This is a reader-submitted story.
1. My diagnosis is: Chronic Migraine
2. My migraine attack frequency is: with preventives: 4 times a month; without preventives: constant
3. I was diagnosed in: ??? Good question. I think I diagnosed myself in my early 20’s.
4. My co-morbid conditions include: Anxiety, Depression, Reynaud’s Syndrome, Motion Sickness
5. I take __8__ different medications/supplements each day for prevention and up to _4_ medications/supplements to treat an acute attack
6. My first migraine attack was: around age 5.
7. My most disabling migraine symptoms are: nausea, vomiting, dizziness, inability to concentrate
8. My strangest migraine symptoms are: temporary deafness, word salad
9. My biggest migraine triggers are: hormone imbalance, heat, wine, beer, sweet desserts
10. I know a migraine attack is coming on when: I start to get sinus and ear congestion on one side
11. The most frustrating part about having a migraine attack is: having to lay still so I don’t feel worse and not being able to do much ’cause I can’t think straight
12. During a migraine attack, I worry most about: Am I going to vomit?
13. When I think about migraine between attacks, I think: Please don’t come back!
14. When I tell someone I have migraine, the response is usually: Pretty compassionate
15. When someone tells me they have migraine, I think: Oh you poor sod; I am so sorry!
16. When I see commercials about migraine treatments, I think: If only!
17. My best coping tools are: Laying still; taking my meds early enough
18. I find comfort in: Hot baths
19. I get angry when people say: Most headaches are due to dehydration; have you tried drinking more water?
20. I like it when people say: Why don’t you lay down? I’ll take care of it.
21. Something kind someone can do for me during a migraine attack is: Cook dinner
22. The best thing(s) a doctor has ever said to me about migraine is: I was just the cheerleader; you figured this out yourself!
23. The hardest thing to accept about having migraine is: There is no cure.
24. Migraine has taught me: Compassion for others and how to forgive myself
25. The quotation, motto, mantra, or scripture that gets me through an attack is: I am not my body
26. If I could go back to the early days of my diagnosis, I would tell myself: You have to advocate for yourself; no one else will do it.
27. The people who support me most are: my daughter, my therapist
28. The thing I most wish people understood about migraine is: It’s a full-body neurological attack with a range of symptoms that can last several days and are completely debilitating
29. Migraine and Headache Awareness Month is important to me because: We need more awareness, better treatments and more doctors to train as migraine specialists!
30. One more thing I’d like to say about life with migraine is: Life would be better without it.
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.