July 27th - My Tenth Anniversary

Ten years ago today, I was in the El Paso TX airport when my plane got canceled to the next day - I was headed home to Steve and San Francisco after attending a conference in southern New Mexico. My head began acting up. I stayed in a motel - QDR the whole way and barely made it home the next morning. Still migraining all the way.

That migraine episode really never stopped in these ten years. I have not worked a productive since since. I have seen many neurologists and had more tests than any single person ought to have to pay for. More drugs than I can list. More chiropractic care and exercise and food journals and ... you all know what I mean.

But every day, to this day, I still have mgraine episodes. They are much better now with no medications and I can use pain medication to function when necesary. but still ...

Ten years today on the Migraine Highway of daily disabling episodes.

Not a cause for celebration but certainly ten years is worth noting. I guess I am proud of myself for simply surviving these ten years - great pain, great changes, massive grief - but I am still alive and able to appreciate a cool summer breeze. Yeah I am proud that I am down but not out after ten years.

Not seeking sympathy or even empathy - I just needed to commenerate this day somehow - posting here seemed like the best way.

Thanks for sticking by me all these years. I REALLY could not have made it without you all.

And you, in turn, have made the journey easier for us by being so open with your experience. Thank you.

July 3, 1989.... That is my anniversary. I was on my way to an A's game for my son's birthday when the aura started. I have been chronic ever since. Not daily or as disabling as yours but way too often. I spent my children's childhood battling migraine, undiagnosed fibro, and undiagnosed Trigeminal Neuralgia. But I survived and so did they.

I've learned a lot about myself and found the strength inside to keep going even when it seemed like I was more of a drain than a help. Finding Ronda's so many years ago gave me a group of people who were just like me. There is no way I can really describe how much this community has helped me get through all these years of pain. If not for the people here who understand exactly what I was and am going through, I would have been more alone than was bearable.

So even though these anniversaries are not really something to celebrate, they are something to commemerate. Thank you Richard, and all the wonderful voices here that have helped me to keep going. I don't know what I would have done if you all weren't here to help through the hard times.

My anniversary is February 24, 1998. But note how many people at Ronda's don't have an anniversary. I posted once asking how people commemorate their anniversaries, and I got mostly puzzled comments about how I would know my anniversary. I should specify that this is when my migraines became constant. They were present since I was a small child. This is just the migraine that came and never went. And the date was easy to remember because it was exactly one week before I turned 21. I was hoping that since my migraines usually lasted a week, it would be gone for my birthday, but instead, I wanted to lie in bed in the dark for my birthday, while my friends wanted to celebrate. We compromised with a quiet party!

paradox wrote:And you, in turn, have made the journey easier for us by being so open with your experience. Thank you.

Ditto....my sentiments exactly! Thanks, Richard!!!

Friend, you have impacted my life in ways you will never know. Thanks for always being there.

Norma