My whole life has been lived with a migraine in the backdrop

By melindas

3 min read

Now, at age 35, i live migraine free for about a year. It took most of my adult life going through trial and error with doctors and medicine to get to the place i am in now. I have tried most every medicine there is and every diet known to man, but self responsibility seemed to work out the best.

In my early years, since age 5, i just cried through the pain in the dark. in my teens, i suffered through not being invited to hangout because i "might have a headache anyway". In my adult life, i sought out any possible "cure", because i would take any relief i could get. Many missed opportunities with family, friends, work promotions and love have made me feel like i have not lived with migraine, but suffered because of migraines.

Migraines have caused me to live in the dark for 30 years and now the light is bright, but i enjoy it. I have learned to manage the way i live to keep those headaches at bay for as long as possible, but occasionally one will try to sneak up on me. When a headache appears now, i am prepared. I always carry a headache kit in my purse, every migraineur should have one. I have not enjoyed the last 30 years, but plan on enjoying the next 30. I will not miss the headaches or the silly comments people make when they don't understand the headache i have. I have been sticking to my diet and not enjoying those trigger foods that will get me in trouble. I have been exercising my body and mind which helps more than you would believe. I enjoy the last hour of every day because my night time regimen allows me continue the headache free zone i wish to live in. I take a long relaxing shower, meditate and deep-breathing exercises are next, and finally enjoy a nice neck massage from my shiatsu machine before going to bed to get my required 8 hours of sleep.

I live migraine free now, but feel responsible to help those who aren't. i know what works for me may not work for others, but just listening and letting others know you understand could change a migraineurs life. I joined a support group and it has changed my outlook on my life. I looked back on the last 35 years of my life and i am missing from a lot of pictures, but now i am the first one in the shot. Living with migraine is painful for all involved, but mostly for those who suffer in silence with no one to listen. I often wondered if anyone would be there to hold the icepack on my head, hold my hand during those scary hospital stays, hold my hair back during those hanging over the toilet moments, hold me up during those feeling so bad you'll lay down anywhere cold moments or just watch over me and keep it absolutely quiet while i try to sleep it off moments.

I have to say that now there is and he is not a migraine sufferer, but being open and honest about my history and the things i need from him have turned him into my migraine saint. I wish everyone had someone in there corner just like him. He knows my migraines almost as well as i do and gives me everything i need to stay on the headache free path. I am now living with migraines, not suffering with migraines...never thought i would say that, but it sure feels awesome. My life is full of good times with family and friends instead of memories of darkness and sickness.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Migraine.com team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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Hello help me! 😉
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Such great news....what worked for you?
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Gotta be honest...JEALOUS! 😀 😀 I'm so glad you found relief! What is your secret?
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I know nothing about migraine, who some some one will tell me if some haerd a person having migraine in early moring, like 2:30 am, almost avery day for at lest for 2 months he's 12yr old, Dr him on Elavil 10mg, an vitamin B-2 100mg plus magnesium oxide 400 mg.
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 Poor kid. My son started with migraines at age 5. He goes thru phases like you are describing, same headache, same time, everyday....sometimes it lasts for months (sorry to tell you that). But it does eventually pass, at least for him. The meds won't fix it, but they should make it more bearable. Good luck.
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 Thank you Lisa..
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I could only dream about being migraine free.....someday! I am 40 and have had migraines since 2nd grade. Same age my sister was diagnosed and my daughter too (who is now 1😎 we tend to suffer together, it stinks! I have tried everything through the years, something might work a little while, than BAM they're back and worse and daily! What worked for you?
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Great news Melinda! My dream is to post. A post similar to yours but what made your life change. What medication? We All here look for. Answers!
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I am 46 and have been having migraines for 2 1/2 years. I have had 5 sinus surgeries. For 4 months I have been on 4 different antibiotics and have been having more migraines then usual. I have been told they have nothing to do with each other. Yesterday my whole face hurt and my head was hurting so bad I could heardly move. Anyone out there with both of these problems? Y
melindas Member
It has been over a year since i posted my story and a lot has changed. But first i would like to tell everyone out there who wants to know how i got to be headache free....it takes the effort of a full time job. I kept a daily journal of everything( what i ate and when, what the weather was for the day, how much i exercised or not, how i felt, how much sleep i got, how many hours i worked, what activities i did, how much time i spent outside, if there were any smells that bothered me*perfumes,foods, grass being cut, etc*, what time i went to bed, what my headache score was and what meds i took, tracked my daily meds and vitamins) . I also kept a strict night time schedule before bed(one our before bed i turned off all electronics, took a bath/shower to relax, drank some hot decaf tea*thats just what i like*,then got into bed). Keeping this schedule before bed allowed me to unwind from the day and get calmed down for a good nights rest which is most important. My day had to stay on a strict schedule to keep migraine free. Wake at the same time, sleep at the same time, eat at the same time every day.....but most importantly was DRINK ENOUGH WATER. I thought i had read everything out there, but i found the ONE BOOK THAT CHANGED MY LIFE...THE MIGRAINE BRAIN BY DR CAROLYN BERNSTEIN. Sure the info is in plenty of other places that you could read, but for me i guess it was just the way the book layed the information out that completed the puzzle for me. You lose nothing by just reading this book and taking whatever information you can to help yourself, because you are your best advocate...you cant let a doctor tell you what you need. Back to the present...i am back in a headache cyclone. Because of the extreme measures taken by too many doctors and too many meds in the past...especially depakote...i had a total hysterectomy in may and have not had a headache free day since. This is month number three and boy am i frustrated, but i am not letting the doctors just throw pills at me....thats not a cure. I know that something changed in my body during/after the surgery with my hormone levels because i now have no ovaries. I will not just take menopause as a answer for the severe daily migraine that i now have. I have the most knowledge about me and i plan to use it. I have gone back to tracking my every mood and move again to use as ammunition when i arrive at the doctors office, so when i leave i am not carrying a new bag of pills but a plan of attack.
1. Nancy Harris Bonk Moderator
 Hi melinda, Thank you so much for sharing your update with us. I'm sorry you've had such a drastic change in your migraine pattern. However, you aren't alone is seeing your migraines worsen. In fact 67% of woman who enter surgical menopause see their migraines worsen and only 33% see an improvement. It's good to hear you are back to tracking everything seeing as that worked so wonderfully before. Keep up the good work, we are with you! Nancy