Migraine Disease Is Not FUNny

                    
via GIPHY

Suffering from Migraine Disease will never be fun. I guess I'm stating the obvious, for anyone who is suffering with this invisible disease. I've suffered with the disease since the early '80's and it has never been fun. With this said, I have always tried to find the funny in the world.

I spend too much time in the dark confines of my bedroom. Blackout shades, no lights, no odors, no noise, and really no human contact. What does your brain do in this kind of environment? You either focus on the negative, or turn to thinking about, imagining, or questioning the world that exists outside of your cave. I choose the latter. I last had the ability to work at a professional career in 2008. Since then, I have experienced an average of 16 migraine days per month. So, when I'm in my carefully constructed migraine environment friendly cave, with an eye mask, icepack, and pillow on my head; I dream of the good 'ol days, and I think of the interesting, odd or funny things in life.

I have to do something to keep my mind distracted between the pain and sleep. I choose to analyze the world and attempt to find the funny. As I'm able, and remember, I keep notes on my phone of the strange things my brain comes up with. It can be scary, for the uninitiated and myself, to see the weird and funny things that pop into my mind. I have been a clown my whole life and I have no problem with people laughing with or at me.

When I'm down for the count, I push myself to think about things and not pain. I don't think, Why me? I think about the why's of the world. I put square pegs in round holes, solve world hunger, and cure cancer. Don't I wish. The funny is there if you allow yourself to think about it. I like to make myself and others laugh. When I'm stuck in my own head, I seek the funny. I make up jokes. They're not all great, not all laughable, or even something I can share with others. But, I try to remember the good stuff and write it down at my next opportunity.

When the "Monster" isn't on my back, I make the most of every moment. Trying to stay active is https://giphy.com/gifs/car-head-window-aBfSGPDRDSdqw
difficult at best. Between Aura, Prodrome, Migraine, and Postdrome, it can be very hard to be any kind of active. There are times when those around you up and moving and assume that your '100%. Having 16+ migraine days a month also means that you can have 3x that, while suffering the other three phases of migraine disease. Just believe me that the math works according to my limited knowledge of 'new math'. With the time that is available to me, I try to have fun.

Active days mean that my body and my brain are alert enough to participate in life, and when I do, MY PEOPLE know about it! You can hear my joy for miles! I have a bounce in my step, laugh at the stupid, joke around, and hang my head out of the car window and howl at the fresh air. Most times I'm even more gangster than that.

I've recently found stand-up comedy open mic nights. When my non-communicable disease (put smiley face here) allows me to get out of the house and there's a show, I go laugh. I laugh with others and I laugh at myself. I laugh at the absurd and the sublime. I make new friends and we laugh together, at least on the inside.

I urge my fellow migraine and invisible illness sufferers to take the opportunities they have to get out and live, when you can. Take chances. Don't be afraid or embarrassed. YOLO, You Only Live Once, so howl at the wind!

Pardon my rambling,

Shooting the Gap

We've all done it. Finally we can move and we are able to amble slowly ahead and in the right direction. Have been in the same space for what may have been minutes, hours or even days. You're not able to take off and just go because you know there's more blocking your way ahead. You're not able to move past on the right for fear of falling off the edge. There's absolutely now way you would want to go backwards and experience the same past all over again, and you can feel the space to the left disappearing fast. What do you do? Shoot the gap.

This is the migraine 'high'way of life. If you are a migraineur, then you probably more than understand what I'm trying to say. We live each day fighting the same old traffic, as the day before. And, if we are lucky, there's a small little gap between light and dark that we may be able to take advantage of, in order to move ahead in our lives, if only for a moment.

It's hard to shake the pain and make ready for an opening. You never know just when it's going to appear, but when it does, you MUST be ready to take advantage of it. You lay in wait, between the pain of the past and the pain of the future and PRAY. When it happens, you gun it, put the pedal to the metal, and shoot the gap.

If it lasts for a second, or it lasts for days, you have to live your life like there's no tomorrow. There may not be, because you may be stopped in your tracks unable to move and unable to know how much time has passed since you last enjoyed being up and running. The next you know, you look up and your moving again, slowly, carefully, and somewhat afraid. Are you still in the slow lane, with a migraine on your back bumper, or have the hours and the days passed and your about to plow into the next one just ahead?

Is that a gap just ahead? Are you close enough to your destination that you can you get out and crawl, walk or run forward? You MUST make the effort. You run, swim, bike, ski, hug your family and friends, PRAY, smile, or anything your body and mind will let you do.

This is shooting the gap.

But I Don't Look Disabled!

I have all my fingers, all my toes. I have both arms and legs as well as a torso to go along with them. If you see me out and about I don't need a wheelchair.  So how can it be that a good looking man like myself can be considered disabled? This is the conundrum of having an invisible illness!

If you you were to visit my home for a week, you would see how my migraines affect my life. Typically, you might see me (if at all) lying in bed three or more days, in a dark room with no noise and nothing to attack my sense of smell. I would be under the covers with my head covered and an icepack on my left anterior temporal lobe. Typically I am unable to function at all, but if I can... I make the effort. This is problematic too. I'm very light sensitive. My face and eye droop on the left side. I can't think straight, lose my focus and memory. I have to move very slowly because I lose strength in my right arm and leg. Forget about bending over. I can't even reach my shoes and socks.

Handicapped (Photo credit: a77eBnY)

There are even more symptoms, but you can get a pretty good idea of what I'm going through. How is someone in my position supposed to find a job? How do you get a job when you have to tell them that you  may not be able to work several days a week and don't which days they are until the last second?

AND, I'm not alone! There are somewhere around 3.2 million migraine sufferers, just in the United States. Many of these people may find themselves in the same situation that I am. I may not look like I have a disability, but I do. Non migraineurs do not have any means in which to really feel our pain. Just as men will never know the pain of childbirth. But, that doesn't make the pain any less real, or any less disabling.


People kind of get "this look" when they ask what I do and I tell them I am on disability. So, I usually start by saying that I am kind of retired. That usually points the conversation in a different direction and I don't feel embarrassed. Now, this is the point I've been leading this post toward. I/We should not have to feel embarrassed by our disability. There really needs to be a large push to provide more information to not just the public in general, but to our family and friends about the affect of migraine as well as the effect of the migraine to those who have this chronic disease. Our world close and far, needs to know that Chronic Migraine is disabling. It has to start at home!

Related articles

• Disability Discrimination: A Problem We Need to Talk About
• The Migraine Dirty Dozen - Things Not to Say to a Chronic Migraineur
• The Harm of "Normal"

Migraine or Hangover: How Do You Know?

hangover (Photo credit: xooorx)

As well as the dreaded alcohol induced hangover, it is possible to have a migraine hangover or postdrome, that is affected by a migraine.

It should be obvious if you tie one on (drink heavily) the night before and wake up in the morning with light and sound sensitivity, dizziness, nausea, and a headache, you are probably suffering from a hangover and not a migraine.



But what if you haven't been drinking at all and you find yourself suffering in a similar fashion to the alcohol induced hangover? You may be suffering from migraine hangover or an actual migraine.

Wikipedia describes a migraine as;

The typical migraine headache is unilateral (affecting one half of the head) and pulsating in nature and lasting from two to 72 hours; symptoms include nausea, vomiting, photophobia (increased sensitivity to light) and phonophobia (increased sensitivity to sound); the symptoms are generally aggravated by routine activity. Approximately one-third of people who suffer from migraine headaches perceive an aura—transient visual, sensory, language, or motor disturbances signaling the migraine will soon occur.

A migraine hangover is typically The effects of a migraine that may persist for a day or more after the main headache has ended. Many postdrome sufferers report feeling sore in the area where the migraine headache had been. Some also have impaired thinking, head pain, cognitive difficulties, gastrointestinal symptoms, mood changes, and weakness for a few days after the headache has passed.

So, what do you do to overcome the hangover? In many ways you may do the same thing as any other hangover. Read my previous article, Do You Have A Migraine Hangover?, for ways to overcome your hangover.

READ MORE...


 

Migraine And Keeping Your Sanity

Migraine makes keeping your sanity feel almost impossible.  We work so hard to keep our sanity and migraine works just as hard to keep us from it. Here are some ways that might help in keeping your sanity while dealing with migraine. This list is not all inclusive. They are just the beginning in 'keeping sanity' despite your invisible illness. See "Migraine And Living Life", and "Migraine And Work" for other ideas you may use in your struggle.

• Find a treatment plan that works for you and stick with it. Even if this plan does not keep you migraine free, finding a way to decrease or lessen them is a must. Work hard to find some kind of relief, if only for a short while. This is important for you and your life, your job, and your sanity. Finding one can be tough, but don't give up.

• Exercise daily:  The advantages of exercise are  undeniable but many of us continue to ignore this.  Remember that exercise strengthens our bodies and our minds and helps improve our endurance.  This translates into everything we do, whether it is the work environment, or the activities of daily living.  It also helps us feel in control and healthy, and reduces stress.  

• Schedule time for yourself:  Even if it is only for 30 minutes, schedule some renewal time for yourself. Everyday bathroom time does not count. Take a nap, meditate, read. Do something that you feel is relaxing and enjoyable to you. You might find that when you take a few minutes for yourself, it feels that you have more time for other things.

• Be grateful:  The world is a wonderful place and we have been given many gifts.  I feel that every day I wake up is another gift and that everything that follows throughout the day becomes a bonus.

• Try finding hobbies or other jobs that can be worked on in small segments and are easier to pick up and lay down.

• Find activities that you can stick with. Activities become habits. Habits become your character. Your character becomes your destiny. Become a slave to good habits. Doing the right things right develops strength of character that leads to success.

• Cultivate relationships with family and friends. Make it a planned habit to communicate with them face to face, through the phone, email, texting, and attending church activities. I find that using Facebook is also a good way to keep up with the lives of friends and family.

• Don’t take yourself too seriously:  I will leave you with this last idea; Infuse humor in your life and do not to take yourself too seriously.  Lose your ego and liberate yourself. Life is for growing and learning. Try to enjoy all the little moments of your day and stay happy.

Migraine And Living A Life

 Having a real life (and not a maybe or abbreviated life) can be difficult even without having migraine disease. It may seem that life and the world around us is passing us by. We get knocked down, and when we are able to get back up, our family and friends have moved on to another calendar day and other activities. It's hard not to stay depressed and question ourselves. Here are a few ideas for helping you lead a life, even if you have an invisible illness. The ideas I gave in my last article, "Migraine And Work", can help with living a better life as well as work and should be looked at for more ideas.

• Do all that you can to find a treatment plan that works for you and stick with it. Even if this plan does not keep you migraine free, finding a way to decrease or lessen them is a must.

•  Make your plans so that you are more likely to be able to finish them. And work up in scale, over time, as much as possible. Making plans for outings with others can be a crap shoot. Do what you can, when you can and branch out to bigger plans.

• Take medicine and treatments that help you to live more thoroughly. Sometimes treatments may be set aside even though they work, simply due the cost or time it takes for these treatments. Even if you have to decrease the number of visits, put them into your management regiment. Getting some help, even some of the time can give you some time to feel more healthy.

• Teach your family and friends about your suffering and provide ways that they can help you. They need to know when to rush in, and when to leave you alone. Sometimes the best thing they can do for you is to let you crawl into your cave.

•  Let others know about food allergies or triggers. Teach them about other triggers that can cause you trouble. Discuss the disease with them and help them to understand that your inability to make it to many functions, is not a slight to them.

• Act in accordance with given prescriptions, treatments and any triggers that affect you. If you do not take these seriously or act nonchalant about missing medicines or being around  these triggers, it makes it difficult for those around you to take these things seriously as well. I have a hard time staying away from several foods and will sometimes have them when having a migraine. I tell others that if I already have the migraine,  that food can't trigger a migraine. This is not a good practice for any of us. 

You have a life to live. Taking care of yourself so that you can live and work are important. Don't give up. You are not alone.

 

Migraine And Work

Migraine and work rarely go together. Working with migraine on a daily basis, is hard on a migraineur. We work so hard to balance our sanity, our jobs and our life at home . Here are some ways that aid in keeping your job. This list is not all inclusive. They are just the beginning in 'working' with your invisible illness.

•  Contact your HR department and do what you must to get FMLA.  In case you have to stay out of work for any length of time. FMLA is also good for your significant other to have set up in order to help take care of you when needed.

•  While working with HR have them document that you have a handicap. That you have special needs from your employer. Migraines do count as a handicap!

• Discuss with your superiors the possibilities available for accommodating your illness. Such as a flexible schedule, working from home, or even a change in work environment.

Doing these three things helped me extend my ability to keep my job and be able to work, until the migraines got so bad (daily) that I had to go on long term disability and eventually social security. At one point I was able to keep up 40-50 hours a week using a flexible schedule. But the monster finally caught up with me.

My next two posts will offer advice on balancing life and sanity with migraine.

 

Migraine Ninja

I have a few ninja skills when it comes to my migraines. You wouldn't know it to look at me. You're not supposed to be able to see or know that someone is a ninja. 

The ninja to the left is my daughter. Unfortunately she also suffers from migraine, but not as bad as mine. Her ninja skills are not as developed as mine either. I am in this photo, but I'm invisible to the naked eye.

I can/do withstand some excruciating pain. The kind of pain that we migraineurs suffer would bring a normal, healthy person to their knees. Others, with an invisible illness may have this same skill. I know that there are other ninjas in pain, out there.

I can sense a migraine about to attack. I usually get some kind of warning when an attack is about to begin. Similar to spidey senses. A flash of light, floaters in my left eye, a powerful smell.

I can leave the room and go back to bed without anyone noticing. I can disappear in a flash, even in a room full of people. I don't announce that I'm going back to bed. I just go.

What was that sound? That was the sound of me leaving the room and going back to bed... That sound is the sound of silence.

What ninja skills do you have?

 

How To Plan A Migraine

Planning a migraine is a lot like planning wedding. Albeit without setting a date, eating cake, inviting any guests, getting flowers, booking a reception hall and doing the "Hokie Pokey". 

You want to make sure you are ready when your migraine presents itself by having a plan.But, ...

Even the best laid plans of mice and men can often go astray.

Always plan ahead. If you are planning a wedding, you know the date and it will not catch you by surprise. Though your next migraine day will not be the happiest day of your life. You probably know how many migraines you suffer through each month or maybe you, like me, measure how many you have a week. With this knowledge you have the means to have a migraine plan. Planning your options and being ready for each attack can help overcome the severity. And give some normalcy to your life again.

Have a plan for several contingencies. It is unusual for a wedding day to come off without a hitch. It is wise to relax and plan for different possibilities. You have to realize that your migraine is not going to fit into tiny little pigeon holes. It's not going to play fair. You will eventually get one at the very worst time possible. So, be proactive and try to plan events in the gaps. Have a contingency plan in case your original plan falls through.

You know that in addition to having the migraine when you wake up, you are eventually, if not already, having them at work, when the weather changes, when you eat certain foods, due to bright lights and strong odors. You may have other times that a migraine may keep you from participating, and cause you to lead an abbreviated life. Be ready to not be ready.

What to include in your plan. The newlyweds always have a plan for the wedding. Dresses, shoes, bouquet, menu, and even have the suitcases packed for the getaway. You should always keep a bag packed. This should include some of your comfort items; Dark glasses and/or sleep mask, water bottle, a firm but comfortable pillow, ear plugs. You may also include an mp3 player to provide soft music to help you relax. There may be other items that you believe to be indispensable as well. Feel free to leave a comment about items you think I missed. Also, you should have a special place at home to go relax. Scope out work, the shopping center, and other places that are migraine rich environments. And, you should talk to your doctor about having a protocol for trips to the emergency room. Having your doctor prepare a plan that the doctors in the ED can follow, will cut your time in the hospital and get you the pain meds that you need more quickly.

 

Migraine And The Abbreviated Life

There are so many people that have suffered from migraine, or other invisible illness, for much of their lives. I myself have dealt with Migraines for over 30 years. That is about 60% of the years of my life. That's means that for more than half of my life, I have been suffering, been forced to stay in bed, cancel plans, miss some of the milestones of my children's lives, and too many other activities to count in a single blog article. I don't want to obsess over them anyway. It's just too depressing. But, this is what I mean by an abbreviated life.

An abbreviated life is one that stops and starts, has gaps in time when we are just not able to contribute experiences in other's lives in general and the world as a whole.

It's not unusual for us to wake up and be unable to face the day. To bow out of the days events even though they may be part of our our own dreams and/or plans. We are there one minute and gone the next. The ones we love know not to plan anything that may require our presence. That we may have to exit what ever is happening and be gone for hours or days at a time.

Sometimes I feel like what some people like about me is that I'm a reliable disappointment. (just joking) It is easy for a severe pain sufferer to condemn themselves as a disappointment to others as they are looking at the world from the wrong end of the binoculars. The pain sufferer may feel worse than the people around even suspect. The pain being invisible to others. It should be known that an abbreviated life, is the existence that many other people with invisible and visible illnesses lead as well. How do we exist beyond an abbreviated life?

• Work hard to find a treatment plan that works for you and stick with it.

• Make plans that you are more likely to be able to finish. And work up in scale as much as possible. Try finding hobbies or other jobs that can be worked on in small segments and are easier to pick up and lay down.

• Take medicine and treatments that help you to live more thoroughly. Sometimes treatments may be set aside even though they work, simply due the cost or time it takes for these treatments.

• Teach your family and friends about your suffering and provide ways that they can help you.

• Let them know about food allergies or triggers.
• Teach them about other triggers that can cause you trouble.

• Act in accordance with given prescriptions, treatments and any triggers that affect you. If you do not take these seriously or act nonchalant about missing medicines or being around  these triggers, it makes it difficult for those around you to take these things seriously as well.

What other ways do you have to overcome the abbreviated life that claims migraine as well other invisible illness victims?  Feel free to leave your comments below or email me this information, or any other questions or examples of living beyond the abbreviated life.

 

Easing The Burden of Migraine

An invisible illness is a beast of burden. You carry it around day and night, day after day. But, many of the people that see you around, don't know that there is a huge weight upon your shoulders. I know your pain, as I deal with migraine on a daily basis. I have learned over the 'many' years that there are things we can do to ease the onset of migraine while I try to live my life. Here are but a few things you each can try to ease the burden of migraine;

• Drink plenty of water. I've read that it is possible to drink too much water, but don't let that scare you from drinking water at all. It is very hard to drink too much, and it is so very important to keep hydrated.

• Keep an emergency kit with you at all times. Include some or all of the following items; 

• A bottle of water
• Dark glasses, especially if you don't usually wear them. Polarized lenses are important to keep out bright sunshine or bad lighting.
• Nausea medicine if you usually vomit with the pain.
• Any meds that you would normally take at the onset of migraine.
• Any other items that you deem a necessity during your illness attack.

• Get plenty of sleep. Not too much and not too little. Broken sleep habits make the onset of an attack much more likely.

• Eat the right diet at the right time for you. Eating breakfast and having meals regularly, are good for you. Some foods may be a migraine trigger. You can test foods for triggers by embarking on an elimination diet.

• Exercise! Even if it is only a few minutes at a time. Take a few minutes every day to stretch, maybe do some yoga. It may be difficult at first, but you may be able to work up to 30 minutes a day. Exercise will make you stronger, feel better, and make you more immune to pain. 

I hope that migraine or another invisible illness does not abbreviate your life. My list is not exhaustive. Do you have other ideas to lessen an interruption in your life?

 

Decrease Migraine Down Time

Who wouldn't prefer a natural remedy for their migraines? Here are five life changes that could naturally reduce the number of migraines in your life. The practice of  living a healthy lifestyle is difficult if you try to take it all on at once. So, adjust one item at a time.  Altering some bad habits may be what is needed to decrease the number and severity of  migraines in your life.

Using natural remedies may be more effective than over the counter drugs or hardcore prescriptions. Some of the medicines taken as prophylactic, designed to prevent migraines, may even lead to more migraines and unwanted side effects. The side effects can feel as bad as a migraine attack itself. By changing aspects of your life and the way you live can decrease the down days of most migraineurs.

Get More Winks

Everyone needs a certain amount of sleep each day. We each need to assess the amount we, as migraineurs, require in order to make it through the work week. It is very easy to get your days and nights reversed, when your body doesn't get enough sleep at night, or gets too much sleep during the day. Trying to make up for lost sleep is said to be useless and may set off another migraine attack.

Sweat More

Everyone can benefit from exercise. Those with migraine may need to work up a sweat as much as anyone else, in order to relieve stress triggers in their lives. The amount and type of exercise is different for each individual. A simple 30 minutes of exercise, three or more times a week, will definitely help reduce tension and stress in your life. Endorphins, released during exercise, reduce pain and inflammation in the body. A little sweat can go a long way.

Eat The Right Foods For You

It's one thing to say, "Eat right", but the right thing for one person may be harmful for another. Eating breakfast and having meals regularly are good for you. Some foods may be a migraine trigger. Foods like bread and other sources of wheat glutens, citrus, onions, aged cheeses and meats, and processed foods may be triggers for some migraineurs and not for others. Take the time to test your diet for triggers and stay away from foods that cause you to have an attack.

Watch Your Drinking

Watch what you drink and drink more water. Soda, tea and coffee are diaretics and can cause dehydration. Water is a necessity of this thing we call life. It seems so simple, yet is very hard for many to get enough water. The amount of water you may need to drink is suggested differently by different sources, but it's very difficult to get too much water unless you are drinking a bath tub full. Migraine attacks can cause dehydration. Dehydration may contribute to the migraine cycle. I've never heard of someone 'drinking' too much water.

Manage Your Stress

Stress is inescapable. Almost every moment presents some kind of stress. We need to learn to walk away, or deal with the stress in our lives. Learning to manage stress is one of the best ways to decrease the number and intensity of the migraines we endure. Try reading, meditation, moderate exercise, getting enough and the right kind of rest, and eating a balanced diet to reduce stress in your life.

Making life changes is difficult. It requires focus and discipline to make changes that become habits in our lives. Keep your perspective by looking at your changes one day at a time and carry them out every day. These changes may not be a total migraine cure, but they can only help to manage them in your life. If any of these suggestions eliminate even a small amount of down time, wouldn't be worth it?

 

Related Articles

• Finding the source of migraines (and fifty useless migraine drugs) (boingboing.net)
• Why do I always have migraines when I am stressed out? (zocdoc.com)

Back To The Migraine Grinder

More than a month ago I started a journey with my father in-law who was seeking a lung transplant. My week with him at Duke went rather well for me physically. I went the whole week without a migraine problem. My father in-law did not have a good week at all, with all the testing as well as a complication that had him admitted for two of the five days.

We recently found out that he has been denied for the transplant. This is a stunning blow for him. There is no actual cure for pulmonary fibrosis, but the transplant held promise for a somewhat normal way of life. Now he knows that he will be tethered to an oxygen source for the rest of his life.

He doesn't show it, but you know that he has to be depressed. I know that knowing about his condition has contributed to my depression. Contributing to my depression has also been the fact that I have had five migraines in the last two weeks. WHAT is going on? I had so much stress in Durham that I felt run ragged. I didn't much chance to stop or slow down. Typically stress like that would have put me down immediately. There just hasn't been stress like that since I've been home, but the attacks have made me feel like I have been run through a grinder.

We must remember that depression can wear us down as much as any other disease. Sometimes it may vary as to which is our primary illness. Depression is a disease as well. And, you may struggle with depression even when your migraine or other disorder is not prevalent. Check your medications to ensure that you are taking them properly and make an appointment with your doctor if your medications seem not to be working or your condition changes.

So far, I am riding down the same road as before. The same grinder has hold on my life. Thanks to everyone for the prayers.

 

A Mere Shadow Of Myself

The last couple, three, weeks have been very eventful for me. My migraines have been persistent throughout. In addition, I had a very bizarre appointment with my pain doctor.

I woke up that morning with some pain in my left chest and back.I  really was sure that it was not heart related. But, really thought that it was muscular. Well, I went to my appointment and the nurse did the usual weighing, blood pressure and heart rate. I then told her about the pain I was having. She told me to sit still while she got the doctor. My blood pressure was pretty good, 123/72 and I didn't ask about heart rate.  Dr. Brown came in rather quickly and started asking questions, poking and prodding. He then said that he didn't want to take a chance that I could be having a small heart attack.

He then sent me to the ED to be tested for heart problems. I was then EKG'd, X-ray'd, CT'd, and gave them some blood to work on. To make a complete afternoon, from 11 to 4, story shorter, let me say that all the test's and scans came back showing no problems. Enzymes were normal as well.

So, in addition to my Quasimodo style migraines, I am fighting some muscular chest pain as well. Head pain, and helping care for my mother and father in-laws have sequestered the majority of my time. I have poked my head up a few times but, I have been unable to spend any significant time at the computer and my blogging. And I haven't been unable to exercise to increase my energy and lose some weight.

Please keep me in your prayers this week, as I travel with my father-in-law to Duke University where he is being given testing to see if he is eligible for a double lung transplant. If all goes well he will be put on the transplant waiting list. He has asked me to be his primary care giver which will occupy the majority of my time for the next few months.

 

Oh, To Be Migraine Free

Last week was rough. It started alright, but by morning on Tuesday, I was sporting the scowl of a migraine. In addition I have somehow sprained or tore something in my chest and back. I spent most of the day Wednesday sitting in the emergency room. I left my pain doctors office and headed to the ER on his insistence. They took blood, did an EKG, x-rayed, and CT'd the heck out of me. They did not find any evidence that the pain was heart related. But, all that was given to me for my pain, both migraine and chest was valium which did not touch either. I was sent home in the same condition in which I had started the day. Blah!

Thursday, I stayed in bed unable to move without feeling one pain or the other.
By Friday, my scowl was a grimace and on Saturday, it turned into a full quasimodo migraine. Left eye drooping, slurred speech, and loss of motor control on the right side. A full blown 8+ migraine pain. The percoset was not working. Saturdays ringing of the bells of Notre Dame in my head made my transition from normal to Quasimodo complete, with feeling like there was a hump on my shoulder as well.

I have been having three to four migraine days a week for a couple of months. They have been limited to about a 5 on the pain scale. A whole bunch better than the seven a week I had been experiencing a year ago. It has been a answer to prayer that I have had any respite at all.

My father-in-law may have to undergo a lung transplant later this month. He has asked me to sign up as his primary caregiver. I have been helping care for my mother-in-law, who has Alzheimers, several days a week for over a year, and my father-in-law and I have become close friends during this time. I do not know at this time what all that will encompass, but he is a great friend and I did not hesitate to say, "yes". My prayer now is to be bright eyed and bushy tailed for the duration of the experience.

God will provide. I woke up Sunday, with nary a sign of the monster.  Praise the Lord! Now if I can just make it through the rest of the month with minimal disturbance from my migraines, I should be alright. Keep us in your prayers.

 

Don't Let The Migraine Beast Control Your LIfe

I have been burdened with writing this article for nearly two weeks. It's not that I don't know what to say, but that I don't know how to say it. I finally just sat down at the keyboard and started typing. This is what I got.

The beast is migraines in my case, though it could be any number of chronic or invisible illnesses that are suffered by others. The beast has been with me nearly every day over the last few years. It is always lurking, waiting to strike. Sometimes without warning. It presents a burden in a couple of ways.

Migraine is a burden on every day life. Waking each day, with one eye closed tight, hoping the beast is asleep and will let my feet touch the floor. It rides my back even when it is not attacking me, and threatens to strike at any time. I can't make definite plans without allowing for the presence of the beast. My calendar is filled with "penciled in" events. Nothing written in ink. That would present a specific target for the monster. Sleeping, waking, eating, going out to shop or see a movie, going to church, even when I go to the restroom can be determined by the force the beast lays on me. The daily grind of living with this beast tests my strength on a daily basis. And it tests the strength of those I love.

The burden is on our loved ones and friends as well.. It scares others away. Friends who were close no longer call or visit. Family gets tired as they are sucked into the grind. They reach a point where they are overwhelmed by the beast as well. It becomes tiring for them. They may not be able to see the beast, but they definitely feel it's presence. Almost as much as I do. They begin to not make plans, or make their plans without me, leaving me feeling like an outsider who is lost and alone. So many times I have stayed in bed, nursing a migraine, in an empty house. Compassion gets harder to find as the one's around us have to deal with the monster in our lives.

Sometimes, I feel as though I am the beast that preys on my family. A beast of burden that weighs them down as much as my own beast does to me. There are times when their actions and their words reflect the burden that is placed upon them. I try to suffer my illness in silence and not involve my family, but there is just no way that I could live without them. Do others have the same sense of being a burden? Do you have ways to fight back against the beast and gain your life back? Please share.

 

 

Related articles

• Wearing sunglasses can save you from migraines [Optics] (io9.com)
• Dealing With and Understanding Migraine Headaches (wisebread.com)
• Status Migraine: What You Should Know About a Migraine Lasting More Than 72 Hours (somebodyhealme.dianalee.net)