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Being Laughed At By 911

My first migraine was on my 21st birthday. I wasn't feeling great so my new husband & I were going to go out for a low key dinner. Before we left the house I started getting my first aura. A tiny ring of scintillating lights in a prism of colors. I was terrified and had no idea what was happening to me. My husband dialed 911 for me as I couldn't see the numbers clearly. I explained my symptoms through tears and hysteria (I was certain that I was having a stroke. I had just started birth control pills and had been told it was a possible side effect). The aura was intensifying, becoming larger, closer & felt more "aggressive". The next thing I remember was the 911 responder laughing at me. She was telling me that I wasn't having a stroke, but just a migraine. That I should hang up, lie down & take a couple of aspirin. It was humiliating & pretty much summed up my experience with professionals regarding my migraines in those early years. It wasn't until Imitrex trials that I was able to get non-narcotic relief.

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