Originally posted on the National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month website. When I first was first diagnosed with chronic migraine after an accident, my family longed to understand what I was experiencing. Many did not know much about migraine disease prior to me being diagnosed, only hearing the words “migraine” or “headache” in passing, let […]
Author: Nikki Sf
Categories
Managing a Flare-Up
Let’s face it, flare-ups happen, and they can be quite miserable to say the least. My most recent one lasted about two weeks, I had horrific neck and back pain in addition to an intractable migraine. Due to COVID-19, it was a challenge to go to a doctor and receive injections right away. I was […]
Photophobia can be experienced as the light is “too bright”, an increased sense of light, pain associated with any light, including sunlight. More than 80% of migraine attacks are associated with and exacerbated by light sensitivity, leading migraineurs to self-isolate. Personally, sunlight, fluorescent, and sometimes regular light cause pain and feel “too bright” for my […]
Categories
Do I Look Sick Enough For You?
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting is battle you know nothing about” – Wendy Mass There are many predetermined beliefs about what someone who is chronically ill or someone who has a mental illness should look and act like, but #myinvisibleproject set out to change that. My chronic illnesses are not visible. I’ve heard […]
Categories
My Quest for Care During COVID-19
I am sure many of us have had some disruption of care during COVID-19, whether it’s in-person doctor’s appointments or routine procedures like such as Botox, never blocks, and injections. Like many of you, I’ve also had several disruptions in care. I was due for my Botox on April 7th at my pain management doctor […]
Categories
Hope with Gepants
When I heard a new migraine abortive drug class, gepants, was approved by the FDA, I was ecstatic. An abortive is a medication used to stop a migraine attack after one has begun. Like many, I’ve tried the available abortive medications and have not had the greatest success. I still live life with chronic, intractable […]
Categories
Headache on the Hill 2020
This year I was honored to attend the 13th annual Headache on the Hill as a patient advocate. I traveled to Washington D.C. along with 179 patient advocates, caregivers, and headache physicians to advocate for a common ‘“ask.” Although we all share a common connection, migraine disease, we come from different walks of life, across […]
Categories
Preparing for HOH 2020
I am humbled and honored to be accepted to attend the 13th annual Headache on the Hill in Washington DC this Monday and Tuesday (February 10 and 11th). Headache on the Hill is an annual advocacy event organized by the Alliance for the Headache Disorders Advocacy (AHDA) where patient advocates, professionals, caregivers, and leading physicians […]
IV ketamine therapy is the newest treatment in my toolbox. Initially, I was hesitant given the fact also a street drug. However, research has shown it helps with chronic pain. I already take nasal ketamine spray for pain, and find it somewhat helpful, but it does not last as long as I’d like. Eventually, I decided to give it a try after a lot of contemplation and research on my end.
Categories
Not What I Expected
Do you ever feel stuck? Like life moves on without you? It’s the start of 2019 and this is not where I expected my life would be. I was in my mid-20s at the time of the accident, thriving at my first job out of graduate school. I was emotionally happy and physically fit, exercising […]
Migraine Chronicles 