Tell us about your symptoms and treatment experience. Take our survey here.

Who Moved My Cheese?

Today is the 12th day of the 2014 Migraine & Headache Awareness Month (MHAM) Blog challenge which is hosted by the American Headache & Migraine Association (AHMA).

The prompt for today is “Who Moved My Cheese”.  This video tells a story about a way to deal with change in your life while it uses two mice and two people on their hunts for cheese.

As I watched the video, I thought about our journeys with doctors. How many times have you gone to a first visit with a doctor who had a room full of cheese (ideas)? Visit after visit, the cheese seemed to keep flowing. It didn’t seem like it would ever end and you got to taste many different kinds of cheeses.

It’s great to continue going back to this doctor and you may assume the cheese will never end. One day, you arrive at your doctor’s office only to discover they have no more ideas! You may even go back to this doctor with much hope again and again, but there are still no more new thoughts on how to help you.

Finally you realize that if you keep going to this same doctor, you may never get any better. You may be afraid to move on, but you know it’s time to find your new cheese. Don’t be left behind as things can’t get worse by venturing out into the maze to find a new doctor. If we don’t change, we may never get the relief we so desperately need and seek. You might even see little glimmers of hope with doctors along the way, but you have to keep pursuing that bigger cheese for you.

When you do find another large supply of cheese, be careful not to slip back into your old habits. Keep educating yourself and be aware of your options especially if your cheese starts running low. Anticipate your next change and be ready to change quickly so you can continue to enjoy new ideas.

I know how hard it can be to keep thinking ahead of what your next step may be, but it is easier to plan ahead then when you are forced to find your next doctor while in the middle of a long Migraine streak. I’ve been in that position and it wasn’t fun looking for a doctor while running low on my prescriptions. It’s better to be prepared to move onto your next doctor than scrambling when it’s actually necessary.

By providing your email address, you are agreeing to our privacy policy.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Migraine.com team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

Join the conversation

Please read our rules before commenting.

Community Poll

Do you feel comfortable advocating for yourself to your healthcare provider?