“This is a true story of a 35-year old woman who was bed ridden for the past three years with severe migraine headaches. She gave up her job as a college professor and was unable to take care of her two young children. She was told by the doctors that she had to 'learn to live with the pain'.
The following is an excerpt from a letter she wrote to her doctors: Pain Level: 1 - 10 (1=least, 10=severe). Extremely Bad Days: May last from one day to several weeks. Do not know when they will strike. A typical (extremely bad day) will find me lying in a dark room with no noise, having taken pain medication which may or may not be helping. I have a sleeping mask on to keep out all residue light, and if I am lucky, I am sleeping. Sometimes I cannot sleep due to the extreme pain. When I have to get up (to use the bathroom, etc.), I feel extremely dizzy and weak, and often have to grab onto something while I wait for the room to stop spinning. It always spins when I am walking. Pain level 9-12. Super Bad Days: I am still in bed all day, except to go to the bathroom or to kiss my kids good-night. I may have periods of time when I can watch television or talk on the phone. The extreme dizziness is there, and I cannot drive. It hurts to go outside. I am sensitive to light and sound. I spend a good part of these days in a dark room with my sleep mask, with my pain medication trying to sleep.
The majority of my life is like this, unfortunately. Pain level 8-10.”
Stephanie, chronic migraine headaches
Listen to Stephanie's story
part 1 and
part 2,
from the Happy Healer radio show.