I remember the first time I had a migraine. I was nine and getting ready for school. I knew I felt “off” but I’ve had headaches before so I figured that it would pass like the others. As the morning moved on,I became increasingly nauseous and felt heavy. My sisters found me slumped in the tub crying when they were sent to investigate why it was taking me so long. I couldn’t answer what was wrong with me, the pain was excruciating.
For several years after that episode, I was shuffled from doctor to doctor. They tried to figure out why I was getting migraines: puberty, heredity, brain tumor? The doctors has no definite answer as to why I was getting them. As I grew older, I learned to recognize certain triggers that would cause them: stress, lack of sleep and certain …show more content…
No to extra work and extracurricular activities. It was unnecessary stress. The world didn’t stop because I didn’t take my son to a birthday party or because I didn’t take on that extra project. I learned to tackle one thing at a time and take it day by day.
Lastly, I take a day off. Yes, no work at all. The problem with freelancers, as with all small business owners, we work all the time. Vacation and sick days are not an option. Also, since I was homeschooling my kids, I definitely didn’t have time for a day off. Well, to heck with that! When I feel a migraine coming on, I take the day off with the kids. Yep, we will go to the park, picnic outdoors or lay around reading books. No guilt at all. When I’m happy my family is happy.
Even with all my precautions, I still get migraines. I average about 2-3 per month and they last pretty much all day. It’s a work in progress, but I feel that I am making headway in recognizing the triggers and staving off the severe pain before they begin. If all my efforts fail to keep one from coming on, I do take medication to lessen the pain. With added rest and less stress I am finding that the duration is as long as they used to
For several years after that episode, I was shuffled from doctor to doctor. They tried to figure out why I was getting migraines: puberty, heredity, brain tumor? The doctors has no definite answer as to why I was getting them. As I grew older, I learned to recognize certain triggers that would cause them: stress, lack of sleep and certain …show more content…
No to extra work and extracurricular activities. It was unnecessary stress. The world didn’t stop because I didn’t take my son to a birthday party or because I didn’t take on that extra project. I learned to tackle one thing at a time and take it day by day.
Lastly, I take a day off. Yes, no work at all. The problem with freelancers, as with all small business owners, we work all the time. Vacation and sick days are not an option. Also, since I was homeschooling my kids, I definitely didn’t have time for a day off. Well, to heck with that! When I feel a migraine coming on, I take the day off with the kids. Yep, we will go to the park, picnic outdoors or lay around reading books. No guilt at all. When I’m happy my family is happy.
Even with all my precautions, I still get migraines. I average about 2-3 per month and they last pretty much all day. It’s a work in progress, but I feel that I am making headway in recognizing the triggers and staving off the severe pain before they begin. If all my efforts fail to keep one from coming on, I do take medication to lessen the pain. With added rest and less stress I am finding that the duration is as long as they used to