This is a reader-submitted story. Want to share your 30 Things? Here’s how: Migraine & Headache Disorders 30 Things Meme.
1) Chronic Migraine
2) menstrual migraines: about 7-10 days of 8/10 pain around the time of my cycle and sporadic migraines and tension headaches scattered throughout the rest of the month at 3-6 out of 10
3) age 5- the smell of cherry Hubba Bubba gum
4) 0-9
5) around 2012- a Family physician who was filling in for my regular physician dx me with migraines versus ongoing unexplainable “sinus pain/infections” that I was told was viral and all I could do was sleep it off.
6) Bipolar, ADHD, IBS, chronic fatigue and significant muscle soreness
7) 4 pills for preventative and 3 pills for acute attack
8) nausea, vomiting, vertigo, poor motor coordination, aphasia, confusion, sensory overload and integration issues, extreme fatigue, muscle soreness, sometimes aura such as partial blindness, not sure the term but my visual perception is skewed ex. The left side of a person’s face, sticks out and is
seen as lower than the right side of the person’s face,
it smells like something is burning, ongoing thoughts
of worry and obsessing over being powerless and
fears of not being able to come to the rescue..for ex/
if my 12yr old daughter breaks her arm at school
9) treatments tried: Reiki, prayer, Mindfulness, Japanese mint oil, listening to binaural/bilateral beats with headphones, electroconvulsive therapy for depression, later realizing the depression was secondary to the chronic migraines, with improving the effectiveness of preventative medication…with the significant decrease in chronic daily pain, the depressive symptoms were significantly decreased to the point of almost being eliminated
10) cold cloth, cool dark room, no noise, trying deep breathing, Triptan, 1000mg Naproxen
11) triggers: hormones/menstruation, smell/odours, foods, weather, stress, loud noises, fluorescent lights
12) worst part: feeling powerless at the time with not
being able to put to words, or explain what is going
on when I have an attack
13) biggest challenges: meeting family’s needs ex/making meals, housecleaning, a decrease and/or loss of income. I feel bad having to reschedule my clients on short notice (not as reliable and dependable as I’d like to be
14)”Drink more water”.
15)migraine commercials: “maybe there is hope”
16) setting realistic expectations of myself, acceptance of being human and flawed 🙂
17. Comforts: my dog being by me, my soft blanket with Aromatherapy fabric softener in it, my bamboo pillow, ceiling fan above me, windows open, Coconut juice on my night table
18) “stop being so lazy.” It’s all in your head.”
19) when I have to cancel and they are okay with it.
They tell me to “take care” and to call them when I
feel better
20) for them to bring me a cold wet cloth, glass of
water and to let me have my quiet in a cold dark room
21) best thing Doctor said, “it’s not a sinus problem; it’s a migraine
22) being compassionate towards myself, and keeping my goals realistic depending how I’m feeling
23) accept I have limits and that “I can not be everything to everyone”.
24) you have a neurological disorder- explain it to significant others who want to know more versus quietly suffering in pain
25) thank God the symptoms go through phases and are reversible (to the best of our knowledge)
26) accepting that presently migraines are not curable, but depends on fine tuning your lifestyle with preventative and abortive measures
27) supportive people in my life: those who have also experienced chronic pain
28) migraine is a neurological problem not a choice
29) headache awareness month- not only helps to educate myself but the community and society as a whole
30) migraine disorder has provided me with the opportunity to accept my “shadow” or “flawed” side and integrate it as one of many parts of my true/whole self
Reader-submitted stories solely represent the personal point of view, experience, and opinion of the author, not of The Daily Headache or Kerrie Smyres.