I don't know what year it was but I remember the details of that day with crystal clarity. It was well over 11 years ago. I was on my way to a golf outing at an exclusive, private golf course south of Denver, Colorado. Beautiful blue was the sky with the sun shining brightly. A superb day for golf, especially free golf, especially free golf at an exclusive private golf course, especially when you don't have much money and you certainly aren't a "member" anywhere.
Sitting at a stop light, glancing at the bumper of the white van ahead of me, my eyes caught the piercing reflection of the sun. For me, that can be enough to trigger a migraine and sure enough, today was that day.
I get ocular migraines. Prior to actually having the painful migraine headache, something goes wrong with my vision in the form of a blind spot. Not that everything goes black in this area of vision–my mind would fill in the missing gaps. If I look at the bridge of someone's nose, then the right side of their face would have no detail, just blank shapes. Reading is out of the question and driving becomes impossible if the blind spot grows too large. I can tell the size of the blind spot because a visible "aura" shows the shape and size. The very second I notice my vision not working, I usually have about 15 minutes before it is too large to drive.
So I catch the sun reflection in the bumper and immediately the blind spot is apparent. No! Not today. Not now! I REALLY wanted to play this course. Making the turn, heading south, I rationalize that I live south so if it gets too bad, my wife can pick me up somewhere down the road. Switching hands feverishly, I rub my shoulders as best I can in hopes of relieving tension or something. I've never been able to stop the migraine before and have no idea what made me think I would stop it now. The blind spot is growing.
Edge of town. Do I stop or continue? Can I still drive? A few miles down the road is a little store. I think I can make it. I do. What could possibly get rid of a migraine? (By the way, this was before migraine medicine came out.) I buy asperin, chocolate, coffee and a few other things that just might do something and off I go.
Still growing, the blind spot is at the edge of being too bad to drive, possibly a bit on the other side of too bad. I really need to pull over. While sitting there, having consumed all my health aids, hands cramping from rubbing my shoulders so much, I sit on the side of the road wondering what my next step is. Possibly out of desperation, I trying breathing in and out, over and over. You know the kind of breathing. Ever blow up a dozen balloons then get light headed?
I am breathing like that but not getting light headed. In fact, the blind spot is receding! I continue until the blind spot is almost gone and continue to the golf course. I make it just in time to tee off. My head hurt the whole time and I still had a bit of a blind spot so I lost a few balls that day but it was well worth it. From that day on, I have been able to keep the headache part of the migraines from totally ruining the day.
This was absolutely amazing.
I chose to write about this because Tuesday I started getting a blind spot at 4:53 pm. Without hesitation, I began breathing deep and rapid. Called my wife "I'm getting a migraine, I am leaving now to pick you up and driving fast."
A few miles down the Interstate, traffic is STOPPED. I am in the left hand lane with nowhere to go and a blind spot that's growing every second I sit there. At this point, I am looking at the F-150 ahead of me and can only see three fourths of it. I can't trust my vision to try and make my way to the right lanes since I know my blind spot is too big. I am thinking of pulling off to the left.
I call my wife to let her know what is happening.
We try to coordinate a plan of her getting a ride to come to me but, due to the breathing exercises, my blind spot is fading and I can drive again. By the time I pick her up, the blind spot is totally gone.
If you suffer from migraines and have never tried breathing more than normal to get more oxygen in your system, try it immediately when you start having symptoms. In no way, shape or form can I promise it will work for you like it did for me, but there is nothing to lose and your life to get back. I have not had even ONE migraine headache since that day. Every blind spot has faded away using the breathing technique.
If it works, let me know.
©2009 Kurt Holdorf
