Our Migraine Peer Support Group will meet again on Thursday evening, 18 December, between 6pm and 8pm, with Neurology Specialist Nurse Sarah Mann also in attendance.
The group aims to provide the opportunity to talk to others with the condition and if you have migraines and would like some support then you are welcome along to the meeting, which is held in the Louise Hamilton Centre, on the James Paget hospital site, on the third Thursday of the month.
Migraine is more than ‘just a headache’ – it can include vision disturbance, sickness, loss of speech, jaw pain, tiredness, confusion and exhaustion. Migraine can affect anyone, regardless of age or gender, and is debilitating.
Some of our patients have helped us put together the ‘I wish work and friends and family could understand’ list below as well as sharing some more about migraine affects their lives.
I wish work and friends and family could understand:
- It disables me
- Sometimes I need to have time off for migraines
- I’m not pulling a sicky!
- Not eating chocolate won’t make the migraine go away
- Sometimes I may have to cancel events with them
- I’m not tired or grumpy - I’m in pain!
- I wish I could be normal and not have to lay down to stop my migraine
- I feel like I can’t be part of normal routine family life. Only 10% of me can function
- It’s difficult to make plans. I’m not making excuses when I cancel.
- When a migraine hits it’s not just for an hour or two. Days can pass and it takes a while to feel human again
- I’m not doing this on purpose
- I wish I didn’t go on about it all the time. I can’t think about anything else!
Migraine affects my life:
- Migraine stops me living a real life. I’m frightened to go out because I cannot function and I’m exhausted
- It completely takes over my life
- Makes me miss out on time with family and friends
- Worried it’s a stroke not a migraine
- Living life around migraine
- Everyday life is a challenge
- Having to explain myself to others
- Explaining from the beginning every time
- Affects my mood
- It’s constant
- Terrified it’ll come back
- Had to cut down my working hours
- Missed out on my children’s lives
You can find out more about migraine on the NHS website here; https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/migraine/ and read more and get support from the Migraine Trust here; https://migrainetrust.org/
If you would like more information about the group please email Neurology@jpaget.nhs.uk – or please just visit the Louise Hamilton Centre on Thursday at 6pm.
