How Migraines Affect Your Life

Tonight, all of a sudden, I had a migraine headache... the kind where the lights are even too bright. I was working and felt it coming on. Then within minutes, it was FULL force, like a hammer banging constantly on my forehead. I had no idea why I was getting one or when it would disappear.

I remember my sister-in-law telling me when she was pregnant last year, she would get headaches and just let them be. She never took any medicine for them. So when I was pregnant, at the same time as she, I decided I was going to try that same technique. Even though I would get migraines before pregnancy, I, for some stupid reason, thought this new technique would work.

The first one I got, I kept telling myself, Hold out, HOOLLLDDD OOUUUTTT. Well, it didn't last long before I knew THAT just wasn't going to happen! I took something for it... and for EVERY.SINGLE.ONE after that during my pregnancy. I got so many that I would take something at the slightest inkling of one. They would still come FULL force, but the medicine would keep them in check.

After I gave birth, I got them often when I wasn't eating regularly. I deduced that I have to eat every 2-3 hours or the migraines will attack in full force. I'm not sure if this is my body telling me something or what?!

I haven't had one in a while until tonight. I don't know if it came on because I didn't eat enough when I ate last or because I am exhausted (baby boy hasn't been sleeping through the night for the past three weeks and I have no idea why). Medicine didn't work. The lights were straining my eyes. Any noise was WAAAY too loud. And my head was killing me. Someone offered me food. I took it. It didn't help. I drank water; it didn't help. I ate a little more. Then very slowly, it started to subside... just a bit.

The issue I have with headaches, is that I don't ever want to do anything when I have one. That doesn't really work when you're a single mom. You have no choice but to take care of your sweet baby that needs and depends on you. So no matter how much my head hurts, I have someone that relies on me. There is no break, no time out, or no let me just lie down for a few minutes. You have to do what you have to do and work through the head pain.

Even as I'm writing this, I still have a headache. I'm hoping it will go way as soon as my head hits the pillow. The problem is... every time I've ever gone to bed with a headache, thinking sleep will "cure" it, I always wake up with one. There's NOTHING that starts off a day worse than a headache. I'm hoping that won't be the case this time.

What causes your headaches? How often do you get them? What helps relieve them?