Migraine Munchies



I get a monthly migraine headache & one reared its ugly head this week.

If anyone gets migraines they know how EVIL they are.

My day is ruined. I have to cancel all appointments. I need to stay inside a dark room, all shades closed. No noise please. No smells please. No phones ringing please (I turn all ringers OFF).
A baseball bat to the skull would be the only relief at this point.

Nausea, stabbing eye pain and all over sick feeling is my day of hell.
Thank god they only last 24 hours.
I medicate myself with some fun stuff and sleep it off.

My friend Rosemary sent me these amazing paintings from a website so you can get the idea of how the artist feels when he/she gets these debilitating headaches.




When I wake up from my misery, I have these intense cravings for only certain foods, which my wonderful nurse (husband) goes out and gets for me:

A Whopper (has to be from Burger King, the original, flame broiled. McDonald's Big Mac or other fast food chains will not do).



Scrambled Eggs (salted and fluffy, made in a pan with butter).



A pint of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Ice Cream (New York Super Fudge Chunk is ok too).

Comments

Ciao Chow Linda said…
You poor dear. I know just what you're going through, as a migraine sufferer myself. The dark, quiet room, no smells, it all hits home. I finally found Relpax, which works great. Have you tried that? When I recover, I eat only bland food - chicken, saltines. I can't bear anything else. Chocolate triggers it sometimes. I hope you feel better soon.
Boo Hoo for you! Hope this one is gone in record time...Rosemary
LaDue & Crew said…
I'm sorry you had (have) a migraine. I've had 2 in my life that required hospitalization. Hubby gets them way too much... and I feel helpless. How funny only those foods will do! Only you could turn a migraine into an interesting post like this, art and all!
kat said…
Oh I'm so sorry about your migraines. My mom got them while I was growing up & they were just awful for her.
Oh, I hope your better. They just stink. I got a few when I was pregnant but thankfully not anymore.Now do you eat all these goodies at one sitting? How do you stay so thin!
Stacey, I wish I could wave a magic wand and get rid of your migraine pain! You poor thing!
If I lived by you, I'd send you over a buttery fluffy, salty, fritata!
xo, Marie
Anonymous said…
i totally hear ya - when smells and noises start to bug me i know one is coming on. fortunately as you get older you'll outgrow them - i remember in my late 20's having one that lasted 3 days - 3 days of hell in a dark room - i felt TERRIBLE for my kids! And there is no relief, you just have to suffer through it.
But wait - except lately, i get maybe two a year and have found if i start to feel that aura thing coming on and pop 2 "excederin migrains" i can sometimes nip it in the bud. try that! Hope you are feeling better!
Lori Lynn said…
Oy. Oy. Oy. That sounds just awful. I am sorry for you. I hope by the time you read this your migraine is just a bad memory and you have already eaten your Whopper, eggs, and ice cream.
LL
Anonymous said…
That's too bad, I'm sorry about that! I wish there is something you could do to change that pattern...like a certain pill I know of. Anyway all those things sound like a great cure afterward.
Feel better!
If it helps any my children often make be feel like your pics!
StaceyEsq said…
Oh, how awful for you! So sorry!

My husband used to suffer from them and even was hospitalized after one atrocious migraine. And another good friend of mine was always injecting that awful medication into her thigh when she felt one coming on. I've had a few rotten headaches in my life, but nothing in comparison.

Hope you're feeling much better!

Hugs (and Whoppers!) -- Stacey
Dana Treat said…
Once a month - that's awful. I have low grade migraines for days at a time and about once a year I get one of those doozies you describe. They are so awful and impossible to explain to someone who doesn't get them. I like the visuals! Glad you are feeling better.
Karen said…
Been there done that hated it. At the first sign of a migraine (a stiff neck) I'd pop 800 mg Ibuprofen and lay down for an hour. Repeat every 4 hours. I've finally outgrown them, thankfully! They are the worst. Hugs :)
Anonymous said…
I don't get migraines but i'm hungover pretty often so i guess i can relate? Not really? I feel like the guy in the first picture. Love the paintings!.. and I love the flame broiled BK burger. That's exactly what i had today while doing the laundry. You forgot Arturo's pizza on the list! :-)
Petrea Burchard said…
Hi Stacey, I saw you at Paris Daily Photo.

I know the feeling, and this post describes it well. I always crave a cup of coffee before, during and after.

Mine are triggered by stress. My doctor said they'd go away when menopause was over. There was a point when they were happening almost daily. We've controlled them with Topamax (a seizure drug) and Imitrex, which kills them once they start. I'm sure you've tried all the different drugs; there are a few but they don't work for everyone. I've been lucky.

Thanks for the excellent post.
Melissa said…
What funny things you crave after a migraine. But whatever works, get it, because after one of those, you deserve anything you want.

I suffered from migraines for about 2 months only, when I was 19, and on a medication that was causing them. Every few days. I never, ever forgot how awful that was. Indescribably bad. So sorry you go through that, Stace. :(
The Food Hunter said…
Hope you're feeling better.
Peter M said…
Chin up girl...the migraine will be gone soon...I willed it!
That really sucks! Hope you are feeling better today, and had a nice breakfast of New York Super fudge!
Lomagirl said…
Can't even look at those pictures! And the food you want- not for me. I usually crave red meat though- something like a steak. Maybe if the hamburger was homemade.
Pam said…
I used to get migraines OFTEN but for some reason I had my last one six years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter - I now get severe tension headaches (which are debilitating) but not as bad as my migraines were. I so know your pain and I agree - with your munchies of choice - especially the whopper.
Anonymous said…
Sta,
Any plans for a future post on the 'fun stuff' you medicate with during these horrible migraines? Looking forward ot that one! JS