Day 4 - Migraine

"Migraine is a severe headache, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

There are two types:

Migraine with aura (classical) - the headache is preceded by a preliminary phase called an aura, when symptoms such as seeing flashing lights, temporary visual loss, speech problems or numbness of the face or arms may occur.

Migraine without aura (common) - no aura precedes the headache Both types of migraine frequently start with changes in mood and feelings of general hunger or particular food cravings.

Migraine attacks last from four to 72 hours and are usually felt on one side of the head. During this time sufferers usually need to lie down in a quiet and darkened room since the throbbing headache is often made worse by movement, noise and light."*

*http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/migraine1.shtml

I spent the first few hours of Christmas day in a French clinic in Burgundy.

It has been four days now and I still have a constant headache.

The doctor took my blood pressure. He poked my knees with a hammer. My legs bounced forward. More blood tests, more questions.

I waited in the lounge with my friend - we gave each other a hug at midnight: “Merry Christmas”.

The doctors said it can't be malaria as I don't have a fever, and the new blood tests only go to prove that - they are all clear. Everything is normal.

The doctor decides it’s a migraine. I am not sensitive to light or sound, and I have a healthy appetite. But I am tired. He has prescribed some paracetamol to take daily and some migraine tablets to take for one week.