Tag: awareness

30 Things Meme

My 30 Things

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This is a reader-submitted story.

1. My diagnosis is: Chronic migraine/chronic daily headache
2. My migraine attack frequency is: 3 per week, headache is constant
3. I was diagnosed in: March 2014
4. My comorbid conditions include: none
5. I take 4 medications/supplements each day for prevention and 3 medications/supplements to treat an acute attack
6. My first migraine attack was: In the 3rd grade
7. My most disabling migraine symptoms are: Intense throbbing pain and waves of nausea, light and sound sensitivity
8. My strangest migraine symptoms are: The whole left side of my face starts to tingle and go numb
9. My biggest migraine triggers are: Skipping meals, lack of sleep
10. I know a migraine attack is coming on when: It feels like my eyebrow hurts (weird I know)
11. The most frustrating part about having a migraine attack is: Not being able to take care of myself
12. During a migraine attack, I worry most about: Everything I am missing while I am lying in the dark (for example, class, studying, hanging out with friends)
13. When I think about migraine between attacks, I think: how lucky I am that I don’t have one right then
14. When I tell someone I have migraine, the response is usually: “have you tried XX treatment? It worked for my mom/friend/coworker”
15. When someone tells me they have migraine, I think: I hope you are getting proper treatment
16. When I see commercials about migraine treatments, I think: I tried that treatment, and it didn’t work
17. My best coping tools are: Ear plugs, heat packs
18. I find comfort in: my bed
19. I get angry when people say: That I use migraine as an excuse, or that I don’t “seem” sick
20. I like it when people say: “Can I get you anything?”
21. Something kind someone can do for me during a migraine attack is: Bring me ginger ale, and food once the nausea fades.
22. The best thing(s) a doctor has ever said to me about migraine is: “There’s lots of treatments we can still try”
23. The hardest thing to accept about having migraine is: Knowing I will probably have to deal with this pain on some level for the rest of my life
24. Migraine has taught me: To be more attentive and sensitive to the pain of others, especially when it’s invisible or internal
25. The quotation, motto, mantra, or scripture that gets me through an attack is:”if you’re going through hell, keep going”
26. If I could go back to the early days of my diagnosis, I would tell myself: “This pain will not go away tomorrow, the next day, or even a year from now. Don’t look for a magical cure because there isn’t one. But have hope for the future and keep going.”
27. The people who support me most are: My amazing family, boyfriend, and roommate
28. The thing I most wish people understood about migraine is: How it affects senses throughout your entire body, and that the pain is unreal.
29. Migraine and Headache Awareness Month is important to me because: I want others to be aware that even though someone seems fine, they may be struggling. And it is important to be there for those around you. Especially when they are ill.
30. One more thing I’d like to say about life with migraine is: There needs to be more funding for research to find better treatments.

Reader-submitted stories solely Migraine and headache disorders 30 Things memerepresent 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.

30 Things Meme

30 Things About My Life With Migraine

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This is a reader-submitted story.

1. My diagnosis is: common migraine
2. My migraine attack frequency is: 6-15 per month or worse
3. I was diagnosed in: 1986
4. My comorbid conditions include: severe myopia due to being born a month premature, I also suffer from floaters, light flashes and halos in my eyes.
5. I take 1(amitriptyline) medications/supplements each day for prevention and 2(sumatriptan, co-codamol) medications/supplements to treat an acute attack
6. My first migraine attack was: 1985
7. My most disabling migraine symptoms are: The pain if I don’t manage to take sumatriptan/co-codamol in time.
8. My strangest migraine symptoms are: slurred speech/grasping for the right words
9. My biggest migraine triggers are: weather, sleep, stress
10. I know a migraine attack is coming on when: Only when I feel pain.
11. The most frustrating part about having a migraine attack is: the way it can wipe out a whole day or days.
12. During a migraine attack, I worry most about: taking pain medication and sumatriptan in time.
13. When I think about migraine between attacks, I think: yay a pain free day.
14. When I tell someone I have migraine, the response is usually: oh poor you
15. When someone tells me they have migraine, I think: oh god I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy
16. When I see commercials about migraine treatments, I think: I have only ever seen one advert for migraine medication on tv, I live in the UK.
17. My best coping tools are: painkillers, sumatriptan & if possible go to bed and try and sleep
18. I find comfort in: hot water bottle to the head.
19. I get angry when people say: oh I’m sure that’s just a headache.
20. I like it when people say: such a nasty condition.
21. Something kind someone can do for me during a migraine attack is: make me admit I’m in agony and need to go home if I’m at work, or go to bed if I’m at home.
22. The best thing(s) a doctor has ever said to me about migraine is: Don’t think I have anything, my doc isn’t that sympathetic.
23. The hardest thing to accept about having migraine is: It will ruin any plans you may have.
24. Migraine has taught me: Tomorrow is another day.
25. The quotation, motto, mantra, or scripture that gets me through an attack is: You will not win migraine.
26. If I could go back to the early days of my diagnosis, I would tell myself: Be prepared to deal with agonizing pain and vomiting.
27. The people who support me most are: my husband
28. The thing I most wish people understood about migraine is: the pain involved, people think its just a bad headache, how I wish that was true, I’ve never had anything but migraines.
29. Migraine and Headache Awareness Month is important to me because: People need to realize the amount of pain migraine can cause.
30. One more thing I’d like to say about life with migraine is: I am insanely stubborn in relation to my migraines, I refuse to give in to them unless I absolutely have to, at which time, the only thing I can do is go to bed and hope to sleep it off.

Reader-submitted stories solely Migraine and headache disorders 30 Things memerepresent 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.

30 Things Meme

30 Things About Amy’s Life with Migraine

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This is a reader-submitted story.

1. My diagnosis is: chronic migraine
2. My migraine attack frequency is: several times per month with headaches every 3 days
3. I was diagnosed in: formal diagnosis October 2014
4. My comorbid conditions include: high blood pressure, abnormal MRI with brain lesions consistent with multiple sclerosis
5. I take __2__ medications/supplements each day for prevention and ___up to 4_ medications/supplements to treat an acute attack
6. My first migraine attack was: January 2011
7. My most disabling migraine symptoms are: inability to see and vomiting
8. My strangest migraine symptoms are: irritability and wanting to physically attack others
9. My biggest migraine triggers are: hormones, stress and weather
10. I know a migraine attack is coming on when: I’m very irritable
11. The most frustrating part about having a migrraine attack is: not knowing when it will happen and how bad it will be
12. During a migraine attack, I worry most about: whether I will have a stroke or because of the level of pain harm myself
13. When I think about migraine between attacks, I think: I try not to think about it
14. When I tell someone I have migraine, the response is usually: I have them too or it’s not that bad or they will go away when I get older
15. When someone tells me they have migraine, I think: they understand me
16. When I see commercials about migraine treatments, I think: our society and our doctors think pills are the answer and when is someone going to discover the cause and a cure and quit prescribing me all these pills
17. My best coping tools are: darkness and rest
18. I find comfort in: being able to take a pill and pillows
19. I get angry when people say: it’s no big deal
20. I like it when people say: I’m sorry you have to deal with that
21. Something kind someone can do for me during a migraine attack is:
22. The best thing(s) a doctor has ever said to me about migraine is:
23. The hardest thing to accept about having migraine is:
24. Migraine has taught me:
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:
27. The people who support me most are:
28. The thing I most wish people understood about migraine is:
29. Migraine and Headache Awareness Month is important to me because:
30. One more thing I’d like to say about life with migraine is:

Reader-submitted stories solely Migraine and headache disorders 30 Things memerepresent 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.

30 Things Meme

Estimator

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This is a reader-submitted post.

1. My diagnosis is: Chronic Migraine
2. My migraine attack frequency is: last year, it was every day, this year about 1-2/week
3. I was diagnosed in: 4th grade (over 30 years ago) but the severity of them changed last year
4. My comorbid conditions include:
5. I take 2-8 medications/supplements each day for prevention and 3-5 medications/supplements to treat an acute attack
6. My first migraine attack was: 4th grade gym class
7. My most disabling migraine symptoms are: sensory overload, sight, sound, touch, pain
8. My strangest migraine symptoms are: mood swings
9. My biggest migraine triggers are: storms, lack of sleep
10. I know a migraine attack is coming on when: I become mean for no reason
11. The most frustrating part about having a migraine attack is: feeling helpless
12. During a migraine attack, I worry most about: disappointing people & my dogs
13. When I think about migraine between attacks, I think: why me
14. When I tell someone I have migraine, the response is usually: you don’t eat right, it must be something you are doing, I had a headache the other day
15. When someone tells me they have migraine, I think: I’m so glad I don’t
16. When I see commercials about migraine treatments, I think: too bad my insurance doesn’t cover it
17. My best coping tools are: my dogs
18. I find comfort in: my dogs
19. I get angry when people say: it’s you, you don’t listen to your doctors
20. I like it when people say: I know it’s not you
21. Something kind someone can do for me during a migraine attack is: understand
22. The best thing(s) a doctor has ever said to me about migraine is: we will fight this together
23. The hardest thing to accept about having migraine is: it can control my life
24. Migraine has taught me: that I do not have the family I thought I had
25. The quotation, motto, mantra, or scripture that gets me through an attack is: just need to sleep a little, get through the pain.
26. If I could go back to the early days of my diagnosis, I would tell myself: it will get better
27. The people who support me most are: my best friend and my service dog in training
28. The thing I most wish people understood about migraine is: it’s not just a headache, it effects the whole body
29. Migraine and Headache Awareness Month is important to me because: it’s not, every day is important to me, everyday that I can get out of bed
30. One more thing I’d like to say about life with migraine is: It SUCKS, but with the right doctor who doesn’t just throw meds at you, you can make it through the toughest storm.

Reader-submitted stories solely Migraine and headache disorders 30 Things memerepresent 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.

30 Things Meme

My experience of chronic migraine

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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 Migraine and headache disorders 30 Things memerepresent 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.