For the past 12 or so years, I've been blessed with occasional migraines. Varies based on the circumstances and so on - pregnancy gives me a 9- (okay, 8-) month hiatus, times of stress and anxiety are an instant ticket to moderate to severe discomfort. Not especially predictable, not especially crippling, save for one week in May 2002.

Until this weekend.

I got one on Saturday night. Now, to back up, I've always carried some doubt that what I normally get is really migraine, because I don't get "visual disturbances" or "light sensitivity" or "nausea." Just "pain." But several doctors have insisted, and even those the supposedly wonderful migraine meds will promptly take whatever part of me that was still feeling okay and beat it into submission so that I feel bad all over, fine, okay, they're migraines. I have had the visual disturbances once or twice, in that Very Bad Week in 2002, so I would recognize them if they bit me on the leg.

Which they did Saturday. Willem and I were playing Scrabble, and I very nonchalantly mentioned, "I feel really weird. Like there's something wrong with my peripheral vision. But I have no pain at all." Apparently this freaked Willem out beyond expression. Which is mildly irksome - the guy's not fazed by me having a 7-inch C-section incision but my vision gets weird and he's bringing me medicine and juice? Anyway. After a while, the vision got better and the pain got lots, lots worse. So I took some meds and went to bed and could get up in the morning.

Sunday was fine, I finished moving the old posts to here and watched Emily slide back into her ever-so-much-fun game of refusing to eat by whining and fidgeting rather than just saying that she's not hungry, and it was a barrel o' monkeys had by all. After their naptimes, I packed up the kids and we went grocery shopping... the echoing whenever I opened the cupboard was getting alarming. Dairy section, fine. Deli, fine. Frozen meats, fine. Baking aisle... hmmm... what's wrong with my eyes? This shouldn't be so hard, to find the sugar... uh oh...

And then we enter into Warp Speed Grocery Mode, to try and get as much shopping done as possible before the vision got better and the pain got worse. My kids discovered that if Mom feels bad in the store, they get any manner of treat and snack to keep them quiet and entertained. Want a granola bar? Animal crackers? A bottle of BBQ sauce? Anything! I don't care! Just sit happily!

I was able to finish and drive home, though most of the drive consisted of me going about 15 miles an hour under the speed limit - which, if you've ever been in a car with me, you will know that is extremely, shall we say, unlike me - while holding my forehead lest my brain come crashing out and bouncing off the windshield.

So, yuck. I'm starting to develop anxiety at the mere idea of leaving the house in case another one hits... but oh yeah, I have plans to go into Boston for the day tomorrow. Hoping it's not exciting...