ON-SCREEN TEXT:

The following simulation is a composite based on actual accounts of people who experience migraine.

ON-SCREEN TEXT:

[Saturday]

[OPENING SHOT: AUDIO IS BOOMING, DISTORTED, HARSH. ECHOS. CHEERING, CROWD NOISE, SPLASHING, A WHISTLE ARE HEARD IN THE BACKGROUND. FIRST-PERSON POINT OF VIEW -- A GROUP OF TEENAGE SWIMMERS GATHERS INTO A HUDDLE AROUND THEIR COACH [THE CAMERA], EXPECTANT … WAITING FOR THEIR PRE-MEET PEP TALK. A COUPLE SWIMMERS REACT AS IF THEY CAN’T HEAR WHAT THEIR COACH (CAMERA) IS SAYING. “Coach, you all right?” A COUPLE OTHERS BEGIN TO LOOK CONCERNED. SUDDENLY, ONE SWIMMER PUTS HER HAND IN THE CENTER OF THE CIRCLE, AND BEGINS TO LEAD A CHEER, WHICH IS RENDERED DEAFINING AS THE SCENE FADES TO BLACK.]

ON-SCREEN TEXT:

[TWO DAYS LATER]

[MIGRAINE AUDIO TRANSITIONS INTO THE FAMILIAR PURCOLATING OF A COFFEE POT. CHRISTINA AND HER DAUGHTER ARE TALKING IN THE KITCHEN. PLACES MARKED WITH AN ASTERISK (*) INDICATE STATEMENTS FROM CHRISTINA THAT ARE FOLLOWED BY A BRIEF FLASHBACK CUT TO THE MIGRAINE ATTACK SHE EXPERIENCED AT SATURDAY’S SWIM MEET [HARSH, INTENSE, MARKED BY EXAGGERATED AUDIO]. THE FLASHBACKS WOULD BE BRIEF, BUT INTENSE (JUST A FEW FRAMES).

CHRISTINA:

[CONTRITE] I let you guys down, and I’m sorry.

EMMA:

No sweat, Mom, we still won.

CHRISTINA:

[VOICE IN HEAD] No thanks to me.*

CHRISTINA:

Did they say anything?

EMMA:

[SURPRISED] Um, who? About what?

CHRISTINA:

Anybody else on the team… about me.*

EMMA:

Nah … I told them how intense your headaches get.

CHRISTINA:

I just need them to stay away long enough so I can get you guys ready for states.

EMMA:

Ah, we’ll be fine.

ON-SCREEN TEXT:

[TWO WEEKS LATER - TUESDAY]

TRANSITION TO OFFICE SCENE. FIRST PERSON POINT OF VIEW AS CHRISTINA BURSTS THROUGH HER OFFICE DOOR, TO FIND HER BOSS LEAVING HER A NOTE.

BOSS:

Oh, you are in today? Hey, hate to hit you with this first thing … we want to pull you in on the big pitch.

CHRISTINA:

[THIRD-PERSON POINT OF VIEW] [INITIALLY OFF-GUARD, BUT QUICKLY COLLECTS HERSELF] What’s the turnaround?

BOSS:

Well, that’s the, um, fun part… we need two awesome concepts … by noon Friday. We’re only going to get one shot of this so I really need to nail it, all right? [CONTINUES TALKING … VOLUME OF VOICE IS REDUCED AS CHRISTINA’S VOICE IN THE HEAD BEGINS TO SPEAK.]

CHRISTINA:

[VOICE-IN-HEAD] This week’s already crazy … I can’t afford another migraine.

BOSS:

You know what these things are like. Need you to jump in with both feet. You game?

CHRISTINA:

[QUICK FLASHBACK TO SWIM MEET, WITH AUGMENTED AUDIO. CLOSE-UPSCENE OF DIVER HITTING THE WATER, FEET DISAPPEAR INTO WATER, AUDIO FROM SPLASH IS LIKE AN ERUPTION] Um, I’ll make it work.

ON-SCREEN TEXT:

[WEDNESDAY]

[AFTER HER BOSS LEAVES, CHRISTINA OPENS HER PLANNER ON HER COMPUTER TO THE WEEK AHEAD. TIGHT SHOT OF CALENDAR (WIDE SHOT ACROS THE SCREENS) REVEALS IT’S ALREADY LOADED WITH WORK/FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES.: CASEY [youngest daughter] HAS A PIANO LESSON WEDNESDAY EVENING; OIL CHANGE SCHEDULED AT LUNCH ON THURSDAY, ETC..]

[VISUAL EFFECTS: WHEN SHE OPENS HER PLANNER, AN ANIMATED RED BOX BEGINS TO CYCLE/DANCE RANDOMLY OVER THE DAYS IN THE MONTH, SYMBOLIZING THE RANDOMNESS OF HER MIGRAINE ATTACKS … AND THE UNCERTAINTY OF WHERE AND WHEN AN ATTACK WILL OCCUR. SHE TYPES IN THE NEW WORK RESPONSIBILITY IN AN OPEN SPOT ON FRIDAY, AND BEGINS TO ASSESS WHAT SHE’LL NEED TO SHIFT/JUGGLE. ]

WE HEAR HER VOICE IN THE HEAD AS SHE CROSSES OUT A COUPLE ITEMS EARLIER IN THE WEEK FOR HER NEW WORK RESPONSIBILITY.]

CHRISTINA:

[VOICE-IN-HEAD] OK Christina, juggle, juggle [as she’s adjusting her schedule]. You can do this. As long as I don’t get a migraine. I’m due. Just not this week. They’re all counting on me.

[SCENE CLOSES AS SHE CLOSES THE CALENDAR]

[THE NEXT FEW DAYS – TUESDAY/ WEDNESDAY/ THURSDAY UNFOLD AS A MONTAGE OF ACTIVITY WHOSE PACE/INTENSITY INCREASES THROUGHOUT:

• QUICK CUTS OF BUSY WORK ENVIRONMENT:
• ROUND TABLE
• SPREADING MAGAZINES OUT
• WHITE-BOARDING
• CHRISTINA WORKING AT HER COMPUTER
• SHOWING COMPS


• INTERSPERSED WITH (2) END-OF-DAY SCENES WHERE SHE CROSSES THE DAY FROM HER CALENDAR, WHILE THE TAUNTING RED BOX OMINOUSLY DANCES AROUND THE COMING DAYS, AS VOICE-IN-HEAD COMMENTARY IS HEARD: “Not tomorrow, please not tomorrow … I need to be at my best for this … just one more day. ”
• AS DAYS PASS, WORK SCENES BECOME MORE INTENSE (CRUMPLES PAPER, TOSSES IT) …
• FLOURESCENT LIGHTS
• FLICKERING COMPUTER SCREENS
• EMPTY COFFEE CUPS, PIZZA BOXES, ETC.


• IN THE BACKGROUND, STRESSFULL MUSIC BUILDS THROUGHOUT

[AT THE END OF THURSDAY, CHRISTINA IS IN HER OFFICE WORKING LATE.]

CHRISTINA:

[GLANCES AT CALENDAR]

[JUST AS SHE'S ABOUT TO CROSS THURSDAY OFF HER CALENDAR, BREAK FROM THE MONTAGE BACK TO REAL TIME – PERHAPS STRESSFUL MUSIC HALTS ABRUPTLY. HARSH AUDIO OF HER OFFICE PHONE RINGING. SHE PICKS IT UP AND IT'S HER BOSS, COMMUNICATING LAST MINUTE CHANGES THAT MUST BE MADE. WEARY, SHE REPLIES SHE'LL COME IN EARLY AND MAKE THEM. THE SOFT RUMBLE/PULSE …INDICATING THE SEED OF A MIGRAINE … BEGINS SUBTLELY. CAMERA PANS BACK TO CALENDAR AND THE RED BOX HAS STOPPED DANCING AND HAS LANDED ON FRIDAY – THE NEXT DAY. TWO "TO DO'S” FALL ON THE FRIDAY BLOCK: PRESENTATION DUE and STATE SWIM MEET AUDIO BUILDS TO A CLIMAX AS THE SCENE FADES OUT. ]

As you have just seen in the preceding simulation, migraines can be so disruptive to patients that they may worry about when the next one will come. Patients such as Christina may be frustrated by frequent and disruptive migraines that impact her during and in between attacks. Diagnosing the total impact of migraine may depend on how well patients communicate with their doctor. If you are a healthcare professional, ask your patients how migraine impacts their daily lives, even between attacks. If you are a patient who experiences disruptive migraine attacks, speak with your doctor or visit mindovermigraine.com to find out if migraine prevention medicine might be right for you.