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Coping strategies for parent of child suffering from severe migraines?

Hello:

My 11-year old daughter has been suffering from migraine headaches for at least a year now, and they are getting worse. She has probably missed a full month of school this year due to the condition, and during attacks she is bed ridden for 2 or 3 days at a time. It is gotten to the point that we are very excited when one week goes by without her missing at least a day of school. My daughter is very active in Figure Skating and Acting, and is now missing many of these activities too. We have been seeing a neurologist and she is now on her third medication, with no improvement.

Those of you who are caregivers, what coping strategies do you use to deal with this at an emotional level, and to best help your child? I am sad and frustrated, and my daughter picks up on this and if anything it only contributes to her illness. I feel terrible for her. She is in significant pain much of the time and is missing out on so many things she enjoys. I feel like her illness is in part my fault because I had migraines as a teenager, and passed those genes on to her. Recently, I had a nightmare that she was sick every day and never could go to school again. Even when she is well, I know that she will get sick again in a few days, so I no longer like to make plans and am careful not to get too excited about an upcoming event that we might have to miss.

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