This is a reader-submitted post.
1. My diagnosis is: Common migraine
2. My migraine attack frequency is: 2-3 times a week
3. I was diagnosed in: 1984
4. My comorbid conditions include: IBS, Interstitial Cystitis, Hashimotos Hypothyroidism,
5. I take __6__ medications/supplements each day for prevention and ___2_ medications/supplements to treat an acute attack
6. My first migraine attack was: at age 28. They started out regularly on the 5th day after the start of my menstrual period. They, of course, they expanded to having a range of other triggers.
7. My most disabling migraine symptoms are: Pain, confusion, fatigue
8. My strangest migraine symptoms are: word retrieval problems
9. My biggest migraine triggers are: trigger foods, sunlight, too much exercise, too little or too much sleep, weather changes, humidity, perfumed hair products or skin lotion,
10. I know a migraine attack is coming on when: I get a dull pain in the side of my head, neck or shoulder
11. The most frustrating part about having a migraine attack is: lower functioning at work
12. During a migraine attack, I worry most about: getting through work
13. When I think about migraine between attacks, I think: I hope I can figure out a way to prevent them
14. When I tell someone I have migraine, the response is usually: understanding (except from my spouse, who is fed up with them)
15. When someone tells me they have migraine, I think: oh my gosh, I completely understand how devastating they are
16. When I see commercials about migraine treatments, I think: they completely minimize what people experience
17. My best coping tools are: taking meds., finding time to nap, pacing myself at work, not taking on more than I can handle
18. I find comfort in: relaxation
19. I get angry when people say: just push yourself, or it’s all caused by stress, or exercise will solve your problems
20. I like it when people say: I completely understand and I can’t believe you can still work and function as much as you do with migraines
21. Something kind someone can do for me during a migraine attack is: let me rest and relax
22. The best thing(s) a doctor has ever said to me about migraine is: there are more solutions out there
23. The hardest thing to accept about having migraine is: how it has limited my life choices – I cannot do certain things in terms of work, travel, social activities because of it
24. Migraine has taught me: what it is like to have a chronic illness and how it affects you
25. The quotation, motto, mantra, or scripture that gets me through an attack is:
26. If I could go back to the early days of my diagnosis, I would tell myself: I wouldn’t. I would have gotten depressed if I had known how long-lasting and chronic it would have gotten.
27. The people who support me most are: friends
28. The thing I most wish people understood about migraine is: It affects you not only when you experience the pain, but all the time – It affects daily choices in terms of work, play, food, activity, travel, exercise, just about every choice you make because you are always trying to avoid triggers. It forces you to be overly cautious, or you pay for even minor transgressions that are merely a part of life for others.
29. Migraine and Headache Awareness Month is important to me because: It spreads awareness to others about the effect it has on sufferers
30. One more thing I’d like to say about life with migraine is: I appreciate the work you do with your site.
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.