// Day 25 - Learning//

Share something you learned from another health activist (that everyone should know!)

I think I’ve learned quite a few things from the different health activists that I follow and interact with, but one thing has really stuck out to me.

No one, and I mean NO ONE, experiences migraine in the exact same way that you do.

Migraines are a completely individualized experience. I sometimes get an aura with my migraines. Some people have never experienced this phenomena in their lives (I only started to experienced it a few years ago). What is a common symptom for me, may be completely alarming for you.

My triggers may have absolutely nothing in common with your triggers. We may have similar triggers, but the chances that they’re the same are slim to none.

What may help me, may harm you. I find that having a cup of tea with caffeine can ease the pain of my migraines. For my mom, it does more damage than good.

Migraines make me think of that first part of the rifleman’s creed. Except with migraines of course:

This is my migraine. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

No one’s migraines are the same, and therefore no one’s treatment and relief will come in exactly the same package. If that were true, there wouldn’t be such a dire need for migraine activism.

I’ve learned so many tips and tricks through my fellow migraineurs, and through trial and error, I’ve found some new things that work for me. Each day I learn something new about my condition that empowers me to continue on my journey to better health and fewer migraines.

What have you learned from other health activists?

// Day 23 - Technology//

Write about how your life would change if there was no social media.

It would be a lonely place.

I wish I were exaggerating on that.

See, most of my friends don’t live in the same state as me. My closest friends both live in Western Pennsylvania (in Pittsburgh & in Johnstown), and many of my other friends live out that way (or in Eastern PA, Upstate NY, Maryland, Connecticut, or other parts of Jersey).

Social media is the easiest way for me to keep up with them and everything going on in their lives. If I didn’t have social media, it would be harder to keep in touch with them. I know that I can pick up the phone or text them, but it’s not really something I can do every single day (although I text with my best friends on a daily basis). This way, I’m kept in the loop on my friends lives, and they know what’s going on in mine.

In the past few years, social media has also connected me to many other people who are in the same position as I am when it comes to health. People who are searching for an answer, and trying to take control over their health.

These people have inspired me to be more proactive in my life. I wouldn’t be a health activist if it weren’t for all of the ones that I see every day on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and every other form of social media out there.

What would your life be like without social media?

// Day 22 - Day to Day//

Write about the things you couldn’t live without – list 10 things you need or love most.

1. My supportive friends & family: If I didn’t have these people who stood by my side through every step and stumble and setback, I’d probably still be suffering from far more migraines and pain than I am now.
2. My Nalgene bottle: I ALWAYS have this thing with me, or in the fridge ready to go. It’s always filled with either water (with lemons usually), iced tea, or gatorade. The gatorade is usually during the summer months when I’m running around in the heat at camp. I need to stay hydrated, as being dehydrated is not only a migraine trigger, but can cause some damage with my kidneys as well.
3. My cell phone: Not because I need it to search the internet all the time, but for other reasons. For one, I have an app on my phone that I use to track my migraines. It’s also good for emergency situations such as needing someone to come pick me up because of a migraine. But also, because sometimes you need to see a good cat video to cheer you up!
4. An icepack: We keep about 4 different icepacks in the freezer at my house CONSTANTLY. We’ve also got one that you can fill up with ice, depending on where the pain is and what’s best for the situation.
5. Books: I love a good book. Well, I love most books. Sometimes you need a distraction and sound and the TV are just too much stimulation.
6. Social Media: I’ve made so many new migraineur friends through Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook. It’s a kind of support system I’ve never had before. These people all push me to try new things in order to get to the bottom of my migraines.
7. Big sweatshirts: Okay, this one is kind of random, but after I’ve had one of those migraines where I’ve thrown up everything I’ve had to eat in the past 2 days, I start to shake. At this point, I throw on a big sweatshirt and snuggle under my sheets. When I have an icepack on my head, the rest of me is bound to get cold, so a big, comfy sweatshirt is the perfect option.
8. Neti Pot: I have sinus problems AND allergies as well, and these can compound or trigger a migraine for me. Using a Neti Pot on a daily basis helps to clear out some of the junk that stuffs me up.
9. Yoga: Okay, this is a bit less of a “thing” and more of a “skill” or “tool”, but without yoga, I know I’d be having more migraines. Sometimes, it’s the only thing that can calm me down, and when I have the time to consistently practice, I find that I have fewer migraines - and even when I do have them, the severity is reduced.
10. Thick, fuzzy socks: When I have a migraine, my feet become freezing. Popping on these socks and jumping under the covers is the only thing I can do to defrost them.

What are some things that you can’t live without?

// Day 17 - Wordless Wednesday//

å I wasn’t able to get Wordle to work on my browser, so I used another word cloud generator. I obviously talk about migraines a lot! :)

// Day 16 - Misinformation//

1) My first time using a rescue medication for a migraine, I passed out at the piano.

2) I’ve been known to keep my sunglasses on indoors when I have a migraine.

3) I started experiencing aura with my migraines in high school.

Thoughts?

// Day 14 - Spread the Love//

Thank a few of your fellow health activists for what they have done. Call them out by name or twitter handle. Share your love.

The first person I have to thank is absolutely Emily over at ThatMWord. When I started up this blog, I was really lost and didn’t even know where to start looking for things, people, or information. I can’t even remember who found whom on this site, but I know that Emily is one of the first people (if not the first person) I followed on this blog. She posts great research and is a strong role model for people everywhere who won’t take being discriminated against in the workplace due to their migraines. She’s an advocate, but more than that, I consider her a friend. (We also found out that we have some common friends, even though we live in different states!!) She’s got a great sense of humor, and shares some really great opinions about research. Emily has been a fantastic resource for me over the course of this blog as not only a resource for migraine information, but as someone who I can complain about my migraines with. If you’re not already checking out That M Word, you absolutely should! You can also follow her on Twitter at @emilymword

The next person I’d thank is Michelle (@michellemmmm). She’s outspoken and is frank about her migraines and the way she experiences them. The fact that she’s also gluten-intolerant draws me to her because this is something I think I may be grappling with. Seeing that there’s someone else out there similar to me makes me realize that I can be a functional human being out there in the world.

A third person would be Jamie. We’ve traded messages back and forth, and she’s been someone I can talk about my migraines with. She’s shared experiences with me and her posts inspire me. She shares research and personal tidbits and I absolutely recommend you guys check out her blog.

There are so many others who have done great things, like those who are contributors at Migraine.com or other websites dedicated to Headache Disorders. I just chose to pick three people who I’ve formed somewhat of a personal relationship with. I think that the best thing I’ve gotten out of joining the online migraine community is a support system. I’ve found some great girls who are going through the same things I go through. We can trade war stories and talk about what works for us and what doesn’t.

So thank you ladies, for all of the support, ideas, links, and compassion that I don’t always get in my everyday life.

I hope to widen my circle of online (and real life) migraineur friends in the future! :)

// Day 13 - Haiku//

Write a health acrostic for your health condition, hashtag, or username!

Mother of God, I think there’s a small man with an ice pick behind my eye.

If I wear sunglasses, maybe I can work through this.

Guess I’m not getting anything accomplished today.

Relpaxcan usually help.

Audiologic symptoms. Things sound skewed and metallic.

Intensity of pain building up and spreading.

Nausea guaranteed.

Every doctor should take at least one seminar or course about migraine during med school.

// Request for Medication Info?//

So my mom suffers from chronic migraines even worse than I do.

She was recently given a new prescription for a topical cream for her migraines. It’s supplied by DermaTran Health Solutions and the prescription lists that it contains: Gabapentin, Naproxen, Pentoxifylline, Sumatriptan, and Tramadol.

It comes in a pump bottle, and she is supposed to apply one pump of the cream to the “back of the neck at the hairline and trigger points for headche” and rub it in for two minutes.

So far, she’s had some trouble even getting it out of the bottle. When she was able to get some of the solution out, it did lessen the severity of her migraine (though it didn’t get rid of it.)

We’re wondering if there’s something faulty with the pump bottles though, because she doesn’t always get the mixture out when she pumps. And when some does come out, it almost spits out at her. And it’s a very small amount.

Has anyone had any experience with this medication?