A Migraine Saved Our Lives

Like so many others, I have an issue with Migraine headaches. In fact much of my adult life has centered around ways to prevent a sudden Migraine attack, or ways to relieve the symptoms if one does come on. It's a never ending cycle.

Over the years, I developed a tendency to isolate myself, because my Migraines were becoming so disruptive that I found myself canceling plans, or rescheduling dates, and even missing work. I didn't want to burden anyone, let alone expect someone to have to adapt to such an erratic schedule. I accepted my fate and just assumed that I would journey through life alone.

In 2017, I met the love of my life. From the very beginning, I was very open about myself, and I was brutally honest about how bothersome my Migraine symptoms could be. I told him that plans would be changed, sleep schedules were almost non-existent, some days would consist of me laying in a dark room with no noise, and that there wasn't much hope in things ever improving. I prepared myself for the inevitable good bye. In my experience, and previous relationships, six to nine months was the cut-off point before it became too much to handle . In their defense, I can't say I blame them. However, my love stayed. He is patient, and loyal, and thoughtful. He is understanding and compassionate. He helps me through dark times and always shows me the way back to the light. I adore this man.

At the end of September of 2022, I was woken by the familiar pain and pressure of yet another Migraine. In darkness, I clumsily scramble for my phone. The screen lights up, and through squinted eyes I look for the time. 4:16 a.m. I know by the type of Migraine I'm experiencing in this moment that sleep is the farthest thing from me, so I sit up in bed and open my email app. My love almost immediately wakes as well, concerned for my well being. I encourage him to go back to sleep, but as always, he insists on staying awake with me, just in case I need him for anything. After about 35 minutes, the pain starts to subside. I notice that there is a strange noise outside, almost like the sound of rain on a tin roof. I ask my love if it is fact raining, and then suddenly, I hear the sound of metal objects clanking together, like tools in a tool box. At this point, it sounds like someone or something is inside of our storage shed, which is beside our home and positioned about 3 feet away from our bedrooom. We both spring out of bed, pull back the black out curtains, and to our absolute surprise, see that our storage shed is completely engulfed in flames. The window frames of our bedroom are noticeably starting to melt, and without warning, clouds of thick smoke roll into our home.

We try not to panic as we put on our shoes, grab our phones and run through the house on our way to the front door. At that point, the whole side of our bedroom wall had been taken over by flames. We get into our vehicle, back out of our driveway and call 911. By the time the Fire Department makes it to our location, not much can be done. We lose everything.

Except each other.

The fire started due to bad wiring in the storage shed. Later, we were told that a neighbor witnessed the moment the shed caught fire, and because of a motorcycle and a moped stored inside, the gasoline from both accelerated the fire quickly. Five minutes was the time it took to completely overtake the storage shed and make its way to our home. We were also told that if we would have been sleeping, there would have been almost no chance that we would have woken up in time to escape. Although we had to start over, we are happy that we have each other for support, and look forward to our new future. And although bittersweet, I can honestly say that on that day, I was grateful for the Migraine that woke me up in time to save our lives.