3 Things I'd Do If My Migraines Weren't A Thing

Since living with migraine disease, I’ve had to change up my lifestyle to accommodate my unpredictable head. This means figuring out what makes my migraines tick. This seems to be an ongoing process, but I know to avoid certain triggers like drinking alcohol, staying up late, and even eating too much processed food or sugar.

Always avoiding migraine triggers

Spending my days in a dark room with a boiling migraine ranks high on my "not-to-do list," so I listen to my body and avoid these known triggers. Some days though, I wonder what I’d do if I didn’t have my migraines to navigate. Would I decide to be adventurous and go mountain climbing or foster 12 kittens that would keep me up at all hours of the night? Well, I might not think that outside of the kitty litter box, but here are 3 things I would definitely do if my migraines magically disappeared.

Stay up late

Back in the day, I’d stay up past my bedtime (and sometimes into the early morning hours) to binge-watch Friends reruns or catch up on the latest movie with my husband. I loved being able to have these quiet moments with my partner, just the two of us. Now, my migraines have their own sleep schedule, and my head prefers a routine and a much earlier evening.

Play tag with my son

I go down with a migraine when my heart rate goes up. For some migraineurs, a good workout can keep migraines from attacking, but any sort of aerobic workout is a trigger for me. I can manage a nice walk, but there’s never been much running in my world — this includes playing tag with my son. Over the years, my son understands why his mom isn't so good at running, but still, I’d love to run around with him, experiencing the same sense of abandon he does — abandoning my migraines in the process.

Leave my sunglasses at home

My migraines have made me a master of time management at home and outside. I've always loved hanging outside all day in the summer sun. As a kid, I’d spend endless hours at the pool or playing in the backyard. But these days, expending that amount of energy in the heat and sunlight will eventually trigger my head pain. However, if my migraines were no more, you’d find me roller skating my way through the neighborhood until sunset.

Remembering where I've been

Having chronic migraines doesn’t make me the life of the party. And there are definitely days I grieve for all I miss out on doing. That’s when I try my best to remember that it was just a couple of years ago I couldn't even take a slow walk around the neighborhood or spend more than 30-minutes in the sun without pain. Migraine disease is ever-changing. Maybe it'll change again, and I’ll be able to tag my migraines out and tag my son in—although I still doubt I’ll be able to catch him.