The glasses do help! I've since learned there are a few companies that sell them, but I used Theraspecs. They make one for indoors, and they make sunglasses for outside. I think it's just www.theraspecs.com. They are the nicest people, too. And yes, you can cook and clean and sit in front of the computer with them. Haha!

Yes, I think over time they get worse. Unfortunately, so often the doctors assume it's from over-medication. But in my case I rarely use meds. I try to beat the headaches using heat/ice, pressure points, meditation, CBD lotion, CBD oil and T-Relief usually in that exact order. If those don't work, then I go onto nausea meds, next muscle relaxers and if all else fails, pain meds. My husband watching me one weekend made the observation that I put a lot of work into breaking my migraines without taking a pill. Why not just take the pill first? He doesn't understand what it's like to run out of your migraine meds. For me, I feel better knowing I have some in store for the really, really bad migraines rather than wasting one on just a regular migraine. Know what I mean?

I found out when reading an in-depth book on migraine in 1998. I never told a soul, except for my husband, until I read a detailed description of it. I was so excited, I started telling only people who truly knew of my long time struggle with migraine. I told my GP and showed him the book I was reading and he had heard of it but never had a patient who had experienced it.
What an awful experience, and might I say a bit odd, you had with your best friend. That's a shame. The last job I had, there were several people there who said they had migraines. It was at this point my migraines were chronic, and at 7 mos., I had 29 absences due to migraine. One lady in particular who suffered occasional migraines became hostile toward me in the classroom! She thought I was a faker, or big wimp. I was a teacher's assistant responsible for a Down Syndrome student. I had to educate many people about "chronic" migraine, but only a few "got it." I thought the migraines would get better over the summer with rest and a respite from triggers, but the exact opposite happened.

Wow! And did this only happen when you went to bed, or at other times during the day, too?

For me, my body wasn't afftected, but everything around me was. I would sit in my bed and the whole room would be gigantic and I would be this tiny ant-sized girl. I would close my eyes and poof! Fifteen minutes later the room was the size of a dog house, the ceiling practically scraping my head and the furniture just right for one of my dolls. I remember scrunching down to get out the door to tell mom and dad what was going on. They kept telling me I was having nightmares and they never took it seriously.

That's amazing, Ann! And does your old friend have migraines, too? Were her AIWS symptoms more on the mild side like mine?

Yep, we know what it's like to be almost scared to take the medicine that "might" bring relief sooner because #1 the dr will only give us so much medication per month and that's it, and #2 we have to be careful of rebound headache anyway, or worse yet, an opioid addiction. We have to baby our nervous systems, at least that's how I feel about myself. Even on the odd good day, I can't just let loose and enjoy it to the fullest like I used to. I have to be very reserved...bummer. No more romps in God's great outdoors!

Since the combination of Botox and Aimovig, I haven't had to use as much abortive or rescue medication. I do fine on the monthly allotment; however, I spend a lot of time indoors, on the couch, with ice packs, wearing special glasses for photophobia, not jostling around too much, and sleeping. It's quite a different life. I concentrate on all that I do and not on what I can't do, and I try to make sure that what I do makes others happy.