30 Things about Roseanne’s Life

This is a reader-submitted story.

1. My diagnosis is: Chronic Migraine, NDPH
2. My migraine attack frequency is: Daily
3. I was diagnosed in: 2013
4. My comorbid conditions include: Depression, Anxiety, Coeliac Disease, PCOS
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: 14
7. My most disabling migraine symptoms are: Pain, paralysis
8. My strangest migraine symptoms are: Aphasia, toilet troubles
9. My biggest migraine triggers are: Dark Chocolate, the smell of ammonia (hair dye)
10. I know a migraine attack is coming on when: I crave salt, my dog won’t leave me alone
11. The most frustrating part about having a migraine attack is: being unable to do anything
12. During a migraine attack, I worry most about: what is going on inside my head, how much it affects those I love.
13. When I think about migraine between attacks, I think: I’m glad I’m getting a break, no matter how small it is.
14. When I tell someone I have migraine, the response is usually: I didn’t realise how bad they could be
15. When someone tells me they have migraine, I think: I understand.
16. When I see commercials about migraine treatments, I think: I wish it worked, we need more advertisements about migraines themselves.
17. My best coping tools are: My mum, boyfriend, animals and Migraineur Misfits.
18. I find comfort in: knowing people who genuinely understand what I go through and knowing people who care.
19. I get angry when people say: ‘there is always someone worse off then you’
20. I like it when people say: I’m here for you (and mean it)
21. Something kind someone can do for me during a migraine attack is: just be there for me (and bring me ice lollies!).
22. The best thing(s) a doctor has ever said to me about migraine is: I believe you.
23. The hardest thing to accept about having migraine is: that it is disabling and it’s not going away anytime soon.
24. Migraine has taught me: to look after my body.
25. The quotation, motto, mantra, or scripture that gets me through an attack is: ‘You can get through this, your success rate for getting through bad days is 100%’
26. If I could go back to the early days of my diagnosis, I would tell myself: This migraine WILL break and there will be days without a migraine. (You are also about to meet some wonderful people)
27. The people who support me most are: My mum and my boyfriend.
28. The thing I most wish people understood about migraine is: It truly is life changing and we do not choose it.
29. Migraine and Headache Awareness Month is important to me because: It can save lives.
30. One more thing I’d like to say about life with migraine is: diagnosis is key. I was ignored when my migraines started so I ended up with chronic migraine from the start, I had a three year migraine/NDPH that broke upon my coeliac diagnosis then was two years into my second three year migraine before I got my diagnosis. By that point I was disabled by it and my life had fallen apart. Awareness is needed so people can get the RIGHT diagnosis.

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.