Migraines aren't exactly headaches. They're flare-ups, episodes, or attacks of Migraine, which is a genetic neurological disease. A Migraine can occur with no headache, but whether a headache is present or not, there must be additional symptoms for a diagnosis of Migraine. A few of the other possible symptoms of a Migraine attack are nausea, vomiting, neck pain, heightened sensitivity to light and / or sound, visual disturbances, or even temporary paralysis on one side of the body.
Migraine impacts 12% of the population, more than 37 million people in the United States alone. How severely we're impacted varies. Some people may have very few Migraines, and they may be mild. On the other end of that are the people with chronic Migraine, which means they have Migraines 15 or more days a month, or more often than not. Some people have a Migraine every day. The severity can range from mild to totally debilitating.
Migraine can be traced back several generations in my family. I had my first one at the age of six, and now, four of our grandchildren have them. At one time, I was flat in bed all day five or six days a week with Migraines that nothing would help.
Having seen a lot of people with Migraines, and having had them myself for over 50 years, I have a great deal of admiration for people with frequent, severe Migraines who persevere in working toward better Migraine management and a better quality of life. I know how this disease can make you feel like giving up, like just staying in bed and pulling the covers over your head. These people inspire me because they have well-deserved days here and there when they need to vent, but then they get proactive again and keep working on Migraine management. They refuse to let this disease take over their lives.
So, what do we call these Migraineurs? I have to admit that my creativity has been challenged by this. I wanted to come up with something truly unique, but nothing came to mind. So, I started looking around at what's said about people battling other diseases, and it IS a battle. The term I saw several times was "warrior," and it fits. Here are a couple of definitions of warrior:
- "a person engaged in some struggle or conflict" (www.merriam-webster.com)
- "a person who shows or has shown great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness" (www.dictionary.com)
So, there you have it. A bit about Migraine and Migraine Warriors. In my next post, I'll tell you about this blog and what it's going to be like. I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised!
Live well,
