Living with Daily Migraines

Hi, I’m Tiffany.

Chronic migraine

I was diagnosed with chronic migraines in my early thirties. My migraines aren’t normal. I get migraines due to the fluid traveling around in my brain. When it travels I get major pressure in my head. It all started with me having bad headaches. I went to the doctor to figure out why my head was hurting so bad. I had a cat scan. The doctors found excessive cerebral fluid in brain from the cat scan. This where hydrocephalus started.

My hospital visit

I went into the hospital to get the fluid drained right after being told that the possibility of me getting a shunt wasn’t going to work. Most of the fluid stayed around my brain. The doctors didn’t drain all the fluid because my brain would have moved if all the fluid was drained. After the fluid drainage I continue to have bad headaches everyday.

Diagnosis

My neurologist then diagnosed me with chronic migraines. I started taking different medications. I have days where the medications worked and sometimes they didn’t work. Living with migraines has impacted me in a way where it has taught me to be strong and will powered. Everyday when I would get up in the morning wether for work or to start my day with an activity and have a migraine. I encouraged myself to push through and keep living.

Living with chronic pain

For me I find that moving around helps me to learn how to live with the pain. When someone would tell me to go home from work due to a migraine, I would say no because for me laying down all day in bed would make the pain worse. Today I still take precaution for when I get a severe migraine. I would have lay in a dark room after taking my medications. There are times when it’s hard and challenging to live with a disease that’s not curable.

Ways to stay active with migraine

Living with chronic migraines has limited me from some activities. I try to find other ways to be active to where a migraine won’t prevail. The only activities that work for me are walking and meditation. People tell me I’m strong and a trooper through this fight. I would always tell people who don’t understand or don’t feel the pain I feel. I have no choice but to be strong and I have keep going.