Migraine Awareness Month #28: Lights, Camera, Action

Pick a movie character you can identify with, talk a bit about them and why you identify with them.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I immediately knew Buffy would be my response to this prompt as I’ve frequently marveled that being a vampire slayer isn’t all that different than having chronic migraine.

Fundamentally, Buffy is upbeat and positive as she faces inconceivable evil day after day. She is sometimes worn down by the weight of her responsibility, but Buffy always manages to face the fearsome world. Finding the bright side to the frustrations, disappointments and agony of migraine keeps me going. A day in bed with a migraine attack is a chance to read a novel. The storm that brings migraine triggers also has spectacular lighting and smells wonderful. A day without a migraine attack is a cherished gift. As loath as I am to admit it, the cliche is true — having chronic migraine has taught me to live life to the fullest. Likewise, there’s no doubt that Buffy seizes the day.

That’s not to say that Buffy is never annoyed by being the “chosen one.” She is often frustrated that her duties as the Slayer interfere with life as a normal teenage girl. I’m not saving the world every day, but my life is far from typical. Like Buffy, I’d love to go to school or work and hang out with friends without an outside force constantly interfering. Monsters literally crash through walls to interrupt Buffy’s normal life; my monsters are more figurative.

Perhaps the strongest similarity is that although Buffy is defeated repeatedly, she continues to fight the forces of evil and always wins. No matter how often I want to give up, I continue pushing through the migraine attacks, day after day. Surrender is simply not an option.

What movie or television character do you most identify with?

National Migraine Awareness Month is initiated by the National Headache Foundation. The Blogger’s Challenge is initiated by www.FightingHeadacheDisorders.com.