Capt. Mondo's World o' Mondo-ness

Migraine
I don't get them often, but I do get them, at least a couple of times a year. And I had one that started in the afternoon and lasted until the night.

I get the type that is full blown with auras -- jaggy scintillating rainbow patterns that start in the center of my visual field and then spread out in a slow arc that typically takes about a half an hour to spread over one side of my visual field (usually my left), making it hard to see properly. It always makes me feel nauseous, though is not always followed by a massive headache as you might expect.

I've never been able to tie it down to any root cause, though for me when it hits it is usually in the afternoons. Doesn't seem to be related to any other factor that I can reliably track down, like weather, food or stress levels. My mother certainly had them, an unfortunate inheritance. She had the type that required her to lie down in a dark, preferably quiet room.

The real headache came a couple of hours later, after I put the girls to bed. I ended up crashing out early as a result.

Apparently there are now drugs that can mitigate the worst effects, but have never bothered to ask a doctor about it because I get them so rarely, that I never think about it when I go in for a checkup. Will do so next time I head in for one.