Hi everyone,
This is my first time posting here so please forgive me if screw up my post... I got diagnosed with chronic intractable migraine without aura, January of 2017. As many of you know the word intractable means "hard to control/treat". I have been through several different categories of medications, physical therapy, chiropractic care nothing has worked. I now get Botox shots every three months and manage my pain with narcotics and anti-nausea medication. I honestly have become kind of a shut-in. I feel like a shell of my former self, because I can no longer do a lot of the things that I used to enjoy before my migraines started. I have other health problems that existed before the migraines also. I am not happy with how my life has changed because of chronic pain, but I am learning to be self-compassionate and to try to see the good in my situation. My partner seems to have alot of difficulty understanding what I am going through, even though he has been with me in the hospital and has seen me miserable at home in bed, hiding in the dark with earplugs in. He has never had any serious health problems nor has he had to take medication or have any sort of treatment for a long-term health problem before. I know that it is difficult for him to understand what is happening to me because he does not have any personal context through which he can relate to my experience. He has also been very frustrated that the situation has not been resolved as of yet. My health situation has been very hard on our relationship and has been a huge financial strain on us as well, since I am no longer able to work. My partner stated recently that he worries he will be married to a hypochondriac (when we do get married) and that he thinks I like going to all the doctors appointments and being sick, etc, which couldn't be further from the truth. I try to keep him in the loop when I have appointments or have new medication or treatment so that he can understand what is happening. I have also tried to educate him as much as I can, with the hope in mind that it may make him feel better to have more knowledge about what is going on, so that everything feels a little less out of his control (he says he often feels helpless, which I understand). Yesterday, he was frustrated that none of the medications or treatments have worked so far, especially since I started a new treatment last month, that we both had high hopes for. I love my partner very much, but his recent, comments and lack of ability to put himself in my shoes are leaving me at a loss. Does anyone have any advice about how to handle someone (like a significant other) that just can't quite understand what I (and others in the migraine community) am/are going through? I feel like I have tried everything. Any advice is appreciated!