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Published on 06/22/1998 All articles from this issue

Head rush

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By Pete Borello

Town Crier Staff Writer

NFL star comes to Mtn. View, discusses battle with migraines

Imagine a headache so intense and relentless that suicide seems like the only way to stop the pain.

NFL star Terrell Davis, perhaps the world's most famous migraine sufferer, has been there.

"I had migraines two times a week and the longest one lasted 96 hours," Davis told a standing-room-only crowd at El Camino Hospital last Thursday. "At one point in time I seriously contemplated suicide."

Davis, who has suffered from migraines since age 7, obviously found a better solution than suicide. However, he didn't find it overnight.

The Denver Broncos all-pro halfback wasn't even diagnosed with migraines until he was 18. Since then, Davis has taken a variety of preventative measures to keep the migraines at bay. He tries to eat right, takes an anti-inflammatory before workouts and regularly sees a chiropractor.

Davis said such precautions have drastically reduced the frequency of his migraines. He had just one attack all of last season. Unfortunately, it occurred during the biggest game of the year: the Super Bowl.

"I couldn't have chosen a worse time for a migraine," Davis said.

The pain started during the second quarter, forcing Davis off the field and into the locker room. He was then given Migranol - a new prescription nasal spray he calls his "last line of defense."

This defense would prove more affective than that of the Green Bay Packers. Davis returned to action in the second half and promptly ran through the Packers defense like it was tissue paper. He wound up with 157 yards rushing and three touchdowns. The Broncos prevailed 31-24, and Davis came away with the MVP trophy.

Davis' second-half heroics led to his appearance in Mountain View last week. Shortly after the season he teamed up with Novartis - the maker of Migranol - for a national tour promoting migraine awareness. Local headache specialist Dr. Kenneth Peters was asked to host Davis' only Bay Area tour stop, an hour-long affair held in a meeting room at El Camino.

The free seminar attracted about 125 people - including football fans in Broncos garb, hospital staff, media, and, of course, migraine sufferers.

One woman in the audience, who said she's not much of a football fan, stood up to thank Davis for bringing attention to migraines.

"I was at a Super Bowl party when you were taken out of the game and the room stopped," she said. "You legitimized the disease. I'm not thrilled you had a migraine that day, but thank you."

It's stories like that, Davis said in an interview afterward, that makes the tour so rewarding.

"It means a lot to see what people are going through," he said. "What I've always suspected is that there are a lot of people out there who had migraines and didn't have the proper treatment for them. This is a great opportunity to spread the word."

The 25-year-old Davis is also forming a foundation to help migraine sufferers, especially those who can't afford treatment.

"I'm kind of different because I get special attention," he said. "People in the projects and low-income families don't have the resources I have. They don't have the doctors, the research, the CAT scans, MRIs and all the information. I was fortunate."

Davis hasn't always been so fortunate, though. He suffered with migraines for 11 years before receiving treatment. The first attack came during a youth football game.

"I thought I was going blind and had to leave the field," Davis said. "I was so thankful when I could see straight again."

The migraines soon became a common occurrence. They made Davis nauseous, caused him to forget his friends' names and affected his motor skills.

"I remember one time my father gave me a whoopin' because I couldn't put a hanger on a rack," Davis said. "I felt really debilitated by (the migraines)."

But since his mom thought they were just normal headaches, Davis didn't pursue the matter.

"I was fighting it for so long, and I didn't say anything," he said. "Growing up, you wouldn't tell anybody; they'd think you were crazy. I held on as long as I could, but then I said, 'forget this.'"

A chat with a doctor his freshman year in college led to a diagnosis and subsequent treatments.

Davis said with a smile that he hasn't suffered a migraine since the Super Bowl. He hopes to return to the title game next January - pain free this time.

NEXT WEEK: Davis talks football with the Town Crier.