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Monday 16 July 2012

Living with migraine.....are there any cures?

I thought I wasn't feeling inspired to write this week but in fact the feelings I am having are in fact a despondency about the whole "living with migraines" reality. I am fed up of it all. I can see no end.

The thing about any long term and chronic illness is that there are no easy answers. Admittedly, some people are 'lucky' enough to find the secret to their migraines. I recently saw a person on the TV who reported that through hypnosis, she discovered that in a previous life (gigantic leap of belief and acceptance there), a large coconut had landed on her head. Miraculously, once she had relived this awful event, she never had another migraine again.

I'm jealous. I want a coconut story for myself! There must be a simple explanation. I must be just missing it. There is something out there which is going to make a big difference to my life, if I could only just find it. I'm on a gluten free, caffeine free, and dairy free diet. I've been doing this for nearly 3 months and nothing has changed. Do I give up? Or does it take longer for my body to heal itself and with time, my migraines will get better. I have no answers. No one has any answers and I can feel very alone with some of the decision making I need to do.

 I've read many articles: one lady had acupuncture....migraines went, ....another lady did a major detox of diet and the migraines promptly left her. It seems to be so complicated as illnesses go. No one thing is reliably the culprit and you're left feeling that you are essentially guessing....it is a guessing game, full of "what if I try this....it may be the answer...."

It is a quiz with no answers. It seems to be just luck that you stumble on the right person, the right therapist, the right drug.....

Now this will sound ridiculous I expect but this lack of concrete information on how to stop this chronic illness leaves me with so much guilt. I feel guilty that I may somehow be causing the migraines myself. I know that may sound mad because I would never say that to anyone else. And if I had epilepsy or diabetes, I wouldn't be blaming myself. I also feel that it colours the picture people have of me......that somehow I'm not resilient or I am weak, or do not have a strong constitution. There's another whole blog entry on that topic!

Anyway, I have, as yet, found nothing that has a great impact on the frequency of my migraines. My brain seems to need to have them 1-3 times a week, whatever I do, or not do, take or not take. I may never find the answer......even though I know I am on the road of accepting this as a long term illness (gradually) and that I need to accomodate my life around it, I still feel let down that there is nothing I can do at this moment in my life to get rid of them or even lessen the frequency.......

Living as mum with migraines gives me the energy I need to carry on. What would I do without my children? They drain me, but also give me life. And that makes me remember something my dad said to me once....he was talking to me about as a migraineur you are sensitive to the world: light, noise, movement, smell, touch, any of these can become a trigger for migraine.Then he said, may be this sensitivity is central to who you are.....you are sensitive to others, intuitive and aware of people's pain and needs. May be, being migraine mums actually makes us sensitive and intuitive mums too? Everhopeful that amongst all this, there is hope.

PS: An update for relaxation....try the app 'headspace'. It is fantastic for visualisation and works on the principle that you have to practise relaxation skills and learn how to do it, with a view that you then apply these skills in stressful situations. The sessions are short and manageable. Available from iTunes or android. 

2 comments:

Zev said...

Hello Migraine-mum, meet migraine-dad.

I’ve been living with chronic migraines for over a decade and I have only recently gotten them under control with this herbal supplement. In fact I haven’t had a migraine in 14 days, that’s a record for me since I had 14 to 18 migraines a month for about the last 12 years. This does not count my daily headache (yes, every day) and clusters, icepick headaches….I feel like that guy in the movie scanners where his head blows up in the opening scene. My migraines have put a strain on my family (four daughters) and my relationships. Socially, I avoid anywhere that’s loud and crowded, which really sucks when you love live music. Financially my migraines devastated me, from a very high paying job to disability. When you are a parent you don’t often have the choice to just lie down in a dark quite room. You have to take care of your kids and try the best you can to be an active participant in your own family.

I still eat a gluten free, sugar free, fun free diet. Keep a migraine/headache diary (helps a lot with your Dr.) and carry my acute-onset migraine medication (Frova) and anti-nausea meds with me where ever I go. This is the longest I’ve been without a migraine and the funny thing is I still have my prodome – the aura, nausea, sensitivity to light/sound and touch (I couldn’t get a hair-cut without taking a pain pill) but no migraine pain. For now I’m optimistic for the first time in a long time.

P.S. The herbal is called; MigraMedic

Migraine Mum said...

Hi Migraine-dad! Thank you for your comment which certainbly sounds very interesting. Sorry it has taken me this long to reply as I have been on holiday.....there's a blog entry just on the travel to Spain!!

You certainly have been through an awful experience of migraine. Chronic is an understatement...so to find a herbal supplement that works for you is fantastic!! Presumably it is widely available?

It's amazing isn't it how every migraineur seems to have a different story when it comes to helping to get rid of the migraines. I feel as though they have a mind of their own and like to keep us on our toes. ButI like you, haven't found anything that's made a difference. DO you still feel that diet is an issue or that your symptoms got better on the funfree diet? I am beginning to wonder if milk is an issue...but i know it's not documented in many places as being a trigger for migraine.

Anyway, I could go on...I wish you all the luck with this new supplement and I will keep my eyes out for it too. Thanks for your support, Migraine mum