A Day In The Life Of A Migraine Sufferer


Did you know that June is National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month?

I've lightly touched on the fact that I suffer from migraines on the blog before, and if you follow my insta stories, you've seen that there have been many days I was basically bed ridden with excruciating migraine pain.

Migraine symptoms vary from person to person, but for me, they are usually an intense throbbing pain on one side of my head, so painful, it leaves me feeling nauseous and even unable to stand the pain is so severe.

I usually know when I'm about to get a migraine because I'll have changes in my hearing.
A lot of people also have changes in their vision and sensitivity to light before a migraine.
It is now known, that Migraines are genetic, but there are also migraine triggers such as stress, hormonal changes, sleep disturbances and food triggers.

The reason you may not hear me talk about them much anymore is because after years of suffering, I've finally figured out my personal triggers and what I can do to reduce the frequency of my migraines.

I suffered from Episodic Migraines, which means I had migraine symptoms 14 days or less in a month.  If you suffer from migraines more than half the month that is known as Chronic Migraines.

Since implementing lifestyle changes, I might get a migraine once or twice a month.

Taking care of myself, reducing my stress levels, implementing daily exercise and eating well has honestly changed my life.

I thought I would give you a glimpse into a day in my life and show you what a typical day looks like for me and show you the changes I've made to improve my overall health and in turn, suffer from migraines less.

For me, the lifestyle changes were enough, but for those of you who have tried it all and are unfortunately still suffering there are other options to prevent chronic migraines.

Botulinum Toxin (BOTOX) has proven to be an effective preventative treatment of Chronic Migraines and is the only Health Canada approved treatment for the prevention of Chronic Migraines.

 My hopes with this post is that maybe even just one of you can implement some of the steps I now take daily, to relieve you of your pain and suffering as well.


6:00AM - 6:15AM 
WAKE & COFFEE
My alarm goes off and I usually bolt up to turn it off as fast as I can so it doesn't wake my youngest, who always ends up sneaking into our bed each night.
Waking up before the kids was a huge life changer for me. 
Waking up early allows me to collect my thoughts before the chaos of the day starts. 
I need a good 15-20 minutes of quiet to start my day off on the right foot.
I'm also someone who desperately craves a routine, so having a set time to wake up daily is key.
I'll wake up and head straight to the coffee machine and enjoy a slow cup of coffee while reading a book.
Now, when the kids wake up, I've already been caffeinated and have snuck some "me time" in so I am excited to see their smiling faces come down the stairs in the morning.
{reducing stress is crucial in migraine prevention }

6:15AM - 7:00AM
After my coffee, I head to the computer to work on any blog work I need to get done.
This could be drafting blog posts, replying to emails, checking in on social media etc.
I find this is my most productive time of day to get work done, but I have to set an alarm for myself to stop at 7:00AM or I would keep working all morning.

7:00AM - 7:45AM
The kids wake up and come down for breakfast.
They'll usually eat a bowl of cereal with a glass of chocolate almond milk.
I use this time to put away the dishes from the dishwasher so I don't have to worry about it during the day.  I also use this time to make lunches as I find I have way more time in the morning than evening to get this done.

7:45AM - 9:00AM
This is the busiest time of the morning for us.
We take this time to all get dressed, teeth brushed etc and get ready for school.
Once we're all ready - we get out the door and walk to school.
It's a great way to get our bodies moving in the mornings.

9:30AM - 11:00AM
After walking home from getting the kids off to school, I'll hop in the car and drive to our city's waterfront and meet up with a friend for a long walk.
In the winter, I use this time to head to our local gym.
Being physically active is so crucial for my mental and physical health.
{exercise and being active also helps prevent migraines}


11:00AM - 12:00PM
This is usually when I come home and make myself a healthy brunch.
I'll usually have some protein and healthy fats with berries or sometimes I'll make a breakfast smoothie with a side of nuts.
{I find that dairy and gluten are huge migraine triggers for me.}
After brunch I use this time to clean up any dishes leftover from breakfast or any mess left behind from the kids.
I find that when the house is kept clean, it keeps my stress levels low.
Having a perfectly clean house all the time with three kids is impossible, but I do what I can to make sure it's as clean as it can be, as being stressed is a major migraine trigger for me.


12:00PM - 2:30PM
Like early morning, this is another window of time that I use to be super productive.
I'll use this window of time to run any errands I have to run and any meetings or appointments I have I will schedule here as well.
If I have no meetings or errands to run - I use this time to work on the blog, reply to emails or be interactive with my followers on social media.
I'll usually stop to have lunch around 1PM - something healthy and nutritious like a kale salad and I'll grill up a chicken breast.



2:30PM - 3:00PM
I use this time to unwind before the busy afternoon starts.
I'll make myself a hot cup of herbal tea and have a snack.
Usually some berries and nuts, or crackers and hummus.
I like to take this time and sit and watch a quick show on Netflix.

3:00PM - 4:30PM
It's time to get the kids from school, if it's nice weather I walk, if it's rainy outside I'll drive and bring good book to read while I wait for them.
We usually go to the park for at least a half an hour after school and I'll bring a snack with me for them.

4:30PM - 6:00PM
This is usually when we are getting home from the park and the kids will go watch some TV while I get dinner started and wash school lunch dishes.
My husband gets home around 5PM and we will all eat together as a family, do the dishes and clean up after dinner.




6:00PM - 8:00PM
After dinner, the kids will do any homework they may have.
If there's no homework they like to play out back on the trampoline, play with their friends in the neighbourhood or play music with my husband.
I usually use this time to put away any laundry from the night before or I'll sit out back with them while they play.

8:00PM - 8:30PM
Around 8PM the kids start getting ready for bed.
PJs on, brush teeth etc.
We will usually read them a book or lay with them during this time and talk about the day.

8:30PM - 9:00PM
The kids are asleep and I'm usually EXHAUSTED by this point of the day.
I don't know why I do this, but every day I tell my husband all these things I'm going to accomplish after the kids are in bed, but night after night I end up being way too tired haha
I'll usually take this half hour window of time and have a hot bath to unwind if it's been a long day.
If not a bath, I always use this time as a "self care" time.
Self care is so crucial for keeping stress levels down so I might paint my nails, or do a facial etc.

9:00PM -10:00PM
This is the time of day where my husband and I can spend some quality time together.
We usually watch some shows on Netflix but sometimes we spend the full hour just talking.
I'll also throw in a load of laundry or two each night during this window of time.

10:00PM - 10:30PM
Time for the adult's bed time!
I'll wash my face and brush my teeth and get into bed around 10:15PM.
Louis and I usually talk for 15 minutes, or I'll read a book before I fall asleep around 10:30PM.
Some nights, we stay up later binge watching Netflix and don't fall asleep until 11:00 - 11:30, but after these nights I'm always reminded the next day how important sleep is for my body!
{I find that I'm more prone to migraines when I am not getting the sleep my body needs.}


Do you think you could be suffering from migraines?
Join the conversation at #MoreThanAMigraine and head to mychronicmigraine.ca for more resources for those who are suffering from headaches and migraines as well.













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