NMAM, Days 22, 27, 29

I'm really behind on this daily blogging challenge. My life has been stressful lately, so stressful I'm having trouble writing about it without ending up in tears of frustration, which my head reacts super violently to, so I'm going to skip it for now and instead give you a few answers to my favorite prompts of the last several I've missed.

Migraine Awareness Month #22: "The Game Changer." Tell us about a time your plans changed due either an unexpected Migraine or an unexpected Migraine-free experience.

The real game changer was the sudden and all-encompassing introduction of migraines to my life. They started rather quickly and within months had rendered me incapable of withstanding direct or bright light, loud or competing noises, or nearly any artificial smell. My life changed totally in 2007, and I went from active and capable to nearly housebound and dependent on loved ones and friends for help. It's taken years to adjust and sometimes it still knocks me sideways when I think about what my reality has become. Every possible future I'd imagined for myself, rich, poor, married, alone, a horde of kids, child-free, in the city, on a farm, I never saw myself in pain, with significant disability, so this has forced me to reconsider everything I thought about what I want from this life. Do I really want the picket fence, kids and a yard? Do I want to be a photographer, do I want to travel, do I want to start a retirement fund? It's all different now, with migraines. After five years, the daily realities are no longer very remarkable, but the big picture of my life is still unclear. Possibilities and limitations are constantly being reevaluated.



Migraine Awareness Month #27: "In my Head and Heart." Who inspires you to keep trying and not give up, despite your Migraines?

I have a short list of people who really inspire me, who keep me grounded and keep me going and keep me from going off the deep end. They include, but are not limited to, my partner, my brother, my mom, my friends, and my dog. These people (and/or dog), whether they know it or not, keep me from giving up when the pain or the depression start feeling like forever. They inspire me to always try harder, to make my life better despite my health issues. Life is what we're given, what we're hit with, and what we make it. I want mine to be filled with the people I love, even if my head does hurt like hell the whole time.



Migraine Awareness Month #29: "More Often that Not." Today is Chronic Migraine Awareness Day. People with chronic Migraine have a Migraine more often than not. Think of and share a random act of kindness that you could do for someone with chronic Migraine.

Since I have chronic migraines, I'll share a list of things that someone could do for me.

1. Housework - I HATE spending all my energy cleaning my house just to have to do the same thing as soon as I recuperate. Sometimes I feel like the dishes are all I do. It's so depressing. My partner is an excellent caregiver in many respects, but he is not a tidy person and no amount of nagging will every make him be the neat freak I could really use in my life. If I could get some in-home help, I would have a lot more freedom.

2. Cash - I'm broke, all the time. It's exhausting and scary.

3. Anticipate Triggers - People who avoid scented products, who warn me when a destination will be loud or bright, who think of me when deciding where to sit in a room, those people are golden to me. And if you always make sure to turn off your radio when I'm in the car, I'm probably a little in love with you.

4. Be Patient - I can't control a lot of my life, and I adore it when people who are waiting on me, or who I've cancelled on again, or who are finding me less than charming due to migraine just let it go and wait it out and forgive me every time. LOVE.

5. Don't be weird about it - If I'm ill, there's no need to cover for me with embarrassed-face, or fuss over me nervously, or ask me a million times if I'm ok. However, the offer of water, shade, and quiet company would always be appreciated.