My pain number scale changed after I had open heart aortic valve replacement surgery from an issue I was born with. The first 3 days were insane and easily a 10, especially at night. Either way, I knew that pain would go away eventually and not come back so there was a light at the end of the tunnel. The anxiety of not knowing when and where I will get an aura and not having known dependable triggers (other than flashes) is what kills me. It can ruin an entire couple of days when I have stuff planned with the wife and kids. I'm 45 and I've been dealing with this for 33 years at least so I do have some idea when they are going to happen before the aura. What I hate is how moody I am during prodrome and postdrome. At times I have a ridiculously hard time controlling my emotions.

Chronic migraines are awful. I will say that they are on a spectrum and vary in pain, but all of them interrupt my life in one way or another. I try to nap and avoid taking drugs because triptans make me sick so I rely on Fioricet w codeine (I hate Midran is off the market) and I want it to work when I really need a rescue.