From the outside looking in

Today’s Prompt: Write about what you think your family, friends, and others think a day in life, a day with Migraine disease is like.

I am always surprised when I speak with friends whom I thought knew about my health. I’ve had migraines for so long they have become a part of my identity. I don’t remember life without them. My oldest and dearest friends have known for decades. It’s pretty hard to hide the fact that you are vomiting and writhing in pain during a party and there’s not even any alcohol to blame it on. These same people know that I am strong and capable of accomplishing almost anything despite migraines. I don’t let them stop me from getting what I want. Granted, they may slow me down from day to day, but they haven’t stopped me from living life.

I think that my family and friends struggle to reconcile the hard-charging, driven me with the me who sometimes stays in bed for days or is forced to go the ER to stop an unrelenting attack. When they hear that I am considering surgery to get some relief they are surprised and empathetic, sharing that they had “no idea the migraines were that bad.”

I doubt anyone except my immediate family knows the lengths I go to in order to (hopefully) gain even a single day free of pain. My husband and children are just beginning to understand the daily trade-offs I make. It’s just too overwhelming to think about if you don’t have to. It’s easy to forget if you’re not the one living it. I think my daughter understands the best because she is engaged in a daily balancing act to control her own migraines. Otherwise, I think that loved ones go about their day not thinking about me and the migraines. The only time it crosses their minds is when I’m having an attack in their presence or I share an update.

People know of the pain and nausea if they have been with me during a bad attack. They know I take medicine and get Botox. Some people might know a few triggers, but certainly not all. When I get a rare opportunity to share the truth, friends and family are shocked.

National Migraine Awareness Month is initiated by the National Headache Foundation.
The Blogger’s Challenge is initiated by www.FightingHeadacheDisorders.com.