A couple of weeks ago I read an article in Sports Illustrated about Pittsburgh Penguins Defenseman Kris Letang and his dealing with migraines since he was a teenager. I am not a fan of the Penguins and really wasn’t one of Letang’s either. Although I did think he was a very good defenseman. That being said, I also can relate, being that I have dealt with migraines for years. I give him major props to never miss a game due to one. I don’t know how he does that. I can’t even count how many times I have missed parties or events because I was incapacitated.
Over the years with my headaches, I had endured 2 emergency room trips because the pain and vomiting were so intense. I would end up severely dehydrated and one time I even broke blood vessels in my eyes from straining so much. In the ER, they’d hook me up with some IV fluids and give me a shot of a strong ass narcotic. One time was morphine and the next was dilaudid (similar to morphine). Which both took the initial pain away, so after an hour they sent me on my way. To only have the headache come back ten fold a few hours later after once I was back home. Side fact: migraines are one of the most treated cases in the ER and more often than not, a patient with a migraine should be admitted for 24 hours so the headache can be treated accordingly...yeah well that didn’t happen for me. I got to a point where I refused to go to the hospital. I would drink as much as I could, even if I ended up puking it back up, I figured as long as a little absorbed into my system I’d keep from getting dehydrated.
For years I had tried different migraine meds but nothing really worked. But after talking to other sufferers I realized I was being prescribed too low a dose. Therefore, no surprise they did nothing for me. If I woke up with a migraine, I was pretty much screwed. I’d be in bed for 2-3 days just letting the pain run its course. When my son was younger, the poor kid was either forced to watch Spongebob for hours on end or my husband had to miss work. I could rely on my mom to help me but I hated having to do put others out. When my son got a little older, he could at least fend for himself but I still felt bad basically neglecting him. And this happened almost every other month consistently for years.
After a hospitalization last year for a different issue (a story for another time) I ended up with a migraine while there and talking to a few nurses who also suffered, they all told me what they took and the dosages. So after I was discharged I hightailed it to my doctor and requested something stronger. And hallelujah it worked wonders. Now if I feel a migraine coming on I take a pill and though it makes me incredibly loopy, it takes the edge away. I went this past entire year without suffering. Up until that is two weeks ago when I woke up with a major headache. No meds helped this one. But I couldn’t complain because I used to suffer on a consistent basis. To go a whole year without being bedridden was a positive to me.
Now getting back to the original point of the story. I have a newfound respect for Kris Letang. Knowing full well just how god awful migraines can be, the fact that he still went out and played the game of hockey impresses the hell out of me. And that he also refused to complain about them and just did his job regardless, proves how much he loves the game and how dedicated he is. So that being said, being a NON-Pittsburgh fan and pretty much hate all things Penguins, decided to like one thing about them.
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