It all started with a game of tag. I was "it." My brow furrowed and my muscles tensed as I took off sprinting. I rounded the corner of my house and down the hill I went, searching the perimeter for my prey. There! I spotted them just where the green lawn turned into a concrete carport. I lowered my head and moved my legs as fast as they would carry me.
Whoa. What's that?
A wave of sickness rushed over me. A dull ache filled my head. I kept running, determined to tag someone. The farther I ran, the slower my speed. Dizziness consumed my entire body. I felt my eyes roll as my footsteps hit hard against the grass. I have to tag them. But my steps were wavering. Swirls of colors surrounded my body, putting me in a daze. Distant noises echoed in my ears. I could feel my heartbeat pumping through my brain, as an intense ring took over my entire being. Then I was still; unable to move. The whole world spun out of control. I cringed as a bitter cold flooded into my gut. Moments later a crippling heat flushed through my head. I sensed the ground getting closer. Distant shouts rang between my ears. Darkness.
I woke up to find myself lying on our couch, my family looking down on me, cool rags plastered on my body. I looked around, confused. What just happened? Am i still "it"? The pain no longer consumed me. I rose up, assuring my parents that I was OK, and we all went on with our day.
Evening came, and we gathered around the table for dinner. Stories and laughter filled the air. A sudden burning filled my nostrils. My nose wrinkled in agitation. "Ahh," a massive burst of pressure flew from my nose. I froze. A glaze covered my empty eyes. My jaws locked, and my teeth clenched down in agony. That same paralyzing ache took my head for ransom. Chills rippled across my skin. Energy drained out of me like blood through an open wound. All of my senses blended together in a rush of confusion.
"Britttnnniii? Brittnnii? Britni!" hollow echoes floated across the table. I felt my head droop lower and lower, unable to hold it upright. A dark grain of wood came into focus and everything around it turned into a blurred collage.
I felt my father's grip as he cradled me out of my chair. His steps were hurried. Out the door; down the steps; across the carport. He sat me down gently in the backseat of the car, laying my head on my mother's lap. Dad jumped behind the wheel and took off toward the Emergency Room.
I laid on the hospital bed, one hand placed on the back of my neck, the other pushing forcefully down on my forehead. The harder I pressed, the more the pain eased. The doctor strolled into the room, performing a series of basic tests, and asking too many questions. By the time he was finished, the ache in my head had subsided.
"Well," the doctor started, "looks like we have a case of the common migraine. I've ordered a prescription that you can pick up from the pharmacy after you leave here. Come back by if it seems to get any worse, and I'll see if I can do anything else for you." With that, the doctor gave us a nod, patted my knee, and continued on to the next patient.
Weeks went by. I ran and played, just like any other 12-year-old. I swallowed my pills every few hours. But still, that pain. Any time I ran too fast, sneezed too hard, laughed too long, it would invade my skull and shut my body down completely. Each day, the headaches became worse. Two times a day. Four times a day. Ten times a day. I went from fun to done in a split second.
My family took me to a new doctor almost every week. "Migraines, migraines, allergies, migraines, stress, migraines." The diagnoses were always the same. The treatment was always the same. The pain was always the same.
Until one morning. My alarm screamed for me to wake up and get ready for school. My hand blindly moved around searching for the alarm. But wait. Oh no, not this early. I rubbed my nose, trying to stop it. "Ahh-ahh-ah-choo!" The sneeze flew violently from my nose. The headache was instant. This time, though, there was something more. I held my breath as my eyes widened. I tried to move, but my legs were lifeless. My whole body went into a panic. My arms and torso squirmed around in my bed, trying to wake my legs up. Nothing worked. My legs were numb, and my mind was paralyzed with fear.
To Be Continued...
