Confessions of a Migraineur

Breaking the rules of Migraine Management

Forgive me migraine gods for I have sinned. I have repeatedly broken the migraine management covenants of rest, fluids, foods and tracking. Please forgive me

Photo by Shalone Cason on Unsplash

Those that have migraines know the basic rules: eat regularly, get enough sleep, drink plenty of water, track your migraines, avoid your triggers etc. We all follow them religiously… right?

OK I’ll admit it. I don’t always do what is best for me and my migraines. In fact there are often times when I think screw it and do things that I know will give me a migraine. So there are days when I eat cheese, consume caffeine, don’t sleep on a regular schedule or don’t move as much as I should. I know these things will leave me in pain for hours or days. So why do I do it?

The answer is simple. It makes me feel normal. It makes me feel human. It helps me in my constant battle of fighting my illness. Below is a list of rules I have broken and why. Hopefully the list will help you see there can be balance in this life of chronic illness. Sometimes it is OK to throw caution to the wind and just be free. So I pack those meds and set off on my rule breaking mission one act at a time.

1. Eaten the ‘wrong’ food — There are too many foods now which can give me migraine that some days I just want to eat what I want. So I have that steak, or those tomatoes, or eat that mac and cheese and just live with the consequences. I have learned to identify which days I have the energy to fight my migraines and which days I don’t. I don’t beat myself up when I have to avoid certain foods because I have given myself the hope that on some days I can eat those foods. Of course there are foods which I must avoid like the plague. Strawberries are delicious but they will have me vomiting and in extreme pain for a week or more.
2. Enjoyed a drive in a super car around a race track — boy did I pay for this for the next few days! But being driven round an empty Yas Marina Ciruit in a McLaren 720s by a McLaren GT driver was something that I couldn’t pass up when offered a chance. So I took my anti-sickness meds, took my painkillers and enjoyed the car ride. Then I buckled up for the inevitable pain, nausea and dizziness that would come over the next few days and it definitely arrived. But it was worth every second of it. The things I avoid though are rollercoasters. My migraines can no longer take roller coasters so I get my thrills where I can.
3. Had that cocktail — So one trigger for me is alcohol. I generally avoid it as the migraine is fairly instantaneous. Some days I just want to be normal though so I have that drink. I mean I feel like I’m hungover most days anyway so why not make it worthwhile once in a while? I will avoid wine and beer though as the pain from that is too much. Spirits don’t give me the same level of pain or nausea so I stick with those.
4. Gone to that gig — Loud bright places are a recipe for migraines, right? Right. Will that stop me going? Nope. Music is my therapy. So I take my meds, have extra in my pocket, make sure I have water on me, get a seat over standing and make sure I know where the toilets and exit are in case I need to leave. Most importantly I give myself permission to leave if I start to feel too ill. Last year I went to 7 gigs and made some amazing memories. Thankfully I well versed in the cost of such an outing so I booked the day of the gig and the day after the gig off work. I arrived rested and had the following day to relax and lie in and slowly make my way home. Worth every second!
5. Travelled! — Air travel, or just travel in general can be taxing for those of us with chronic illness and chronic pain. Has this stopped me? No way! I have travelled to the UAE, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Italy, Spain and many more. Its not all been smooth sailing. I spent 2 days in bed in Malaysia with a migraine. I knew it was possible this could happen but it didn’t ruin my holiday. I had booked myself into a nice 5* hotel with a nice room and a great view. So staying in bed wasn’t as taxing as it could be in some other places. My room in Abu Dhabi? Top floor with a balcony so I was able to rest in the sun on my balcony. I had planned in 2 days where I knew I was able to rest and recuperate after my flight as I was going through a flare up at the time. I will continue to travel (post covid of course) and I will continue to make it bearable on myself via choosing nice hotels and nice rooms and planning in rest days.

I bend the rules constantly but in a way that is kind to myself. I will continue to do so as the experiences and memories far outweigh the cost in the long term. The key is to find your limits and work within them. Some limits are hard limits, like strawberries and wine with me. Others are more flexible and identifying these is the holy grail of living a fuller life with chronic illness.

Your chronic illness is part of you, but it is not ALL of you.

If you are feeling like migraine or chronic illness is robbing you of your life and who you are it is time to find out the new version of your life and live that to the full on the days you can. That is where there is hope in this fight. You appreciate those moments all the more when you do get them.