What I Like to Eat on Migraine Days
I will be the first to admit that what I eat on Migraine days isn’t that healthy. I just let my cravings guide me and honestly, it usually works to settle my stomach and make me feel a bit better. What I Like to Eat on Migraine Days Keep in mind that this is not a list of healthy foods. This is a list of the things my body craves on my worst days. My best advice is to drink plenty of water on the migraine days and let your body guide you for the rest! Snacks The first thing I want the eat on Migraine days is salty snacks!…
Migraine Explained: Prodrome
One of the things that makes a migraine different than an ordinary headache is that a migraine has phases. Over the next few weeks, I want to take an indepth look at each phase of a migraine. Today we will be looking at the Prodrome. What is Prodrome? Prodrome is derived from the Greek word, prodromos which means running before. The medical definition of prodrome is, a symptom or group of symptoms that appears shortly before an acute attack of illness. Therefore, when discussing migraine, prodrome means symptoms that occur before the actual migraine begins. The prodrome phase of a migraine can occur a few hours or even a few…
Migraine Explained: Status Migrainosus
If you have Chronic Migraine, you have probably heard the words, Status Migrainosus or Status Migraine. They are the most dreaded words in the Migraine community. Other words doctors use is Intractable Migraine and in very basic terms means the migraine will not go away. There is much more to know about Status Migrainosus because it doesn’t always present in the same ways for everyone. When Does it Become Status Migrainosus? To get diagnosed the migraine must have last for at least 72 hours but that doesn’t have to be consecutive. Another words, medications may provide relief but it is temporary. The migraine will return as soon as the medication…
5 Ways to Survive the Holidays
When you have Chronic Migraine, the holiday season can be difficult to manuever. There are parties to attend, gifts to buy and activities to take part in. All of these things equals stress that can trigger migraines that can stop you in your tracks. There are things you can do to help you survive the holidays. Stress Explained There is a misconception that stress comes from bad things and nothing could be further from the truth. Some of our most happy moments are stressful including weddings and having a baby. Not all stress is bad stress but that doesn’t mean that our bodies react to it in good ways. Unfortunately,…
5 Hard Conversations to Avoid During the Holidays
Everyone has that one person at their holiday gatherings that has no tact or asks rude questions. This is probably even more noticeable to people that have a chronic illness. We are used to having hard conversations with those relatives that just don’t know how to keep their opinions to themselves. What Hard Conversations? “Well you don’t look sick” – This is one of the most inconsiderate statements that someone can make to someone that is chronically ill. Most chronic illnesses can’t be seen on the outside and are considered, “invisible Illness”. HOw I look doesn’t determine how I feel on the vast majority of days. “Shouldn’t you Try a New…
“Nevertheless, She Persisted” – My Weekend Mantra
The weekend wasn’t a complete bust but it wasn’t a total success either. What I can say is that I did my best and no matter what happened, I persisted! I didn’t stop trying. Over the past few weeks, the weather has been rough. High humidity, High temperatures, storms and the barometric pressure changes have really taken a toll on me. These are all migraine triggers for me and there is nothing I can do about them…except push through. I woke up on Saturday morning around 5 am with a Hemiplegic Migraine that fortunately responded well to my medication and I slept for a few hours more. When I woke…
The Weather is Trying to Kill Me
“The weather is trying to kill me”, this is a statement that I have repeated many times over the past two weeks. I know that it sounds like a crazy statement based on irrational paranoia but it isn’t, I promise. I do realize that the weather can’t kill me but it most certainly can make my life miserable. The past few weeks has been a proverbial barometric pressure roller coaster. The changes in pressure send me into my migraine cocoon and there is nothing I can do about it. Weather Related Migraine Product Review: I tried the MigraineX earplugs a week ago on a day that saw a lot of…
Letter to my Brain
Last week, several people wrote letters to their brain. I made a comment on Jay’s post over at beardedigor.wordpress.com that I would be afraid of what I would say. He said I should do it…Challenge Accepted! Dear Brain, What On Earth is going on up there? For the many years you would act up on rare occasions but then you decided to be naughty every single day. It was bad enough when my the right side of my face would droop and my vision would get all sparkley. But when you decided that I didn’t need my right arm to work you went way over the line. Never mind the horrendous pain, which…
4 Ways to Make Something Good Out of Bad
I am sure that most everyone has heard the phrase, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade”. If only life were as easy as adding some sugar and water to some fresh squeezed lemon juice. Unfortunately, life can be down right hard sometimes and can throw things at us that sets our lives spinning. It is much easier to sit back, go on auto-pilot and be angry or depressed. It is much harder to look for ways to make something good come out of it.
The Elusive Sleep and Migraine
It doesn’t seem to matter how much I take care of myself, the one thing I seem to be constantly hunting is a good nights sleep. My inability to sleep effects how well I function during the day and compounded with other triggers, such as weather, can lead to an increase of migraine episodes. Lack of sleep also gives me less “juice” to fight the pain once a migraine episode has begun. Here is how a typical night goes. Around 10:30, I am tired and ready for sleep. I get comfy and cozy, my husband and I pray and say our good nights, then my husband turns off the light.…
