My history of migraines

My migraines started back in November of 1993. My doctor at the time was a D.O. and he said that my problem was one of the vertebrae in my neck was out of place. I would go in to see him every two weeks for an adjustment and my headache would go away in about twenty minutes. The next morning it's back again and I would call for another appointment, which would in about two weeks.

I would get another adjustment an as normal no headache in about twenty minutes. He finally put me on something with codeine for the pain. That helped relieve the pain enough so that I could work. He changed my medication a couple of times with the same results.

He moved to another part of town so I had to find someone to treat my headaches.

I went to a neurologist for help. There, I had a MRI and only found that I had a brain and no cause for the migraines. So, the doctor suggested physical therapy. Which I went through twice a week. I got some relief from that. And, then that doctor left her practice and went back to teaching and I had to find another doctor.

I went to a Chiropractor for help this time. Supposedly, his treatments would train my body to treat itself. LOL. I went to him for a little over a year. No help. So much for chiropractors.

Back to a neurologist, who changed my medication. This time he gave me Depakote to prevent my headaches and he gave naproxen for the pain. Both meds were increased to their maximum amounts over time, but I still had migraines. Again, back for another MRI. This time the doctor found something and sent me to a pain specialist.

This doctor suggested a spinal epidural. He didn't tell me what he found just that he thought the injection would relieve the headaches.

After the injection, I had six months free from migraines. The doctor did say that I could take the series of three injection and may not have any more migraines. Unfortunately, money became very tight after that and no more injections. This happened about twelve years into my pain. And, I stayed on my full dose of meds for that full six months.

It had come time to see my neurologist again so I called to make an appointment and found out, to heartache, that he had passed away not to long after I had my injection. Then, I just went to regular doctor about my headaches.

He suggested that I go back to my pain specialist and see what he says. New pain specialist! I had taken my MRI films with me to see this doctor and he found the same problem as before. This time he pointed to the problem to me. The disc in my neck between C5, C6, and C7 are slightly compressed and I have intervertebral degeneration. Meaning that I am getting old. So, my doctor says.

Besides taking five 500mg of Depakote a day (2 In the AM, 3 in the PM) to prevent my headaches and two 500mg of naproxen a day (1 in the AM, 1 in the PM) for the pain, I do what the specialist called HEP exercises for my neck twice a day. If I do get a headache, I have a cloth tube type thing that has Flax seed inside that stays in the freezer all the time. That goes around/behind my neck and helps to relieve the pain, too.

I still have the migraines, but they a little easier to live with now.

People have asked me how I could continue to go to work everyday with a migraine for so long. When the headaches started, I was married and we had two daughters at home. I had to go to work to provide for my family. Then later, I had to work to provide for me to live. At times, you do what you have to do.

It's been a hard road and I am thankful now that I have someone in my life that has more compassion for me when I am down with one of these headaches. One thing I know, I'll never see a day without the possibility of another migraine. I just never know when that sledgehammer or that icepick will hit my right temple area and I am down for the day.

I hope this given some of you an idea what I go through and have been through and hope your days are bright and sunny, happy days.