MY PLATFORM
"MIGRAINE IS REAL"
My platform is one that is dear to my heart and one I have personally experienced. My platform is called “Migraine is Real.” It is so important to educate people of migraine headaches and how debilitating they are to every day life. I also feel it is important to educate those living with migraine on techniques to help achieve relief. Migraine is a neurological disease that affects 1 in 7 Americans. Women are three times more likely than men to experience a migraine and for some, it becomes a chronic condition that is also tied to depression and anxiety. As one of those Americans, I have faced unbelievable debilitation throughout my lifetime. I have experienced nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, speech problems, light sensitivity, sound sensitivity, and excruciating pain living with migraine. I was officially diagnosed at age 17, but can remember this illness back to the age of 4. I tried everything to try to make the pain stop. The pain only worsened both physically and emotionally as my mother passed away when I was 24 leaving me with my dad as my only relative. My world fell apart. At age 25, I had a pain shoot through my head that took my ability to speak. I was then referred to a neurologist who nicknamed me “the human barometer.” I even had a migraine on my wedding day. I also suffer from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and high blood pressure, two conditions which are a common occurrence in those living with migraine disease. Not only do approximately 75 other serious health conditions occur as comorbidities in those living with migraine, but fear and isolation dominate every day life. In 2021, my treatments began failing and I began having migraine one to three times per week. My morale was at an all-time low with midnight emergency room visits and my precious husband by my side as my caregiver. Thankfully, my neurologist and I worked together and found a treatment option that has kept me migraine-free for the past three years. I am a spokesperson for the pharmaceutical company. I also follow a trigger-free whole food diet, free of artificial dyes and certain additives that are known dietary triggers for migraine. It is my goal with the “Migraine is Real” platform for those who do not live with migraine to better understand those who do and its true status as a neurological disease. It is also my goal for those who live with migraine to find the best relief options possible, even something as simple as stress relief or basic dietary changes. For more information about my experience with migraine as well as more educational information about migraine, please visit my website, migraineisreal.com .