Many people get a headache but know that it will pass. But for one Vernon woman, it never does.
Hayley McDougall, 31, suffers from a debilitating illness called New Daily Head Pain. McDougall began experiencing headaches in 2002.
“It [feels] basically like a rod going through either temple and meeting in the middle,” she said. “It never stops. Sometimes it gets sharper as in it’s getting pushed in further and further.”
McDougall tries to fight back tears as she describes the pain she feels but it’s obvious the condition has taken a toll on her.
“When pain gets really bad, I would pass out or throw up a lot because it’s just so intense,” she said as tears streamed down her face. “I’m unable to see clearly and I can get dizzy and nauseous. All those things make everyday things you do unachievable for me.”
“Getting out of bed and making a piece of toast in the morning becomes something I’m not capable of doing.”
McDougall, who had been a manager at a MAC make-up store, had to stop working because of the pain and the possible consequences from the pain medication she was taking.
After her diagnosis in 2002, McDougall tried every type of treatment but nothing seemed to work. It wasn’t until a trip to the Mayo Clinic in Arizona about five years ago that she finally found some possibility of relief.
Doctors implanted a battery pack near McDougall’s abdomen and attached a number of wires to it. The wires run underneath her skin and into her skull, connecting to nodes on the back of her head. When she gets a migraine, McDougall uses a remote that connects to the battery pack to send pulses of energy to the nodes to help ease the pain.
“What that feels like in my head is a little bit of voltage, a little bit of electric shock,” she said.
But some pain persisted, most notably at her temples. So earlier this month, McDougall went back to the Mayo Clinic to get more nodes implanted in hopes they would lessen the pain of her continued migraines. She’s the first person in North America to get four points of stimulation in their head.
McDougall says she had to stay awake during the surgery so doctors could see whether the location of the nodes corresponded to where the migraine pain was felt the most. She describes the experience as both excruciating yet relieving.
“I remember being there on the operating room table and I was in so much pain,” she said while crying. “But I was so happy because it really worked, right at my temples.”
Her migraine pain has kept McDougall from living the life she wants, especially when it comes to her daughter Sloan, 2. While the rambunctious two-year-old understands her mom is sick, McDougall says she would like nothing more than to spend time with her daughter without getting flashing, intense headaches.
Currently she spends between five to six days in bed because the migraine pain is so crippling. McDougall is holding out hope her latest surgery will lower that number and that she’ll be able to live the life she used to have.
“Just to get back to being a little more involved in my own life and another day of the week out of bed would be a huge success for me right now,” she said. “I’d like to be able to participate with my family more, maybe do a few activities for myself to help my mental strength and help my body strength to cope with the pain.”
It’s still a mystery how McDougall developed new daily head pain. Doctors say they are baffled by why she has the condition.
If you would like to lend a hand to McDougall, check out this website: http://www.giveforward.com/hopeforhayley
Hayley McDougall, 31, suffers from a debilitating illness called New Daily Head Pain. McDougall began experiencing headaches in 2002.
“It [feels] basically like a rod going through either temple and meeting in the middle,” she said. “It never stops. Sometimes it gets sharper as in it’s getting pushed in further and further.”
McDougall tries to fight back tears as she describes the pain she feels but it’s obvious the condition has taken a toll on her.
“When pain gets really bad, I would pass out or throw up a lot because it’s just so intense,” she said as tears streamed down her face. “I’m unable to see clearly and I can get dizzy and nauseous. All those things make everyday things you do unachievable for me.”
“Getting out of bed and making a piece of toast in the morning becomes something I’m not capable of doing.”
McDougall, who had been a manager at a MAC make-up store, had to stop working because of the pain and the possible consequences from the pain medication she was taking.
After her diagnosis in 2002, McDougall tried every type of treatment but nothing seemed to work. It wasn’t until a trip to the Mayo Clinic in Arizona about five years ago that she finally found some possibility of relief.
Doctors implanted a battery pack near McDougall’s abdomen and attached a number of wires to it. The wires run underneath her skin and into her skull, connecting to nodes on the back of her head. When she gets a migraine, McDougall uses a remote that connects to the battery pack to send pulses of energy to the nodes to help ease the pain.
“What that feels like in my head is a little bit of voltage, a little bit of electric shock,” she said.
But some pain persisted, most notably at her temples. So earlier this month, McDougall went back to the Mayo Clinic to get more nodes implanted in hopes they would lessen the pain of her continued migraines. She’s the first person in North America to get four points of stimulation in their head.
McDougall says she had to stay awake during the surgery so doctors could see whether the location of the nodes corresponded to where the migraine pain was felt the most. She describes the experience as both excruciating yet relieving.
“I remember being there on the operating room table and I was in so much pain,” she said while crying. “But I was so happy because it really worked, right at my temples.”
Her migraine pain has kept McDougall from living the life she wants, especially when it comes to her daughter Sloan, 2. While the rambunctious two-year-old understands her mom is sick, McDougall says she would like nothing more than to spend time with her daughter without getting flashing, intense headaches.
Currently she spends between five to six days in bed because the migraine pain is so crippling. McDougall is holding out hope her latest surgery will lower that number and that she’ll be able to live the life she used to have.
“Just to get back to being a little more involved in my own life and another day of the week out of bed would be a huge success for me right now,” she said. “I’d like to be able to participate with my family more, maybe do a few activities for myself to help my mental strength and help my body strength to cope with the pain.”
It’s still a mystery how McDougall developed new daily head pain. Doctors say they are baffled by why she has the condition.
If you would like to lend a hand to McDougall, check out this website: http://www.giveforward.com/hopeforhayley
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