A Lifetime and an Inheritance

I have suffered from chronic migraine for 73 years - a lifetime! My mother suffered from them, my sister, and now, my daughter. :-( I also suffer from multiple other sources of chronic pain.

My lifetime with migraine

Nothing worked long-term. Triptans provided slight relief, but Botox caused my blood pressure to skyrocket. I was able to reduce the headache from a 9 on the pain scale to a 4 with a daith piercing, thank God.

So until 2023, I muddled through life with a full-time job, raising a daughter, and being a social justice activist in my community while suffering 20 out of 30 days a month with death-defying headaches, nausea, and earaches. One time, I even totaled my car when a powerful one hit all of a sudden on a country road because of the sunlight strobing through late-fall trees!

The life-changing impact of CGRPs

In 2023, I was finally able to get my GP to provide special approval for a CGRP called Nurtec. For the uninsured, this medication costs almost $2,000 per month. :-0! I pay $50 per month for 16 pills. In order for them to work, I must take one in the early onset stages or during the aura stage of my migraine. The trouble is, I sometimes wake up with the headache in full swing. It is useless to try to suppress it, then!

Overall, having access to Nurtec has been an absolute quality-of-life win, starting in my 7th decade of life. I only wish CGRPs were available to all who suffer as I do. What a difference it would make to our society!

How it's impacted my daughter

Until then, my daughter is condemned to the same route as mine - trying to manage this inherited horror with meds that have a negative effect on one's heart and missing many opportunities with this disability, regardless. Notwithstanding, she also contributes to her society through full-time work, activism, and mentoring young women.

How migraine separates us

I would argue that people with chronic pain are not weaker or more frail than their 'normal' counterparts. They are, in fact, stronger, more resilient genius problem solvers who withstand immense daily challenges to become active contributors to their societies. We are the true superhumans!