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"Every Day Feels Like New Year’s!"


The Woman’s World – December 28, 1999


What a lovely morning, Kaye Indelicato smiled, looking out the window at the delicate frost that had dusted the ground.

But a moment later, the scene began to change. Suddenly, nature’s blues and green became overwhelmingly vibrant, as if a flood light was shining down from Heaven. No! she gasped, needles of sunlight stabbing her eyes and a familiar blanket of dread enveloping her. After 40 years, the Encino, California, mom knew what was coming. Soon, the colors would give way to blinding, inescapable pain. Only this time, there was a glimmer of hope. Picking up the phone, she prayed: Please let this be the answer I’ve been searching for… Kaye’s headaches began while she was in high school. For as long as she could remember, her mother had suffered the same symptoms: the way colors changed before her eyes, the crushing pain made worse by light. So she wasn’t surprised when the doctor said, “Migraines.” Kaye thought about how they’d always had to turn the TV volume down, how her mom couldn’t go shopping because the supermarket was too bright. I won’t let these headaches ruin my life, too! Kaye resolved. So she struggled through the pain as she said “I do,” as she held her newborn son Chris, when she studied to become a beautician. But there were times when it was more than Kaye could endure. And when divorce left her a single mom, she had to keep food on the table - so she popped painkillers when the thunderous pain began as she trimmed clients’ hair. By the time she got home, she’d collapse into bed. “Want some tea?” Chris would offer, his voice beging her to get well. But all Kaye could manage was a weak, “No thanks, sweetheart,” her guilt as agonizing as the pain. He’s just a child, she cried. He deserves his mommy to be there for him - to help him with his fractions, to ask what happened at school. But soon, anything, whether it was a loud noise or a bright light, would bring on an attack. And week after week, Kaye’s world grew smaller and smaller. Though she adored her son, Kaye often lay in bed as Chris went by himself to Little League games and awards dinners. But there was one thing she refused to miss: his graduation. As Chris received his diploma, tears of pride and regret filled Kay’s eyes. He’s all grown up, but I hardly know him! she choked. When Chris left for college, Kaye struggled to go through the motions of living, but it seemed like one endless stream of pain. Then one day, she met a man named Len and began to dream that maybe she could finally be happy… Yet even as she fell in love, dread filled Kaye’s heart. What if he doesn’t understand? She worried. But when the truth spilled out, Len’s eyes filled with compassion. “My father suffered from migraines,” he said. “I know what you’re going through.” As she glided toward her groom, Kay felt like she was walking on air. But a cloud still hung over her life. Will this ever end? She agonized when headaches left her bed-ridden for days at a time. Then one day, the phone rang. It was Len’s friend from work. “I saw a report on the news about a new treatment for migraines,” he began. “It was discovered by accident,” Len told Kay that night. Plastic surgeon William Binder, M.D., had been using botulism to erase wrinkles when he noticed that patients he’d treated reported that their migraines had disappeared! Botulism? Kaye gasped. But isn’t that the food poisoning bacteria that… kills people? “It’s a very weakened form called Botox,” Len explained. But then she thought about how, for four decades, the migraines had held her hostage. “I’ll make an appointment,” she promised. But before she had a chance, Kaye felt another headache coming on. And now, her hands trembling, she called Dr. Binder’s office. “I think we can help you,” he said when they met. “For many migraine sufferers, Botox injections have worked wonders. But there are risks.” In rare cases, he explained, Botox could cause facial paralysis. I could be disfigured? Kaye gulped. But the chance of that was slim and the pain so great. “Let’s do it,” she decided. Please let this work! She prayed as the doctor injected Botox above her eyebrows, around her hairline, over her ears. Then he led Kaye to a darkened room to wait. Slowly, the pain began to lift. Could it be? Kaye dared to hope. But as the minutes crept buy, she found her self sitting up pain-free! When Dr. Binder returned, Kaye was crying tears of joy. “It worked!” she shouted. The next morning Kay awoke to sunshine and no pain. She held her breath, waiting for the crushing pain to start. But that day and the next passed without even a twinge! A month after her first treatment, Kaye danced the night away at Chris’ wedding reception. Thank you, Lord, she prayed. This truly is miracle! With the help of Botox injections every three months, Kaye has been migraine-free for three years. Today, she’s living the life she always dreamed of – strolling along the beach with Len, hitting the mall with friends, spending time with Chris and his bride. And as the hours to the new millennium draw near, Kaye slips into a new evening gown for a night of celebration. “But every day feels like New Year’s to me now,” she beams. “And my resolution is to make the most of every minute!”