The Power of a Pet
It is a given that our pets can help us navigate the challenging terrain of migraine. They provide comfort and distraction when we’re laboring through severe pain. Some pets can alert us to an attack before it hits. They may encourage us to go outside (even when we don’t feel we can do so). And, once outside, we may realize that fresh air can do us wonders for our mood and sometimes it can even tamp down pain and related neurological symptoms.
Who is my best furry friend?
My goldendoodle, Gracie Mae, will be 7 in April. She has done worlds to see me through some of the most stressful years of my life. On top of living with chronic migraine, Grace has seen me through the end of a 25-year-long marriage; becoming an emptynester, and moving to a new town. I cannot come close to articulating how her presence and stability in my life and her abiding love has been life-changing.
Is she a service dog?
She is my constant companion whom I take everywhere I go. I initially had her trained as a service dog but it wasn’t for her. The process stressed her out. Indeed, I remember the trainer asking me why I was training her for this opportunity. Was it for me or for her? I had to admit I was having her trained for me - because I thought it would be fun and interesting to be available to visit children at our local hospital. In retrospect, I wish I had her trained as a service animal for me so that I could truly take her anywhere.
What are the challenges of having a pet?
Pets can take a lot of work. They require loads of training, attention, energy, and time that sometimes we can’t muster during active or frequent attacks. Grace is thankfully a very easy dog who responds beautifully.
I admit that I’ve become dependent on her. I hesitate to travel anywhere I cannot take her. And when we are apart, I feel stress and anxiety arise from within. I fear and can’t resist thinking about her relatively short lifespan. I know her loss in my life will be enormous. To this end, I try to make every day count. Migraine can make us focus on ourselves around the clock as we monitor for triggers and symptoms. She helps me focus outside of myself as I think of ways to help her have a good day.
How has she helped me with migraine?
My migraine doctor encourages me to take daily walks whenever I can. If it weren’t for Gracie Mae, I can imagine I would find many a reason not to do so. But her energy tank (which seems to never empty) keeps me in motion – and out in the world to some extent each day. Some outings are much shorter than others. Still, getting out – seeing the world - walking in nature with her running alongside me is a perspective-giving-gift that greatly offsets much of the pain and awfulness of living with migraine.
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