Aimovig: Is It My Happy Ending For Migraines?
Once upon a time, I believed in fairy tales and happy endings were just a chapter away. In the first grade, I knew rainbow unicorns would rescue me from math and Harrison Ford as Han Solo would find me in this galaxy. As I grew up, my beliefs grew with me. My confidence in math unicorns fell by the wayside, yet meeting Harrison Ford remained a hope. Then, migraines took over my head, and my faith in happy endings ended.
Hopeful for a fairytale ending to migraine
When my migraines first began, I was sure my fairy tale ending was just around the corner. I held fast to the idea that a new treatment would be the one that worked. When diet changes, yoga, natural hormone replacement therapy, acupuncture, praying to math unicorns, and a slew of other ministrations didn’t do the trick, I sought professional medical help.
Trying one medication after another
Each new medication my doctor suggested carried with it the potential of a new life and the promise of my legendary happy ending. This pill or that procedure would take me down a yellow brick road of salvation where my head would stop deep-frying itself, and I could finally live my fullest life with my family.
Longing for a pain-free life
My long list of non-working potions began to resemble my Christmas list—from my entire life. With my migraines taking over, I tried to find the fairy tale qualities in the now: the joy of my young son’s laugh, my husband’s silly jokes, or the butterfly that mesmerized us all. It would have to be enough, but I still secretly dreamt of a pain-free life.
Hesitant to try another new treatment
“There’s a new medicine coming…” my doctor said.
He described how it worked, and I half-listened. It was so taxing to try new medications. Not only did new pills/tonics make me nervous, but I never knew how my body was going to react. I’d always been sensitive to even the most benign of over-the-counter medications. Would I break out in large purple spots or simply see them on everyone’s face? Still, I was willing to try.
Aimovig was a game-changer
I started taking the Aimovig injection as soon as it was released. In the beginning, I experienced no side effects and also no change in my migraines. My migraines stayed daily. Then after three months, I realized I’d gone a full day without a migraine, and that day slipped into another one, and then another. I checked my hope at the door, and simply waited to see what would happen. After six months, my migraines became weekly, and for me this was a game-changer.
Having more control over migraine
I’ve been using Aimovig for almost a year now, and in conjunction with other preventative medications I’m on, my migraines have stayed at their weekly pattern. I’ve gone from a daily agony to a weekly pain, which is without a doubt easier to manage. So while my fairy tale dream isn’t perfect, this part of my migraine path certainly feels happier, but an ending it is not…and I still haven’t met Harrison Ford.
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