Comments for Migraine Journey

Comment on I still remember… by Betsy

Betsy — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:58:00 +0000

Thank YOU, Heather! You are an inspiration to me.

Comment on I still remember… by April Heather Davuclu

April Heather Davuclu — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:17:45 +0000

Thank you Betsy for your tireless work on behalf of migraine sufferers everywhere. You are a MIGRAINE HERO!!

Comment on New name for migraine people by Betsy

Betsy — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:16:23 +0000

Comment on New name for migraine people by Allison

Allison — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:50:19 +0000

I love it!

Comment on migraine and B vitamins by Betsy

Betsy — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 23:11:59 +0000

Yes, I think so too, and I wondered about B6 also. One of the side effects listed for Niacin is headache – go figure.

Comment on migraine and B vitamins by Bruce

Bruce — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 22:15:16 +0000

My experience is it’s the large dose of Niacin in the B Complex that triggers the migraine.

Comment on Was it the food? by Betsy

Betsy — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 14:06:17 +0000

Wow, Merri, I wish you the best outcomes for your hospital stay and medical leave! I admire your courage.

Perhaps you’re right about the chronic attacks and the hormone-menopause connection. I don’t know, but I do know that my migraine attacks have changed significantly in menopause. Not so much for one of my sisters, though.

Lack of control – there I think you’ve nailed it. And accepting that lack of control after years of hearing harmful comments like, ‘you should be able to eat, exercise, or manage your stress well enough to stop having those headaches!’ There are so many things we can’t control, but we can at least focus on those we do have some control over, like what we eat, trying to get good sleep (emphasis on trying), maybe decreasing the number of things we think we have to do, etc.

And then as you say accept that it is what it is. And coming to this, finally, after 40+ years of migraine disease in my life… hmmm…

Thank you for your insightful comments, and let us know the results of your coming adventure if you get a chance!
Here’s to acceptance,
Betsy

Comment on Was it the food? by Betsy

Betsy — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 13:52:55 +0000

Right, Nikki — it almost seems like you can trigger another attack just from worrying about what triggered the last one!?! And yes, I could almost always recognize the hormonal triggers, too, but we have numerous hormones other than reproductive flitting around affecting other neuro-chemical interactions and it becomes a hopeless jumbled jigsaw puzzle… maybe better to focus on living as healthy a lifestyle as possible, healthy foods, sleep, and exercise when possible for us and the best health care and treatments we can find/afford!

Comment on Was it the food? by Merri

Merri — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 13:30:38 +0000

Betsy,
You wrote: “Is it all the time I have lost from life, family, and friends over the years? I guess I would say no — that is the saddest part.” Oh, how often I have thought those exact words. I’m actually on a medical leave from work and headed into the hospital in two days to try and break this cycle…and I’m 56 years old. Still waiting for the “menopause” cure. But I begin to wonder if it works for the chronic daily version of our disease.

Your post is very good on many levels. What it speaks to is, I think, working towards acceptance of the disease, and our lack of control over it. Control the weather? Control all the substances our bodies come into contact with? Control our stress levels? (HA!)

Acceptance is so difficult, but it is the key, I think. Knowing when to push on, when to stop. Learning to not be ashamed of our disease–just because it isn’t visable or understood well doesn’t mean it isn’t real.

And don’t you just love those individuals who look at you and say ” You know, I never get headaches….” !!!! MM

Comment on Was it the food? by Nikki

Nikki — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 05:15:23 +0000

I know what you mean! I get so many migraines that when I do not get one I find myself asking ‘What is different about today from any other day that I did Not get a migraine?’ It seems triggers compound on each other so that we never really can tell what is causing the migraine we have. Except the hellish hormonal ones that I definately have an issue with.