Tuesday, March 9, 2010

"migraines aren't disabling"

I was reading something online about migraines a couple weeks ago and I read in the comments people saying things like, "migraines aren't disabling." In the past, that would make me angry, but these anonymous people just made me laugh. I'm sorry, but have you ever had a migraine? Have you ever had one for 3.5 years? Because I have, and believe me, I've given up a lot. Every portion of my day is changed because everything I do I have to consider what the effects will be on my health and how that will affect the rest of my day, any plans I may have, and my future. For example, why do I wear my hair down? Well, it hurts too much to put it up most days. And why am I wearing so many layers? Well, my meds make me cold, my bra hurts my back in ways that make my migraines worse so I'm hiding what I'm not wearing, and, frankly, I may just be too tired and in too much pain to care what other people think.

Ok, so I guess those comments did get to me.... It's not so much I care what random people say online, but I know it's what society as a whole tends to believe. I am tired of being judged, tired of justifying myself to others, and tired of justifying myself to myself.

Yes, in fact, migraines are disabling. Partially because of people with attitudes like that.

6 comments:

  1. People suck.
    Not all of them.
    But a lot of them.

    I feel your pain.

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  2. My sister gets migraines and yes they are disabiling. It hurts me to see her in such pain. It hurts me to know you are having that same pain. And as Annie said...People suck. And as we would say in Chicago..."Forget about it f#@% those guyz"
    xoxomo

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  3. I so relate to what you are saying. I find that even people who suffer from migraines really don't understand what it does to your life when it becomes a daily struggle. If only the world was populated with kind people like Mo ;)

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  4. The head of the inclusion team at my uni told me this- ' you aren't disabled; it's the enviroment you are in and the way people think and act that makes you disabled'...

    & over here we call those people 'wankers'!

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  5. Hi, Assiya

    I am writing to introduce a Website I've created called Wellbook (http://wellbook.org). It's designed to be a place where people with illnesses can reach out to one another for support and track their health. I hope you'll be kind enough to take a look (if so, I'd love to hear any thoughts you may have about it) and perhaps link to it on your blog.

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  6. I think sardonic laughter is a good response to "migraines aren't disabling." I skirted by this very topic in my latest appointment with a new chiropractor, but I'm a little scared to broach is completely because I don't want it to become anything where it's my word against his, and clearly his word will count more than mine because he is a doctor. Sigh. He really WANTS to get it, but doesn't.

    Also, yes to wearing the hair down. I used to do that, but it would get in my face and mess up my peripheral vision and give me a migraine. That's when I cut it short. Of course, then I had to put up with the people at work constantly asking, "WHAT did you DO to your HAIR?" as though chopping it short was the worst decision I ever made.

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