It’s been months since I had one. Holding the hymnbook for Bean during church today, I felt the familiar tingling began in my thumb and lower left lip, and within minutes the scintillating scotoma took over my vision and I could barely see. It starts peripherally, and then gradually zig-zags across my entire field of vision, leaving me with blind spots in the center of my eyes, and only peripheral vision. The worst part is the dizziness and nausea from the flashing, swirling lights. I half-whispered to the woman in front of me in the pew to please watch my kids, and I quietly got up and left the chapel.
I thought I was walking normally, but by the time I reached the hallway, both the RS president and my home-teachers were out there to catch me as I almost fell. They said I was walking like a drunk sailor and looked like I was going to faint, as they propped me on the sofa near the bishop’s office.
There is nothing to do for it except wait it out. Since it’s happening in my brain, closing my eyes or getting in the dark does absolutely nothing. The light show continues. The weirdest part is the odd numbness. Always on the left side, and always creeping across my face and hand. It’s a nice alarm, because if it happens, I know I’ve got to get home, or off the road, and fast.
I’ve had the MRI’s, the CT scans and seen the neurologists. I’m actually lucky, in that the headache that follows is bad, but not horrendous. The neurologist told me I got to “see” my brain having a migraine, rather than feel the incapacitation pain. To be sure, I do get a headache after it’s all over, but usually a dark room, a couple of Excedrin and a few hours take care of it, and I can get back to life.
Our brains are complicated, strange things.