30 Things Most People Don’t Know About Me

This is a reader-submitted story.

1. My diagnosis is: chronic migraine
2. My migraine attack frequency is: sometimes more…sometimes less. it just depends. there aren’t many days that I don’t feel at least some head pain.
3. I was diagnosed in: 2012
4. My comorbid conditions include: chronic neck/shoulder pain
5. I take medications/supplements each day for prevention and a variety of medications to treat an acute attack. Currently, I have 5 prescriptions just for preventing/treating migraine attacks.
6. My first migraine attack was probably around age 5. I have had them for a while, but wasn’t technically diagnosed until I started seeing a neurologist the summer before I started college.
7. My most disabling migraine symptoms are: nausea, photo/phono phobias (sensistivity to light and sound)
8. My strangest migraine symptoms are: i get clumsy. i also get super hot.
9. My biggest migraine triggers are: heat. stress. dehydration. skipping meals. lack of sleep. the smell of those stupid scented pinecones at christmas time.
10. I know a migraine attack is coming on when: my teeth/jaws start to hurt. i start feeling hot.
11. The most frustrating part about having a migraine attack is: not being able to function at 100%. Having to admit limitation and explain that to other people without feeling like I’m letting them down.
12. During a migraine attack, I worry most about: how my future is going to be affected by this. if I’ll ever find a real solution.
13. When I think about migraine between attacks, I think: It’d be nice to be used to a pain free life.
14. When I tell someone I have migraine, the response is usually: Do you want some ibprofen?
15. When someone tells me they have migraine, I think: Do you really know what that means? If so, I’m so, so sorry. Here’s my icepack.
16. When I see commercials about migraine treatments, I think: Tried that..didn’t work. Haven’t heard of it…maybe there’s hope.
17. My best coping tools are: My icepack, a cold and dark room, attempts to sleep
18. I find comfort in: knowing that one day I won’t ever have another migraine. One day, the pain will all be over.
19. I get angry when people say: “It’s just a headache.” or “you should do this..”
20. I like it when people say: “How can I help?” Even if they can’t do anything, it’s better than someone trying to tell me what to do.
21. Something kind someone can do for me during a migraine attack is: leave me alone or bring me an icepack. be gracious.
22. The best thing(s) a doctor has ever said to me about migraine is: “We’re going to figure this out.” (too bad I moved and had to switch doctors..)
23. The hardest thing to accept about having migraine is: It will most likely be a lifelong struggle.
24. Migraine has taught me: It’s okay to have limitations.
25. The quotation, motto, mantra, or scripture that gets me through an attack is: this is just part of life. i can get through this.
26. If I could go back to the early days of my diagnosis, I would tell myself: This isn’t going to end. You’ve just got to figure out the best way to manage it.
27. The people who support me most are: My family.
28. The thing I most wish people understood about migraine is: It’s not “just a headache.” It’s more than just head pain. It affects every system in my body.
29. Migraine and Headache Awareness Month is important to me because: not many people really get it. not many people realize just how bad it can be and is for those of us who live with chronic migraine.
30. One more thing I’d like to say about life with migraine is: migraines are unpredictable. I can’t control them. I can do things to take care of myself, but even when I’m doing all that I can, they can come out of nowhere and quite often do. there isn’t just one thing that causes migraines. it’s a number of things all working agaisnt me at once. However, this has been a part of my life for 15 years or so and I know how to deal with it. Sometimes that just means I have to say no. Even when it’s highly inconvenient to my friends and family.

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.

Last Updated on May 10, 2016 by Kerrie Smyres