Life with Migraine
“I Hope You Feel Better”
Parenting with migraine is not easy, but holding tight to sweet moments helps keep things in perspective.
Read MoreHow Does Your Migraine Rank?
I never dreamed that I would be ranking my migraine disease….sports, yes…but migraine, not at all. I used to refer to my migraine days as ‘the good, the bad and the ugly.’ The good, low pain days were few and far between. As my ‘bad’ days increased to ‘ugly’ days, the ranking of my migraine followed. I moved from episodic migraine to chronic migraine to intractable chronic daily migraine. Each new ranking brought new anxiety, fear and desperation. Then I realized I am not alone. Of the approximately 40 million people in the US who have migraine, an estimated 4-6 million have chronic migraine.
Read MoreManaging Your Mindset and Mental Health
Living with migraine can be incredibly painful, frustrating, and lonely. It’s no wonder anxiety and depression so often come along for the ride. But there may be ways we can refocus our thinking and keep our hopes high. Keeping in mind that what works for some may not work for all, here are some ideas to add to your treatment toolbox:
Read MoreParenting with Migraine
Teaching kids how to do things for themselves is helpful for when I have a migraine. But, it also empowers them. When my daughter was 3, instead of feeling defeated that I was struggling to make her a sandwich, I tried to celebrate that my 3 year old could make her own sandwich! It taught me to reframe my perspective, and that has been incredibly helpful ever since!
Read MoreBeyond Medication: Movement for Migraine
There are many proven health benefits of exercising, which is why adding movement to your daily routine can be a powerful way to manage life with migraine. Exercise releases endorphins, or “feel-good hormones,” which act as our body’s natural pain killers. They help relieve stress, boost mood, improve sleep, and make us feel better overall!
Read MoreBeyond Medication: Treatment Tips and Tools for Managing Migraine
When we think of migraine treatment, our minds often land on medications. But finding an effective combination of migraine medications is really just one piece to the very complex puzzle that is migraine management. People with migraine disease often find the most success with a holistic treatment plan—one that includes medications, migraine devices, and a mix of non-pharmaceutical and alternative treatment options.
Read MoreChronic Migraine: Please Believe
Chronic Migraine: It’s real- please believe!
Behind that smile is an ocean of tears
Tears you will likely never see
Known only to those closest to me
Who watch the struggle to rise above
The courage it takes to face another day of unknowns and fear.
Migraine Behind the Mask: How to Participate!
The month of June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month. As a part of our Empowering Patient Voices initiative we will be doing a series of posts highlighting the devastation of migraine, cluster, and other headache disorders. We are inviting you to participate by sending in photographs to be featured!
Read MoreIntroducing Empowering Patient Voices
Empowering Patient Voices Launch Hope for Migraine and Migraine Meanderings are excited to announce the launch of our Empowering Patient Voices initiative. In 2021, this initiative will be introducing three approaches to Empowering Patient Voices: Out from the Shadows: Real Voice of Migraine Out from the Shadows: Migraine Behind the Mask Out from the Shadows:…
Read MoreThe Real Face of Migraine May Surprise You
Some of the strongest and most resilient people I know are those who live with chronic migraine. That may be surprising to many, but migraine is not your typical “headache.” The Interictal Period In fact, the disease presents itself in a wide variety of ways, many of which can be completely disabling and on a…
Read MoreLooking Back We’ve Come Farther Than You Think
Human nature all too often seems to be slanted towards seeing what is missing and the negative. We see what still needs to be done. We take note of what is lacking. We see the glass as half empty rather than half full. For some people, that is their general outlook on life. However, for…
Read MoreNew Year New Determination
One of the most surprising ways I heard myself described this year was as a “glass-half-full kind of person.” “Definitely NOT me,” was my immediate reaction! In fact, I think it would be more accurate to say that I’m an “I don’t want to get out of bed today” kind-of-person. My husband can definitely attest…
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