Laurieann Lepper Dygowski

Donna Glassford

Mark Fitzgerald

Mark Fitzgerald, My aura, 2000. © 2005 Mark Fitzgerald (lost webpage http://personal.brunnet.net/markf/mig-1.html, June 22, 2004)

"Basilar artery [migraine] - This is the type of migraine that I have. ...

Aura - The aura I see at the onset of my migraines. The aura ani-gif is way fast. Aura can take a long time to go through this phase. With me, aura starts out slow and can grow to take up my entire vision. The aura file is here [lost webpage] if you want to check it out. It takes awhile to load."

(Lost webpage http://personal.brunnet.net/markf/mig-1.html, June 22, 2004)

"I made it in the fall of 2000, after trying to explain aura to a friend. I later added it to my web site. In my case, the aura you see in the picture is one of my most common auras. It starts out in center vision. It can be seen with the eyes open or closed. This is hard to explain, but that is the case. It starts very small, like a quivering oblong shaped dot, but changes into different shapes as it grows. It has pinkish color on the edges at times, but can change to various shades of light blue mixed with shades of silver and grey. It will also go jagged on the edges at certain times. Like saw teeth. Small flashes of light can appear around the edge of the main (center) aura.

The aura above, seems to be very common for me, although I do have others at times. My migraines seem to be like strokes and can shut down one side of my body. My mouth and eye will droop [i.e. unilateral weakness] and I stagger [i.e. ataxia] and talk like I am drunk [i.e. dysarthria]. The pain can be unbelievable and pain medication is required. I seem to recover in 2 to 3 days. I've had some success using a beta blocker. I've been able to reduce the rate of my migraines by 50 to 60 percent, since I've been on this medication."

(Email to Klaus Podoll, September 8, 2004; additions in square brackets by Klaus Podoll)

"I never had headaches before my first big one in 1992, but I've had many since. My headaches start in the right side and can move to the left and pain can take over my entire head. I often have aura first, but can get migraines without aura. I noticed they are not common or as severe, although I do have a high sensitivity to light and sounds. I seem to have a varying type of migraine or migraines. My doctors brought my condition down to two types, basilar migraine or familial hemiplegic migraine."

(Email to Klaus Podoll, September 9, 2004)

Mark Fitzgerald, The screen aura, 2004. © 2005 Mark Fitzgerald

"I have different auras and different levels of severity. I feel the type of aura and the severity of the following migraine are linked. There is one aura I dread or fear. In the past, I have referred to this aura as 'the screen aura,' that is, oblong screens tied together. Like someone takes a screen window and pulls it more toward the diamond shape. These are linked like a chain have 2 to 3 bends. This aura contains blacks, bright silver screen like mess in middle of the screen sections, but can have some mixing of pinkish to bluish flashing. Also, yellow / gold being mostly on the edges and blacks being on the sides, angles and tips. I'm almost sure that this aura is a sign that a very dangerous migraine is to follow. This aura can last 15 minutes to around about 100 minutes I'm guessing. I get very very cold and the pain is unbelievable and it starts in the right side of head. If I am still on my feet, I have to get off fast. Very often, I'll lose the use of my right side functions and stagger and get drunk like. This is where the aura can tell me a lot.

Once I get so far into this migraine, I know what I want to say, but I can't say it. This makes me feel sad and very down as I can't tell anyone my condition. When I try, I sound like a drunk [i.e. dysarthria] and it is like there 2 or 3 other people inside me inserting words where I don't want them, and the words I want to say are in my mind but won't come out. Like, if you showed me a book, I know what it is and I know what the word is, but what you might hear me say is something other than 'book', even though I want to say 'book,' it refuses to come out [i.e. paraphasias]. I hope that makes some sense. This is a very frustrating situation at the time. Also, my blood pressure can play tricks on me and I can get very seriously or dangerously ill. I can be sick for 3 to 7 days and if I have blood pressure problems, I'll vomit a lot. Also, my head remains sore for a day or two after I get on my feet."

(Email to Klaus Podoll, September 9, 2004; additions in square brackets by Klaus Podoll)

"Please find attached a picture of screen aura. This is an early and unfinished picture. It does however, give one an idea of what screen aura looks like. This is early to mid stage and needs more work. I did it quickly in a graphics program, so it isn't anything to fancy. I just wanted to show you what this aura looks like at certain stage. What you don't see, is the black and redish colors, which can and does at times, create a hooking or jagged sides, tips and (black hooks or jags) along edges. I'll add this at a later date and send you a updated representation. Note: The picture I'm sending, shows sections of screen aura above and below the main aura. For me, this often happens. I'll work on a better picture soon. The frames in the current picture aren't quite right."

(Email to Klaus Podoll, September 11, 2004)

Author: Klaus Podoll
Last modification of this page: Sunday March 13. 2005

Laurieann Lepper Dygowski

Donna Glassford

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