My first attack occurred in the last days of summer 1957. I was working my first year at the London Trustee Savings Bank in Poultry, London. As an accounts clerk, I was located directly below the main bank floor and next to the vault below ground. I shared this space in retirement with a senior accounts clerk. We were both busy writing up old-fashioned account cards and ledgers, long before computers existed. These were based on all the withdrawal slips and deposit slips we received from the Cashiers. This was a daily occurrence.

Let’s understand it

The day in question was a busy day with entering and the Bank was closing fast. My head felt like it was going out of control and my eyes lost their sight. The sensation to my left arm vanished and I felt sick, but I wasn’t. I was forced to put my head on the huge ledger and shout for help. My senior accounts clerk called the main bank building to inquire about my situation. The Manager also called the bank building to ask questions. It was at this time that I thought I was going to die! As the minutes passed, my vision began to return.

However, there were flashes that looked like zigzag lightning. This continued for about half an hour, until my vision returned to normal. The Bank had closed by this point and I was almost able move from my chair with my arm partially paralysed. I was now mobile enough to take the underground train from The Bank to The Oval (Kennington), where I walked to my doctor’s office. After I gained entry to the doctor’s office and shared my recent experiences with him, particularly the part where I claimed I thought I was going mad, he started laughing and began to relate the reasons why I felt so bad. This was not what I expected from a professional man.

Diagnosis

When I analyzed what he said, I realized that it was not a diagnosis. It was a resemblance to the pain I had experienced almost alone at the tender age 16 years. He blamed the cheese sandwiches that I had eaten for lunch and the four pieces of kit-kat chocolate he had given me. It may have sounded plausible at the time, and others said similar things to me over the next attacks. These two components (cheese and chocolate) were not the reason for my migraines that interrupted my life at frequent intervals over my 50+ years of suffering migraines.

I AM IN FACT HAVING A MIGRAINE AS IM WRITING THIS! What is the cause of this? I don’t know the answer. I have not eaten any cheese or chocolate throughout the day. As I mentioned, I have had migraine attacks for 52 years. They have followed a similar course over that time, but not always in the same way. There have been times when my migraines are not severe, and there are times when they are not as severe.

Main Symptoms

The THREE main protagonists remain constant. First, the vision in my eyes goes, then flashing zigzags to the outside of my eyes, and then the violent headache. This happens as often as one day after another. There is a wide range of recovery times, with some people experiencing a faster return to normality than others. The worst thing is those long hours spent in a darkened room with a pillow over your head. You never know when you will be normal again, unlike other migraine sufferers. My migraines are also caused by the sudden flashing of the sun from a car or lorry windshield.

This happens when you least expect it and if you aren’t wearing sunglasses. It can also cause me most concern, as it can affect my vision and make it difficult to see when I drive. Fortunately, my short-range vision is not affected by the eye injury. I can still drive the car to a safe location and then rest while my vision returns. I can then continue my journey after taking my tablet to ease the pain.

Multiple Attacks

Multiple attacks have happened to me at once, with the most being four. Three attacks happened in one morning, and they all happened after I had an attack the day before. I wouldn’t have been concerned in my current situation with medication. I finally found a tablet that completely eliminates my headache. After all these years, I can accept the vision loss and the occasional blurred vision. However, I was left with only three tablets. I couldn’t get my repeat prescription as the manufacturer had stopped supplying them until December.

PANIC. My doctor recommended alternatives. They were not nearly as effective and I had to go to the bathroom four times in one day. Needless to say, I spent the entire day and night in bed, with the exception of the visits to the WC. We all know that we are always at the mercy the dreaded migraine attack. We don’t know when or how severe it will occur. We are not given much support by the powers that be because they won’t know why we suffer. I think we are in the same category as those who have the common cold.

No Cure

There is no cure. While this is not a good thing, it is a comfort to know that migraines aren’t usually life-threatening. As sufferers do, we can survive each attack and wait for the next one. We know that the next one will come, but unlike buses, there is no timeline. This was the last round of attacks that drove me to write this article. Although I was suffering, I knew there were thousands of people suffering in a similar manner. In closing, I want to stress (there is another reason for an attack). This article has been written only on my personal experiences. To list all of them would bore you all and cause migraines. Many of you may have had similar experiences to mine. However, I would appreciate if you all took the time to write down your experiences and send them to me at the email address below.