This is a reader-submitted story.
1. My diagnosis is: Chronic Migraine
2. My migraine attack frequency is: 2-3 a week
3. I was diagnosed in: 1997 or 1998
4. My comorbid conditions include: depression/anxiety
5. I take _2_ medications/supplements each day for prevention and _3 medications/supplements to treat an acute attack
6. My first migraine attack was: first I vividly remember was 1994, but may have had one before that
7. My most disabling migraine symptoms are: light sensitivity/nauseaa
8. My strangest migraine symptoms are: increased smell sensitivity, strange cravings for spicy food
9. My biggest migraine triggers are: sleep deprivation, skipping meals, weather changes
10. I know a migraine attack is coming on when:I get a pain behind my right eye
11. The most frustrating part about having a migraine attack is: I have to just “drop out” of life
12. During a migraine attack, I worry most about: having a brain tumor
13. When I think about migraine between attacks, I think: how tired I am of always having to tell my husband I have another one
14. When I tell someone I have migraine, the response is usually: So, you have a headache, whatev…
15. When someone tells me they have migraine, I think: You have my sympathy…let’s talk drugs-what works for you (in the hopes that they might have a treatment I haven’t tried yet)
16. When I see commercials about migraine treatments, I think: Damn, already tried that…
17. My best coping tools are: Netflix (sometimes), drugs (for about 30 mins.), box fan
18. I find comfort in: Knowing there are a lot of us-there is research being done, and (sorry it is selfish) knowing others have it worse.
19. I get angry when people say: I recently found out my daughters talked between themselves about how I was exaggerating.
20. I like it when people say: I’m just happy when I don’t get questioned about it. Like if I say I have to go home or can’t come in or whatever, and they just say, ok, hope you feel better.
21. Something kind someone can do for me during a migraine attack is: don’t open the bedroom door-it makes the dogs bark-keep it dark and quiet.
22. The best thing(s) a doctor has ever said to me about migraine is: just naming it and beginning to prescribe “real” meds for it.
23. The hardest thing to accept about having migraine is: that I know I’m going to have another one…
24. Migraine has taught me: my ex-husband was an asshole. My second husband is a saint.
25. The quotation, motto, mantra, or scripture that gets me through an attack is: “It’s not a tumor” from Kindergarten Cop
26. If I could go back to the early days of my diagnosis, I would tell myself: Take your rescue meds earlier-it’s not going to go away.
27. The people who support me most are: My husband-he mostly leaves me alone and lets me rest-but checks on me every couple of hours or so to see if I need anything. He never complains, even though it has got to frustrate him to have to deal with me having headaches so often.
28. The thing I most wish people understood about migraine is: it’s not “just a headache!!!!!”
29. Migraine and Headache Awareness Month is important to me because: I want people to realize what we are dealing with and I want them to figure out how to “cure” us…
30. One more thing I’d like to say about life with migraine is: Thank god we don’t have to keep ice picks in the house anymore–I’d have already used it to stab myself in the eye by now. Sorry I didn’t put some inspirational quote, but this crap is miserable.
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.