Sometimes, even the light is too much

I was standing in line at the pharmacy in Hy-Vee when it happened. The pain in the head, the nausea, the shaking. I could hear the pharmacist explaining meds to a man, who was picking them up for his wife. I just stood, clutching the cart handles, not even able to talk.

When it was my turn, I managed to tell the pharmacist my name, and pick up my meds. My son helped me get the last few items we needed, and we finally made it to the checkout line.

In the parking lot, the world was swimming, but I squinted my eyes, bit my inner cheek, and somehow managed to drive us home.

At home, my son helped get the groceries in the house. I even got the groceries put away, telling my son that he had to have cereal or peanut butter sandwich for supper, because I was going to bed. I felt hot all over, sweating in the chill of the air-conditioning. I grabbed a blanket, and sprawled out on the bed, on top of the covers, with a throw pillow over my eyes and ear. Eventually, I crawled under the quilts, I was so cold.

At around 8:30, my cell phone started ringing. There was a meeting I was supposed to go to tonight, but that info had vanished from my head the moment I closed my eyes. After hanging up the phone, I got up, left the bed unmade (for the very first time in two years!!!), and went to find some food to put in my stomach.

I am feeling okay for now, but my hands are still numb, which does not bode well. I am hoping that eating will help. I hate it when this happens. I am so lucky that we were close to home.

Migraine runs in the family, on my dad's side. My aunt Trish used to get them so badly that her husband would have to carry her into the emergency room to get a shot. I get them, my sister, Movie Star, gets them (she had one for two days, starting last Friday night), I think KJ used to get them too. It literally stops you in your tracks. It's like suddenly dropping several stories, and your brain is not quite moving at the speed of the rest of your body. It disrupts everything. I am glad that we had bought food that my son could prepare for himself, and that he is old enough to take care of himself for a but without burning the house down. When he was little, it was a massive fight to stay upright long enough to do what had to be done. I had to work through it, no choice, no one here to help me.

And doctors used to think it was all in our heads...

Update: 10:11 pm - It's back. Damn.