This is a reader-submitted story.
My name is Brenda and I am 34 and lived with Migraines for what feels like all of my life. I am new to living with Mulitple Sclerosis in addition to my friend the migraine and blog about living with these invisible diseases at www.stellarevoltuiondesigns.com. I also sew and knit ALOT….It was interesting to read fellow folks answers so I thought I would share mine!
1. My diagnosis is: Migraines
2. My migraine attack frequency is: off medication-15-20 per month,on meds-3-4 per month
3. I was diagnosed in: Migraines were part of my life for so long, but only really got properly investigated in 2010.
4. My comorbid conditions include: Relapsing-Remitting multiple sclerosis, Polycycstic ovary syndrome
5. I take 2 medications/supplements each day for prevention and 2 medications/supplements to treat an acute attack
6. My first migraine attack was: full of vomit, I’m sure
7. My most disabling migraine symptoms are: photosensitive, sensitivity to smell, photosensitive, dizziness, nausea, mental fog
8. My strangest migraine symptoms are: numb side of face, mixing up names or lack of remembering them at all.
9. My biggest migraine triggers are: smells, weather changes, stress, hormones
10. I know a migraine attack is coming on when: I get sharp ringing in my ears, numb side of my face, visual disturbances
11. The most frustrating part about having a migraine attack is: there is really no stopping it
12. During a migraine attack, I worry most about: how to drive myself home from where ever I am
13. When I think about migraine between attacks, I think: I try not to…
14. When I tell someone I have migraine, the response is usually: I get headaches too…ugh
15. When someone tells me they have migraine, I think: to ask what works for them, compare notes/meds and also feel their pain.
16. When I see commercials about migraine treatments, I think: that list of other side effects is something I don’t need
17. My best coping tools are: McD’s french fries (salt and magnesium) and Coke (caffeine) to shrink those nasty blood vessels
18. I find comfort in: my dark gray bedroom
19. I get angry when people say: I get headaches too.
20. I like it when people say: I’m sorry you have to deal with that. Is there anything I can do to help.
21. Something kind someone can do for me during a migraine attack is: my husband knows that he will have to go buy some food as any smells during an attack make it incredibly worse.
22. The best thing(s) a doctor has ever said to me about migraine is: they are real
23. The hardest thing to accept about having migraine is: I’ve lived with them so long I almost prefer them to having an attack of my Multiple sclerosis because I know how to deal moderately successfully with migraines, I am still learning how to deal and accept my MS diagnosis.
24. Migraine has taught me: to listen to my body and not just push through
25. The quotation, motto, mantra, or scripture that gets me through an attack is: I’ve got a good success rate going, survived 100% of days up to this point.
26. If I could go back to the early days of my diagnosis, I would tell myself: start taking preventative meds sooner
27. The people who support me most are: my husband, close friends, some coworkers
28. The thing I most wish people understood about migraine is: how hard it is to function when you have one, and how much relief can come from a dark room.
29. Migraine and Headache Awareness Month is important to me because: it opens up avenues of communication and reminds me I am not alone in this.
30. One more thing I’d like to say about life with migraine is: life goes on, make time for your own health and so accept things as they are by having back up plans B, C, D, E, F for everything.
Reader-submitted stories solely represent the personal point of view, experience, and opinion of the author, not of The Daily Headache or Kerrie Smyres. Follow this link to learn how to share YOUR 30 Things about living with a headache disorder.