My battle with migraines: I attempted suicide due to constant sickness and disapproval from parents

Abigail Mwanduka has struggled with migraines for a long time    Photo:Nash of Named Afrika Studios

About a month ago, I had an attack while crossing the streets and I had to stop in the middle of oncoming traffic. It's bad. You cannot move. You are not afraid of anything else, as the headache becomes everything. I almost did not come today, because I had a crisis last night, but my mother prayed for me all night.

Of late, the headaches have been frequent and intense, since I have no way of procuring treatment and medication without medical insurance. I require approximately Sh 10,000/ for consultation and medication every time I visit the doctor. My current source of income cannot support that.

I first had a seizure in 2003 when I was in primary school in Mtito Andei. I thank God that my father had a medical cover for us, so I was treated at either Pandya or Aga Khan Mombasa, I cannot really recall which. My mother would ensure that I had my medication and things remained relatively stable.

When I joined High School, I would have a seizure once or twice annually. However, things went terribly wrong when my O-Level results were released. I had failed. I was devastated and my father was very angry and disappointed.

I am my parents' first daughter and they naturally wanted to see me doing well. My results had found me recovering from an appendicitis surgery. My mother suggested I go back to school to try again to better my results. I was admitted, this time at a school in Machakos, in Third Form with a fresh surgical wound.

I spent approximately one and a half of those two additional years in high school, away being attended to medically in Mombasa. My final exams also found me out and I was brought in from hospital to do my examinations.

I failed again. Dad was livid. My medical bills alone had cost them approximately Sh5 million when I was in high school. I attempted suicide by taking all my migraine medication. I slipped into a coma that lasted a week. I was diagnosed with psychological trauma and stress. My father and I went through a week of counselling sessions at a hospital in Mombasa. He mostly avoided me before and after the sessions, opting to address me through my mother.

My mum suggested that I take a certificate course in IT. I joined the Kenya Polytechnic and moved to Nairobi to live with my aunt in Kariobangi. I would sometimes faint in the house while with her. After my certificate course, which I passed, my parents took me to Catholic University of East Africa to pursue a Diploma in IT.

My dad was much friendlier. My self-esteem which had been really low was boosted by his approval and my marks. During the six months that I was at the university, I only sought medical attention twice, for unrelated conditions. I did very well in my examinations.

I needed to go in for an evaluation at Aga Khan Hospital in Parklands. Up till this time, there was no particular doctor I was seeing. It was here that I met Dr Sylvia Mbugua. She is the one who finally diagnosed me with migraines.

She recommended an MRI and noticed the number of seizures that I had experienced. She also noted my mental distress. She managed me well. She recommended a tripartite medication that took into consideration and cancelled out the negative side effects, including becoming barren, a situation I could have ended up with because of taking just one form of medication. She also warned me against taking Beta pin which used to make me high the way alcohol would, and another drug Rizatriptan that induced suicidal thoughts.

She recommended lifestyle changes in terms of diet and exercise which included drinking a lot of water. I could not drink wine, and could not smoke.

Manipulation of my hair into various styles affects me so I keep it short. Since I am no longer a student, and my current employer is new and does not offer medical insurance, I have been without medication between since April. I now live with my sister in Nairobi, and enjoy my work.

I hope that I will be able to go back to school so I can again have access to my father's medical insurance which covers me as long as I am a student. I also pray that I can find Dr Sylvia again so that she can continue to walk with me through this. She left Aga Khan University hospital. Nowadays, I mostly try to manage the migraine attacks through my lifestyle.