It kind of feels like my head is going to explode

My migraines started about one and a half years ago. At first I had them quite often, maybe three times a month. Now they’re pretty rare, about once every two months. But unfortunately they haven’t gone away.

I know I’m getting a migraine when I start feeling nervous and sweating a little. Sometimes I feel sick too. Every once in a while I even have to throw up. And then about fifteen minutes later I get a headache. If it gets really bad at school, the teachers call my parents and they pick me up. That’s no problem, and my teachers are understanding. But missing school is a pain. I end up having to repeat all of the lessons.

Bright lights are very unpleasant. They make it feel like my head is going to explode. When I’m at home I go to my room, lie down, close the blinds and try to relax. The room has to be dark because if the light is bright my eyes really hurt. Sometimes I also listen to an audio book, but it has to be turned down. Putting a warm gel mask on my face makes me feel better sometimes too.

If that doesn’t work, I take a painkiller. That usually makes the pain go away. The tablets helped from the first time we tried them. They do take a little while to work, but the main thing is that they work.