My Migraine and Headache Blog: June 2013

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Niagara Falls Turns Purple and Red for Chronic Migraine

Migraine and Headache Awareness Month wraps up with Niagara Falls Illumination.

Migraine and Headache Awareness Month has been a wonderful challenge filled with many online activities centering around it's theme; "Unmasking the Mystery of Chronic Migraines and Headaches." To find out all the events that were taking place, you can head on over to Fighting Headache Disorders. Today however, June 29, 2013 is Chronic Migraine Awareness Day. To celebrate it, Niagara Falls will be illuminated tonight in the official colors of chronic migraine - purple and red.

To read more about this beautiful event, head on over to Migraine.com and read Niagara Falls Goes Purple for Migraine.

Thanks for reading,

Nancy

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Last updated June 29, 2013.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Migraine Awareness Month Beginning to Take Hold

JUNE IS MIGRAINE & HEADACHE AWARENESS MONTH!

Many of us have been working hard this month to bring awareness and help end the stigma that surrounds migraine disease and headache disorders. There are blog, twitter and photo challenges, webinars, migraine giveaways and much more. People have shared wonderful blogs, beautiful photos and their inner most thoughts this year. I encourage you to head over to Fighting Headache Disorders for more details and information.

The Migraine and Headache Awareness campaign seems to be working as there is finally some media attention being drawn to it. Ellen pointed out that Pharmacy Times, an online source for pharmacists, wrote about the campaign in "Migraine Sufferers Get Social to Raise Awareness". A recent spot on the KFOR-TV channel in Oklahoma City called "Migraine headache awareness" was encouraging to see as well. While the piece was not perfect, it wasn't half bad either. In the 'for what it's worth' department, KFOR-TV gets extra points for just putting it on the air.

As the month speeds past us, it's nice to see our efforts paying off. Thanks to everyone who is participating, planning and making possible the 2013 Migraine and Headache Awareness Month.

Thanks for reading and happy awareness month,

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Migraine.com WNYMigrainesupport.com HormonesMatter.com

Last updated June 23, 2013.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Day #5

Migraine and Headache Awareness Day #5
Using Alternate Prompt - Don't Cry for Me Argentina: We don't want to be pitied, but we aren't always open about telling people how they can help us. How would you like to be helped?

Today's prompt for #MHAM13 is interesting and one I can readily identify with. I've never found it easy asking for help and I'm not sure why. Everyone needs help now and again and being disabled makes one need help a bit more. As difficult as it is to ask for help, not doing so makes me feel overwhelmed, stressed and anxious.

Today's prompt has pushed me into thinking about what I would ask to be helped with. One thing comes to mind - YARD WORK. That's it. If I could have consistent help with yard work, I think I would feel less overwhelmed and less guilty about not being able to keep up with it. Looking into my yard doesn't give me a sense of pleasure or relief, but a sense of dread and guilt. Dread because of the amount of work that needs to be done, and guilt because I am unable to do it.

So there you go, short and sweet - having migraines (and many other chronic ills) and getting yard work done does not add up.

Thanks for reading and happy migraine and headache awareness month,

Look for me on Twitter and Facebook too!

Or see me at Migraine.com WNYMigraineSupport.com Hormomes Matter

June, Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, is dedicated to Unmasking the Mystery of Chronic Headache Disorders. The Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge is issued by FightingHeadacheDisorders.com

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

"Find Nemo" Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge #4

Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge Day 4 "Just Keep Swimming" from the movie Finding Nemo. How do you keep going in life when Migraine or another Headache disorder deals you a difficult setback?

Thanks for reading and happy migraine awareness month,

Today is day four of the Migraine and Headache Awareness Blog Challenge and the prompt is "Just keep swimming" from the movie Finding Nemo. I would think everyone with chronic pain of any type can identify with this. We wake up each morning hoping for less pain than yesterday, strive to attain fewer migraines and simply want to move forward. Setbacks are part of life and the way each person deals with them can vary greatly.

My life often feels like the'other shoe' is going to drop at any moment, and it usually does. When it drops and a setback occurs, as frustrating as it is, I am almost prepared for it, because they seem to happen so frequently. I've practically built up a tolerance to them and it feels like they are lurking in every corner of my life. And not just when it comes to my health mind you, but in every aspect of it. The good times are always tempered with setbacks and my children's highs are usually followed by inevitable lows. Oh, and let's not forget dating and my ex-husband, I'll save those for another blog though!

When I have a migraine setback it usually is because I am unable to break a particularly bad cycle of migraines. This can happen even after I've followed my doctor's orders and taken two days of my abortive medication, a Midrin equivalent and a day of rescue medication, Dilaudid. Three days of refractory migraine pain is when I call my doctor, go into his office and have an IV infusion. The infusion usually consists of magnesium sulfate, and I receive shots of Dilaudid for pain, Vistaril to help calm my nervous system down and Tigan for nausea.

Before this plan was in place, unbeknownst to my doctor, I would wait an excessive amount of time wishing and hoping my migraine pain would go away or that it really wasn't a migraine. This line of thinking often got me into more trouble and certainly more pain, pain I definitely didn't need. I now take firm control of my refractory migraines and treat them in the appropriate way my doctor and I've agreed upon. Then I sit back and wait for the 'other shoe' to drop.

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Or see me at Migraine.com WNYMigraineSupport.com Hormomes Matter

Monday, June 3, 2013

Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge # 3

The Hunger Games: "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor." What healthy habits have you adopted to put the odds of better migraine and headache disorders management in your favor?

I try to do some fairly easy things in hopes of reducing my migraine frequency. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much. The "healthy habits" I've incorporated into my daily living include eating healthier, not skipping meals and not letting emotional pitfalls bring me down. By consciously doing these things, it helps me feel like I am an active participant in my migraine management plan rather than letting migraine control me.

We didn't have much processed food in my house while growing up. There were no ready to make boxes of macaroni and cheese, stuffing, and certainly no chips or snack foods. My mother would occasionally bake cookies, and she did buy them from time to time. But those were for my brother and sister - I could indulge in all the apples, skim milk and carrots I wanted. Snacking between meals was not encouraged, but cleaning your plate was.

Promoting healthy eating options and limiting processed foods and snacks has always been part of how we live. However, my children are not fans, and frequently remind me - "there's nothing good to eat in here." Of course there are plenty of things for them to eat, just not the chips, cookies, and crackers they want. In order to maintain this healthy eating plan, it takes time, patience and planning. We all know it's much easier to grab a handful of chips than it is to make sure there are fruits and vegetables cut up and ready to eat in the refrigerator. Eating healthier also helps me avoid one of my strongest migraine triggers - skipping a meal. If I skip a meal or go too long between meals, a migraine will surely ensue. By eating five or six smaller meals throughout the day, instead of the standard three larger ones, I can help avoid a migraine, thereby being empowered, not powerless when it comes to my migraines.

My emotional pitfalls and negative self talk have been around as long as I can remember. I've taken a stand against this. I no longer dwell on negative self talk that often leads to a downward emotional pitfall. As soon as the tiniest bits of negative thinking enter my mind, I immediately envision a stop sign to stop the negativity. A big, read STOP SIGN appears in my mind and says NO to negative self talk. This in turn helps fight off some of my depression. It doesn't stop a migraine from coming, but helps with my overall health.

Thanks for reading and happy migraine and headache disorder awareness month,

Look for me on Twitter and Facebook too!

Or see me at Migraine.com WNYMigraineSupport.com Hormomes Matter

June, Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, is dedicated to Unmasking the Mystery of Chronic Headache Disorders. The Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge is issued by FightingHeadacheDisorders.com

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge #2

Migraine and Headache Awareness Month #2 -X-Men: Migraine & Headache Disorders Super Heroes: Who in your life goes above the call of duty and how?

I am fortunate to have not just one, but four Migraine and headache disorder super heroes in my life. The first two are my children Sarah and Sam, who are and continue to be pillars of strength and accomplishment despite living with the obstacles their parents have put them through. The second and third heroes are my sister Julie and her wife Peggy.

These two wonderful women are the epitome of what a hero should be, giving freely, taking care of others and always being there when you don't even know you need them. Julie and Peggy have been together for 10 years and share their home with Fredo their cat who is treated as well if not better than most children I know. Julie and Peggy were finally married this past Christmas in a wonderful civil ceremony. There was hardly a dry eye in the room, and our hearts were full of happiness and joy for the loving couple. Both women are highly successful in their careers and share their love, strength, time and patience, sweat and equity to family and friends. They rarely stop and think of themselves. Julie and Peggy care for our aging parents without complaint; that's just how they roll. They would sooner go without then let someone be uncomfortable, unhappy, unattended to or felt ill at ease. These are the qualities that make a heroes great.

My children Sarah, now 23 years-old and Sam and 18 years-old are my other heroes. Raising them has been a wondrous blessed journey with many trials and tribulations. Both have accomplished great things in their young lives. Sarah received her bachelor's degree in December, made the Dean's List and is working in her chosen field - psychology. Sam will be graduating later this month from high school, just broke the school record for shot put and is going to Utica College in the fall to study health science.

Growing up hasn't been easy because their "picture perfect" family was ripped apart by their father who decided he needed a new life and left the family in 2008. However their foundation was strong - at one point their father was actually good at being a father. Our family of four became a close knit unit of three with love, patience, compassion, and plenty of time. Despite coming from a broken home, my children have set goals and standards for themselves - then reached them. They have achieved wonderful things despite having one parent who "tapped out" of the family during their important teen years and another who is chronically ill. They have shown themselves to be made of unbelievable character, compassion, and loyalty which are all necessary for a super hero.

Thanks for reading and have a great month!

Look for me on Twitter and Facebook too!

Or see me at Migraine.com WNYMigraineSupport.com Hormomes Matter

June, Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, is dedicated to Unmasking the Mystery of Chronic Headache Disorders. The Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge is issued by FightingHeadacheDisorders.com

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge #1

Migraine and Headache Awareness Month #1 - Phantom of the Opera:
What do you hide behind your Migraine/Headache Disorders mask? What do you let people see?

The first post of the Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge (MHAM) is quite appropriate for me. It's Phantom of the Opera: What do you hide behind your Migraine/Headache Disorders mask? What do you let people see?
Migraine and headache disorders are considered a "invisible" disease which means you cannot "see" the pain. Therefore, many times it's not difficult for me to put on my 'mask' and carry on as if all is well. The reality is my pain level may be very high - but no one is aware of this because my 'mask' is on.

I've always found it difficult to let people know when I'm in pain. I am the oldest of three siblings brought up by a strong Irish mother didn't have the time, tolerance or money for sick children. It wasn't that she didn't love us, she absolutely did and gave us opportunities to things she didn't have when she grew up; music lessons, horseback riding lessons, swimming lessons and basically any lesson that was available, we took it. My father was out of town two to three days a week as a traveling salesman, my grandmother had dementia and lived with us and my mother worked full time. Needless to say my mother's patience for illness was at a minimum. High fevers, broken bones, poor vision and hideous allergies were what got us into the 'Old Iranian' doctor. I was never prone to broken bones or fevers, but did have extremely bad hay fever and vision issues. These were easily taken care of with glasses, contacts, and the seasonal shot of cortisone treat our allergies. Yes, you read that correctly, we all had cortisone shots each spring to keep our hay fever in check!

When I started having menstrual migraines, my mother gave me aspirin with the unspoken message I was to carry on with my day. You just didn't complain about it - you worked through the pain. That's what I've been doing on this migraine and head pain journey, working through it, or in other words, 'hiding behind' it.

It's become second nature to wear my 'mask' and I hardly know it's there most of the time. Only people who are near and dear to me can actually see through my 'mask' and are patient enough to understand and accept it.

Thank you for reading and have a great month!