than one day off per month for these kinds of things. I work in an office where office politics go wrong a lot, and this Tuesday was one of those kind of days. I don't normally pay attention to it, but when a supervisor confronted me and a coworker of mine, who were minding our own business and not doing anything wrong, I got a bit upset and stewed. By the end of the day, I was struggling to finish the day.

After work, I had to pick up dinner since nothing was defrosted in the house. By the time I got home, I was so glad for the day to be over! I took my prescription medicine, ate dinner, spoke briefly with family over the internet and went to bed early. When I have a bad migraine, I usually sleep with a ski cap on my head because my head actually feels cold, and ice on my neck to numb the pain so that I can sleep. This is because the medicine sometimes doesn't do a good enough job. When my migraine is really bad, I sleep on the sofa because I can't get comfortable in the bed. This is how I slept that night.

Wednesday came, and while now the pain seemed to be gone, I was really groggy from the medicine. I struggled with myself and went to work anyway, and once the medicine wore off, the pain was back. I kept debating whether I should just go home and rest, but I kept wanting to get "one more claim" paid, because that's one more person with money in their pocket. I stayed the day, and while I masked it with a smile, I was absolutely miserable at quitting time. My husband is home in the evenings on Wednesdays and Thursdays, so he was going to pick up dinner, but I had to go get gas in my car. I sped home from there, because I just wanted to get to bed. I was able to eat, so I had dinner after changing my clothes. I again chatted with family about some things, and went to bed (or should I say, sofa) early again, after taking another pill.

Thursday, wee hours of the morning. The ice pack had melted and the medicine worn off. I tossed and turned, finally got comfortable and fell asleep. When my alarm went off, the pain was definitely back, and I decided I'd had it. I called one of my carpool buddies, left her a message and went back to sleep. I called work once the office opened, and reported in as sick. The plan: Call the chiropractor and make an appointment, in the hopes that maybe it's because something moved in my neck again.

I managed to get to the chiropractor in the late afternoon, and he adjusted me thoroughly, and ordered traction table with ice for my neck. In speaking with him about what had gone on for me in the last two weeks, he reassured me that it was primarily not the FM that had caused so much ongoing pain. He agreed it was a factor, but stressed that it was more likely my pain started because the tissues in my neck had become inflamed from the weird, hot-then-cold-then-hot weather we had for the last month. I felt so much better after my treatment that, with doctor's approval, I did all that was planned for the evening, including prepping a salad for an office luncheon, going to dinner with friends and playing miniature golf with the group afterward.

I was refreshed and enjoying the freedom from pain. Sadly, I woke with the alarm and found myself in pain again. I realized that I had been laying on my left side, and it seemed that some of the pain dissipated slightly when I rolled to the right. It dawned on me then, that I am aggravating my problem whenever I sleep on the left side. I am now determined to stay off that side, no matter what. In the meantime, I knew I would have to take a pill to be able to get to work.

My husband had picked up a refill of my migraine medicine, and this time the pharmacy had filled with the generic version of the medicine. It had no coating, and the moment it hit my mouth, I was enveloped in the bitter taste of a rapidly dissolving pill. I hadn't even had time to get the glass of water to my lips before there was nothing but bitter grains throughout my mouth. BLECH! GAH! EW! While this was an ordeal, I did find a positive side; the pain had melted away within a matter of minutes, almost as quickly as the pill had dissolved in my mouth. Then there was the side effect. I felt like I was high. I tried to cover it up, and foolishly chose to take my turn driving for the carpool, in an effort to hide the fact that I was having an unpleasant experience. I did admit to one person that I felt overmedicated, which I had admitted to before without anyone batting an eyebrow, but she immediately asked me if I was okay to drive. I tried to convey confidence, but agreed to pull over if my driving skills proved to be less than adequate, and let her take the wheel. Fortunately, I got us to work safely.

My feeling of intoxication wore off as the day progressed, and now I am sitting somewhat comfortably in front of my computer, documenting this latest experience to share with all who care to read. I am feeling some pain, but it's not at a level that would escalate into something worse, or require me to take any medicine. I am grateful to be where I am at, and I hope this is the worst I feel for the rest of the weekend. Here's to not having a "Day Five."

P.S. - I started this blog on Thursday, expecting to have it finished the same day. Because of the way Blogger works, the date is Thursday's date, because I drafted it in the blogger editor. However, today is actually Friday, the 30th.