I have suffered all my life with migraine with aura. I had my first migraine when i was around 13 and it was around the same time as I had glandular fever. I always found it difficult playing sports one day compared to the next day, sometimes I would compete and do good and on other days terrible, no effort, drained. It was the same during my working day in the construction industry. i would suffer around 5-7 migraines a year, quite nasty that would last around 2/3 days. Another thing was I have always suffered with a type of acne along the top of my back, neck and face. Along with a nasty pain behind my eyes and inflamation inside my nose. On April 5th 2009 I had what doctors still say was meningitis due to a virus being found in my spinal fluids. 6 weeks after that I went back to work, I was working long hours at a builders merchant 7am to 5-30 pm along with cycling to and from work around 4-5 miles per day there and back.
I still kept feeling very weak but wanted to get back into my routine. On June 8th 2009 I had a what doctors told me was 9 months later (March 2010) diagnosed as a TIA or Micro Stroke whilst at work, this was confirmed by CT and MRI scans. Inbetween June 2009 and March 2010 it was a guessing game to what was wrong with me I first went to see a nuerologist who did lots of tests on me but couldn't find any solid answers without me being refered to a cardiologist. I then had a PFO test, in which I had to cough, sneeze and breath sharply etc in which I could see on the screen that a flap/valve in my heart was opening and that blood was passing through this. This the PFO and it was opening. My cardiologist said I would have to have a PFO closed and that he was 99% sure this was my problem. I waited then 12 months or so to have the operation done at Liverpool, UK's Broadgreen hospital. I did have a minor mirgraine with aura around an hour after the precedure. Almost a 2 years to the day after my first admission to hospital I had the operation and now as I write this at 9-10 am BST on the 10th April 2010 I notice these differences.
I'm feeling more energetic.
I feel more confident and switched on and alert, it feels like i've woken up from a bad dream.
Less irritable and grumpy.
I don't look so pale in my face.
The acne that I have had on my back, neck, face and chest has almost vanished.