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Jan's Story

Hi, my name is Jan and I suffer from intractable basilar artery migraine. I had migraine even as a child. I would get terrible headaches and vomit, especially when riding in the car..of course the Dr. said I was just carsick but now it's recognized as a symptom of childhood migraine by Nueologists.

The migraines took a vacation for about 5 years until I turned 13 and returned with a vegance. Hormones played a big role in this as I would always get them just before menstruation and they lasted about 5 days..I missed so much at school. I missed classes, activities and lost alot friends during this time. They wanted to go out and do things and I was home in a dark room with my head packed in ice. This continued until I was about 25 and suddenly they stopped!

At the age of 30 they returned once again. I was driving a mountain road just after a snowstorm and as I turned a corner I was T-boned by a snow plow. This was 28 days after I got married to my 2nd husband. I was widowed by my first husband who was a border patrol agent and he got addicted to the drugs he was confiscating and took his own life. I continued to have the "menstrual migraines" every month..sometimes lasting up to 7 days and then again 2 weeks later at ovulation time. My PCP suggested I see a Gynecologist as he had tried everything in his bag of tricks to no avail.

I saw the Gynecologist and was told by him that he could "cure" my migraines with a complete hysterectomy..ovaries and all. I was desperate! This man told me that he had done this surgery on 5 women with 4 total sucesses. Hindsight is 20/20 of course..I should have asked for references. I was only 30 years old and decided on the surgery knowing I would be on hormone replacement therapy for the rest of my life. After the surgery I went about 7 days with no signs of migraine and then...BAM! I spiraled downward very quickly and before I knew it I had migraine daily. I have had all the regular tests, MRI, MRA, EKG etc...I have been on every known drug for migraine. When Imitrex first came out we discovered that I could not take this drug at all. We treated the migraines symptomatically with Fioricet and Phenergan...he then added the Duragesic patches to my meds. He forgot to tell me to use phenergan and I was so sick for the 72 hours I had the patch on that I had to be hospitalized for dehydration. No more Duragesic for me!

We were transferred to Texas in December of 97, I had the book of Dr.'s from the insurance company and picked the one closest to home. Turned out that my Dr. had migraine as well. This is when I finally got a decent diagnosis..I knew I didn't just have classic migraine due to the stroke like symptoms I get. I have been diagnoses with Basilar Artery migraine which causes stroke. My Grandmother had this type as well, or so I suspect that she did as she started having TIA's in her 40's. She lived to be 74 but died of a stroke brought about by migraine. I still have head pain daily but am managing with some Vicoden and phenergan and a med to help prevent stroke. When they are really bad I go to the doc for a shot of Nubaine/Phenergan and this helps me to sleep when they are bad. My Son and Daughter both have migraine as well, I feel terribly quilt that I have passed the gene on to them. I only hope and pray that neither of them will ever get as bad as I am. My marriage is really suffering...who wants a wife who has a headache all the time!

I have since lost my career. I was a Paramedic, still carry my liscence but can't work anymore. This is what I miss the most...being able to be there for someone when they are sick or injured. Helping the calm the families and saving lives. I waited until my kids were grown before I went to school and had to give it up. It was my passion and I miss it terribly. I even have the star of life tattoo'd on my ankle.

So this is my story, I certainly am not as bad off as some of the folks on this page but pain is pain.

Thanks for reading. Jan

Aug 11,1999

Ed, you can put this anywhere in my story that you like.