40 years and counting

Just read the article about acupuncture and yes, that's one of the ways I tried too. Whereas acupuncture worked wonders for an injured arm and for tennis elbow, it didn't do a thing for the migraines. Neither did "adjustments" by the chiropractor who was convinced he could "cure" me.

In short: it's triptans when the migraines hit (about 2 to 3 times/week for the last 40 years) and then 3 to 4 hours on the sofa, and that's a vast improvement over the way it used to be before triptans. Still, it plays havoc with my workday and my private life. I work from home now, a luxury not too many people can afford. I can take a Maxalt and crash when I feel the migraine coming on. My husband is very understanding although I'm sure he is plenty disappointed when I have to temporarily put life on hold. The neurologists whom we need for prescriptions for triptans, are just ever so bored by migraines because there's nothing they can do. I go through the litany of drugs I've tried, botox injections, you name it, and then watch their faces go blank. Yes, I'd love to exercise more, but I cannot do it with a migraine. I have to use the migraine-free time to catch up with my work. It is a vicious circle.

There was a period of 4 years during which I was virtually migraine-free. I lived in the mountains of Central America, at 5000 feet elevation, with year-round spring temperatures and low humidity. I have no idea if it was the altitude or the temperatures that kept the migraines away, but it was awesome! When I tell neurologists about it, they look at me like I'm nuts. I live on the Gulf Coast, so here I have neither elevation nor moderate temperatures -- but this is where my family and my job are, I do not have the luxury to move.

However: my wonderful nephew died 2 years ago of brain cancer. Now there's a horrid way to go. So, I'm trying to look at my migraines as a nuisance, not a problem. Cancer is a problem. Migraines are just speed bumps.

Marty B.