It is no secret that I love being pregnant. I am one of those annoying women who actually glow (I know, eye roll). I love maternity fashion and nothing makes me happier than showing off my bump. Although my pregnancy with Lil was not without its stress, for the most part I really had few symptoms. In fact, in more ways than one, I was super human!
When I was pregnant with Lily I was working full time as a 7th grade science teacher. Teaching, no matter what grade, is dirty work. It is a fact, and I am a scientist so you have to believe me, that everything within a 1 mile radius of any school is covered in a thin film of streptococcus, influenza, and a dash of bacterial conjunctivitis. I was warned repeatedly that pregnancy suppresses a woman's immune system and that I would have to be extra diligent to avoid getting the plague. Anyone want to guess how many times I was sick that year? ZERO. Not so much as a sniffle.
Not only is working at a school mentally and physically demanding but damn, it is loud. Not just regular loud, LOUD loud. Mind numbingly LOUD. Headaches were par for the course and I knew very few staff members who didn't keep some kind of emergency headache remedy in their desk drawer. Anyone care to guess how many headaches I had the school year I was pregnant? NONE. Not a single headache. (My first year teaching I had a headache for 22 consecutive days and was put on three different migraine meds)
All of this brings me to the title of this post, I have a headache. I know I mentioned it the other day, but yowza my head hurts. Every single one of my migraine triggers (being over-tired, bright lights, strong smells, loud noises, dehydration, and riding in the car) seems to equal instantaneous pain, of the eye melting variety. Unfortunately, many of my triggers go hand in hand with having a toddler. Last week I drove Lily in the rain (cue bright headlights and riding in the car) to tot gym, which is literally 5 minutes down the road. Inside the gym, more blinding lights, a gaggle of screaming kiddos, floors that had recently been cleaned, and it was all I could do to drive us home an hour later. This weekend I spend most of Saturday either in bed or on my mom's couch. Last night I went to bed at 9:30 and I am pretty sure there was involuntary crying (something that happens when I get migraines that I really can't explain). Today Dingle was trying to be helpful by cleaning a stain on the living room carpet and I ended up spending 3 hours in bed...just from the smell of the cleaner.
I want nothing more than to enjoy this pregnancy but I am really struggling. I can't take my migraine meds, or ibuprofen. Two Tylenol and a kick of caffeine take the edge off, but they certainly do not get rid of the pain. At this point I am almost at a loss for what to do. Every day I just can't believe I still have a headache...and that they seem to be getting worse is just beyond me.
They can't go on much longer, right...
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