A woman has shared how her horrific migraines left her bedridden and feeling like someone was “stabbing” her in the eyes.
Kelsey Barnes has been dealing with extreme headaches since she was just 10 years old.
After decades of “debilitating” pain – trying every solution under the sun – in a last-ditch effort to find a solution, the 31-year-old was recommended trying Botox by a friend whose family members raved about the jabs.
“I’ve pretty much suffered from migraines since I was a kid,” Kelsey, from Jersey City, New York, told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“Migraine pain is debilitating.
“I become hyper-sensitive to sound and light and it feels like someone is stabbing me behind the eye.
“I usually end up in bed under the covers for a few hours until it goes away.
“It was really hard as a kid, especially because no one else was having this severe pain.
“It was also something that was less understood at the time.”
Kelsey’s migraines aren’t just painful – they affect every aspect of her life, from spending time with her husband Jon, and friends, to work.
She said: “Migraine pain makes it impossible to do anything.
“Mine starts with an aura, which is like this shimmering silver light that crosses my vision for about 45 minutes.
“During that time I’m not able to see well… meaning I can’t drive or read.
“After the aura, the pain starts.
“It can last anywhere from a few hours to days.
“The pain is so intense, it’s the only thing I can focus on.
“It’s terrifying, especially because there’s not much you can do other than taking some medication and waiting for it to go away.
“I’ve gotten them [migraines] in the middle of a meeting at work or while out with friends.
“Since I don’t know when one will show up, it was always in the back of my mind.
“I’m sure it was hard for my mom while I was growing up and for my husband while we were dating.
“I’ve been lucky that everyone in my life has been very understanding of my migraines and does whatever they can to help.”
Before getting Botox, Kelsey was “nervous” but felt she had nothing to lose from trying it.
She said: “I was definitely nervous [before getting Botox] – especially because I don’t like needles.
“But I had heard really good things about it and was so desperate for anything to help with the migraines that I was excited to try it.
“I wasn’t really worried that it wouldn’t work; mostly because nothing I’d previously tried had really worked – so It didn’t feel like I’d lose anything if it did nothing.”
The injections were thankfully covered by her medical insurance.
She received Botox for migraines for the first time at The Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC in 2017 and hasn’t looked back since.
Kelsey is choosing to share her story to help others who might be considering injectables as a solution to their migraines.
Kelsey added: “Botox [has] completely changed my life.
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“I rarely have a migraine anymore, usually just when the Botox starts to wear off. I can go about my life with more confidence that I’m not going to have a debilitating migraine in the middle of an important moment.
“We’ve got a long way to go, but I think more people are now aware of migraines and how they differ from headaches.”
Injectables are becoming more popular across the globe, however, this differs widely by country and continent.
In a survey conducted by VIP Italia about the most youth-obsessed cities in Europe looking at beauty treatments, Amsterdam came out on top with a whopping monthly search volume of 11,300.
Dublin came in at a close second with 12,200 searches.
Looking specifically at the UK, Peterborough, Bournemouth and Manchester topped the list.
In the US, it’s New York, Florida and Texas. Surprisingly, California – Los Angeles and Hollywood – came in ninth place.
For more information on Kelsey’s journey and migraines, visit her blog at Kelsey’s Blog.
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