'I live in agony with stroke-like symptoms - I want to experience one day without pain'
Share:
A 25-year-old woman who says she can't remember going a day without experiencing a headache or migraine has opened up about her agonising condition. Rhianna Rahman from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, has struggled with stroke-like symptoms, including slurred speech, dizziness and numbness, for nearly 15 years.
Rhianna, who works in health and social care, told NeedToKnow: "It's become my 'normal' now to be in agony." Her painful symptoms started when she was just 11 years old. "I first began to get headaches while I was in my last year of primary school. It did not progress into migraines until I reached high school. Then, I experienced my first severe migraine attack and since I cannot remember a day where I haven’t had a headache or migraine," Rhianna explained.
"I have a painful headache every day," she revealed. “If it progresses, then I can't get out of bed. I lose my vision completely and my jaw can lock - preventing me from talking, and can even get slurred speech. I get very frustrated with myself as there is nothing that helps. I can't have one day or one moment where I can do an activity without pain.".
Growing up, the youngster saw countless doctors, seeking an explanation for her pain. "I went to the doctors every time the headaches got worse. I would tell them I have stroke-like symptoms and I still didn’t get a diagnosis.". Rhianna was prescribed tablets and adopted lifestyle changes, such as cutting out caffeine, and she was sent for MRI and CT scans, but to no avail. She said: "After trying everything they could prescribe I was referred to the migraine clinic run by the NHS, where I was to be tested to see what type of migraines I get.
