How do you express your migraine attacks?
I express many things in my life through writing. I find the act of writing what I experience to be very cathartic. Here is a poem I wrote about migraine experiences. I would love to see if others in the community would share their creative outlets. It can be anything that helps you navigate your condition(s).
Migrainous Musings
You never seem to rest
Unrelenting, atop a tidal wave’s crest
Lurking, seeping in my brain
Anxiety jolts, life’s constrained
Distortion’s creep like Caroll once penned
Vision blurred, I wait for the end
Kaleidoscopic prisms, snow and stars
Time slips away leaving me jarred
Odorous onslaughts at every turn
Perfumes and cleaners my nose doth spurn
Snorting shards of glass against my will
Breathless pause, alas my nose gets its fill
Off to OZ, head spinning to and fro
Stomach recoils, retching I go
Landing in a rocking boat
Heaving alone with burning throat
Banshee screams enter my ears
The ringing engulfs, my eyes red and seared
Cutting my brain like a rusty blade
Breaking me down, my body flayed
Pileated woodpecker hammering away
Pressure pulses, pain begins to weigh
As each step pounds, muscles grip tight
My strength is spent escaping this plight
Oh migraine, you paralyze my brain
Incoherence or silence is all that remain
Sitting tongue-tied, left in a daze
Insidious one, my brain you do raze
Loneliness abides within the abyss
A normal life again I’ll miss
Frustration and pain give way to tears
Depression wanes as the sky clears
Farewell migraine, my cruel friend
Take your leave and let me mend
Breath and strength I save up now
Fighting onward I always will plow
T Picerno
This is so beautiful! your rhyme scheme and imagery is so vivid! "Off to Oz, head spinning to and fro" easily has to be my favorite line. I've only ever put pen to paper and written narratively about my own struggles, but I love how you used your words to paint such a beautiful and honest picture. I'll give it a try!!
From nowhere it comes
Smashing through my head and mind
Migraine is its name
Love this as a coping method. Thank you so much for the suggestion!
Best ~ Sawyer (team member)
If you need an editor, you know where to find me! What a collab! ~ Sawyer (migraine.com team)
Yes I wanted to share my trick that I have started doing do relieve my persistent headaches. For a while I was putting ice on my head and it helps some but I somehow think the head is connected to the back possibly so I took the ice and instead of putting it on my head I put it on my butt. It seems to have helped a lot maybe there is something to it I am not sure. Hope it helps someone 😀
Thanks for sharing what works for you 😀. I can imagine a lot of people are looking for new solutions, so hopefully someone is able to give this a try and see how it goes for them.
Warmly, - Cody (Team Member)
I just loved that poem! It so elegantly described what I go thru on a daily basis! 1 good thing, though, is that I don't throw up anymore when I get a Migraine. Hallejulah. Now I am sensitive to light, sound & smell. I also have Aura Migraines since a fall on January 24th. I have Migraine Tension Headaches because I also have a band headache across my forehead along with a Migraine. Sometimes I feel as though I'm wearing a hat that someone is pushing down on my head. Again, thank you for writing the poem. It was sensational!
