Desperate for Relief

Almost everyone has experienced a headache at one time in their life, but very few people have lived with a debilitating migraine that lasted over seven straight months.

Brianne had suffered from migraines off and on for over 14 years. She would typically experience burning, throbbing and stabbing pain that resulted in nausea and sensitivity to both light and sound. Despite undergoing countless tests, doctors could never determine what triggered Brianne’s migraines. Even worse, they were never able to find a medication to effectively control them. Brianne’s migraines would leave just as suddenly and mysteriously as they had arrived. That all changed on Mother’s Day in 2012 when a migraine struck violently and didn’t subside for over seven months.

Initially, Brianne’s family took her to the ER for shots in hopes of treating the migraine. Unfortunately, Brianne didn’t experience any relief so she went to see her family’s long time general practitioner who prescribed additional medications. When the pain still didn’t abate after several weeks her next stop was to meet with a neurologist where a CT scan showed no abnormalities. After several additional weeks and even stronger prescriptions, nothing had diminished the pain or eased the effects of the migraine. The neurologist told Brianne’s family that there was nothing more that he could do for her.

By now the non-stop migraine was entering week number nine. The family was referred to Michigan Head Pain and Neurological Institute (MHNI) which is one of the top clinics for head pain in the United States. After an all-day appointment that involved many tests and meetings with several different practitioners, Brianne was diagnosed with chronic migraine pain.

Brianne was admitted into MHNI, which has a 20-bed unit in Chelsea Hospital dedicated to only head pain patients. Each day of Brianne’s two week stay included rounds of IV medications, tests and procedures. Her brain was checked for tumors, lesions and any other abnormalities. She even had a test done on her heart to check for an abnormality that involves a tiny hole in the heart that can induce migraines. Nothing helped.

Months after Brianne’s migraine struck, her life was still on hold. Brianne had to wear darkly tinted lens indoors and a brimmed hat when outdoors. Earplugs would with any loud sounds when she is away from home. Due to the constant migraine pain she was experiencing, Brianne had to drop out of school and quit her part time job. Reading made her so nauseous that she was unable to study despite being on nine different medications. In addition to all the medications, Brianne tried chiropractic treatments, homeopathic remedies, acupuncture, and massage therapy.

Brianne had virtually no social interaction. The pain was so intense that she rarely participated in anything with her family. She slept all the time yet said that she was always tired and had no energy. She kept herself in constant darkness even when she was awake. Brianne and her family were desperate and on the verge of losing all hope for relief when they heard about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) at Sara’s Garden and learned that it had been successful in treating people who suffer from migraines.

When Brianne first came to Sara’s Garden she was extremely pale and was more than a little apprehensive. She and her family didn’t know what to expect. Her eyes were glazed over and she had a very difficult time conversing with the staff. The light from being out in public was causing her tremendous pain despite the fact that she wore dark sunglasses. Following her first treatment she begged her mom to let her go home to her dark room. Thankfully her mom didn’t acquiesce and Brianne continued to come back each day.

By the middle of her second week of treatments, Brianne had a 20 minute respite from her pain. This was the beginning of the light at the end of the tunnel! From that point on her pain began to recede. Because she had been living with this constant pain for so long she didn’t recognize the changes at first. She began using her hair dryer in the morning after showering. This was a tremendous milestone for her as noise and heat were typically unbearable. She then started to spend time with her family in the living room watching television with the sound loud enough for everyone to hear. Soon after, she was turning the radio on in the car on the way in for treatments.

By the third week of treatments she ventured out shopping with no hat or sunglasses. By the end of the week she was stating that she was pain free and started driving for the first time on over six months! At the end of her treatments Brianne was pain free. She could drive, exercise and even do household chores. Over the past year, Brianne has had several migraines that she refers to as “normal people” migraines. These last only a few hours and have been traced to low blood sugar, fatigue or muscle strain in her neck. She combats this with frequent small meals, yoga, and the occasional nap.

Thanks to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at Sara’s Garden, Brianne has her life back. Her family is convinced that without these treatments, none of this would have been possible. No matter what you’ve been told, there is hope… for this and many other conditions. HBOT is treatment without drugs… without surgery… without pain.