Migraines

Migraines are the bane of my existence at this moment.  They rob me of so much...the ability to work out, the ability to run and play with my daughter...the ability to function properly.  

I often wonder, when seeing an advertisement for migraine remedies, why do the models look like this...
Source

Or this...
Source

And this...
Source  
Seriously folks, I don't look like any of these lovely ladies on a GOOD migraine-free day, so why on earth would we depict a migraine like this?  It looks somewhat glamorous.  It looks less than painful...more of an irritation or annoyance.  Anyone who suffers any kind of headaches/migraines/tension headaches/cluster headaches/sinus headaches knows that a migraine looks more like this...
Source
 And this...
Source  
I swear the next time I'm writhing in excruciating pain, I'm going to have Brandon snap a few photos so that people can see what a migraine really looks like.

I find it extremely disheartening that the medical community doesn't seem to care.  There aren't any "find a cure for migraine" bracelets or 5ks or fundraisers that I know of.  If there are any, they aren't very well known.  I understand the importance of curing terminal illnesses, such as cancer and AIDS, but I have to ask: what about quality of life?  When you are in so much pain (not exaggerating, like some people think...migraine sufferers are the toughest people I've ever met) that dying seems to be an acceptable option, how rich is your quality of life?  And speaking of terminal illnesses, did you know a study shows that 1 in 5 cancer survivors experience chronic pain, sometimes lasting an indefinite amount of time?  Pain also leads to extreme depression in many, due to the lack of understanding, support, and the things it robs people of (social experiences, relationships, work success, etc.)

Pain is a problem our healthcare system fails at solving.  I say this boldly because I've experienced such medial atrocities in my 15 years of suffering, it isn't excusable.  When are we going to wake up and stop treating people with REAL physical problems that cause unbearable pain like suffering humans instead of mental cases?  When will we get it right?

Comments

  1. Stephanie PearlAugust 2, 2011 at 3:03 PM

    The second picture (of the one's of your choosing) is exactly how my migraines feel. Brilliant illustation, terrible reality. I have thankfully not had one for over a year, but still have no idea what was causing them when I did. Are you on any birth control? I think that hormones were my trigger for sure. I feel your pain girl, and think you hit the nail on the head (pun intended).

    ReplyDelete
  2. AmberAugust 2, 2011 at 6:24 PM

    Thanks Steph! I am not on any BC (I got pregnant on BC last time...haha). Sometimes hormones can be a trigger, but a lot of times there is no "real" trigger. My doc prescribed me a medication that should help. I just hate taking meds, but when all the natural alternatives don't work, there's little choice if I want to function. Thanks for commenting...I love keeping up with your blog as well. <3

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Babies

I want another baby someday, but I'm afraid. Truly.  I so very much want to have another sweet little one, another pregnancy (for all its ups and downs), and I want A to be a big sister. But I'm afraid.  I am afraid of those moments when I feel like I've gone "'round the bend" as Alice would say (we've been watching the Tim Burton version daily, sometimes more than once).  The things I've been through paralyze me with fear of having another--the stresses, the worries and sleeplessness, the anxiety and classic post-partum OCD thoughts... Those things made me feel, and still do at times, like a failure of a mother. But you know what?  I am a good mom.  I might even venture out there to say I'm a great mom.  There are certainly things I'd do differently and areas I still want to work on presently, but I feel like someday, when Ayes is all grown up, she will look back and know I did the best I could for her.  I hope that she will feel tha...
Read more

Weighty

Image
My beautiful girl...and me, the me I can't stand looking at in the mirror. I hate being fat.  I hate it.  I didn't gain that much weight during my pregnancy, only 37 pounds.  Now, while I realize it is suggested to gain only 15-25, I know MANY women who have told me they gained 50, 60, 70, 80 pounds during their pregnancy.  Yet I find myself, today, weighing 3-4 pounds more than when I left the hospital...only 18-20 pounds lighter than I was the last time I got weighed before Ayla was born. Ick Being this heavy is ruining my life in a number of ways.  I don't mean to say my life is over or ruined because I'm overweight (technically obese according to my BMI), but it is having so many negative effects on my life.   Love the belly I can't buy clothes.  I've tried. Nothing fits, even when I try other sizes.  It is like my body was built all wrong, then add the weight on top of it...screwed. In the last 2 years, I've purchased very few it...
Read more

Neglecting Mama

I am all about being pro-active about one's health.  I read all kinds of news articles, I watch documentaries, and I am trying to make conscious efforts to improve the quality of my family's life by the things we eat, the things we clean our homes and bodies with, and how we store our food.  We avoid HFCS, cellulose, and now canola oil.  We have slowly transitioned from our old plastic storage containers for leftovers to only using pyrex glass containers.  Ayla doesn't drink juice anymore because of arsenic and all the other garbage in juice, even the organic brand that we'd switched to after deciding to no longer purchase Juicy Juice due to our Nestle boycott . But I must admit I am neglecting to take care of an issue that has been going on for over 4 months. In August, I made an appointment with a new doctor.  I don't have a primary care physician, and I needed one.  To be honest, if I hadn't been at my wits end in need of a possible migraine medi...
Read more