mightywithmigraine

This tangled web of accepting, surviving, and thriving is the topic of choice for this very last episode of Health and (un)Wellness’ first season, Mighty With Migraine. @skyeg and I explore our complicated feelings about thriving (we aren’t there! and that’s OK!), share what we’re most proud of accomplishing despite both of our migraine diagnoses, and take a nostalgic stroll through the entire season. Bring on the introspection, friends — and thanks for listening this season!

🎧 Listen on Spotify: spoti.fi/3FPGkJD

🍎 Listen on Apple: apple.co/40thFEa

📚 Read the transcript: What It Means to Thrive With Migraine

#Migraine #mightywithmigraine #DistractMe #CheckInWithMe #MentalHealth #Spoonie #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #RareDisease #Disability #Endometriosis #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #Fibromyalgia

It can be hard to establish a support system when you live with chronic illness, especially if you’re not comfortable communicating your needs or have no idea what kind of support would be best for you.

When we polled our migraine community about it, 35% of folks who responded said they prefer to be left alone during an attack, while 8% aren’t sure how they like to be supported.

While it may take a whole bunch of trial and error, we hope you find what works for you — even if you only get a tiny bit of relief. (And remember: It’s OK to ask for help.)

💖 Do you want to hear how two Mighty staffers like to be supported during migraine attacks? (Spoiler alert: They both love some quiet time in a dark room. 😴) Then listen to the most recent episode of Health and (un)Wellness on Spotify: spoti.fi/45J2IP6

#CheckInWithMe #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #Spoonie #Migraine #mightywithmigraine #Fibromyalgia #Endometriosis #Caregiving #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #Anxiety #Depression

True or false: Empathy and compassion are muscles that can be strengthened.

In this episode of Health and (un)Wellness, @skyeg and I share our thoughts on this topic and some other dos and don’ts when it comes to supporting someone with migraine. (Hint: We don’t want you to fix us, we just want you to sit with us in our discomfort.) I get emotional on the mic about my family’s adoption of Spoon Theory over the years, and Skye explores the helplessness loved ones can feel when they watch someone they care about deal with chronic pain.

Be sure to stick with us until the end, when the co-hosts’ very own loved ones impart their advice for other caregivers — because you deserve support, too.

🎧 Listen on Spotify: spoti.fi/45J2IP6

🍎 Listen on Apple: apple.co/45HNzxJ

📚 Read the episode transcript: How to Support Someone With Migraine

#CheckInWithMe #DistractMe #Caregiving #Migraine #mightywithmigraine #Endometriosis #Lupus #Fibromyalgia #Anxiety #Depression #Parenting #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness

We’ve all been there: Some well-intentioned distant relative or random neighbor decides — for whatever reason — to give you some unsolicited advice for your health condition. They don’t care that you’ve already tried every possible (and rational) method to alleviate your symptoms. They don’t care that telling someone to simply eliminate all the stress in their life actually causes more stress (and is impossible). They especially don’t care that drinking more water is not the answer to all of life’s mysteries.

Sometimes it feels like unsolicited advice just comes with the territory of living with chronic illness. You receive a diagnosis one day, and the next day someone is telling you to go touch some grass to cure yourself. 😅

We asked our migraine community to share the least helpful piece of advice someone’s ever tried to give them about managing their condition. Honestly, some of the answers will surprise you. And all of them will make you cringe.

🎧 To hear five Mighty staffers talk about the oddest “advice” they’ve ever received and what they wished actually worked in their lives with migraine, tune in to the latest episode of Health and (un)Wellness.

💚 Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/3F6F0spdPdbun3Al0AtJnB

🍎 Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tips-hacks-and-tools-for-manag...

📚 Read the transcript: Tips, Hacks, and Tools for Managing Migraine

P.S. Here’s our unsolicited advice: Don’t give unsolicited advice.

#Migraine #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #MentalHealth #RareDisease #Fibromyalgia #Anxiety #Spoonie #mightywithmigraine #Parenting #Disability

Sharing is caring — especially with chronic illness — and in this week’s episode, Skye and Kat trade tips, tricks, hacks, and tools with three of their Mighty colleagues who also live with migraine: Alexandria, Anjana, and Jess. They share what works (and what doesn’t) for managing their symptoms and do a little reflection on what they wish they would’ve known a little earlier in their migraine journeys. Come for the tips, stay for the camaraderie.

🎧 Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/3F6F0spdPdbun3Al0AtJnB

🍎 Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/health-and-un-wellness/id1689263942

📚 Read the episode transcript here: Tips, Hacks, and Tools for Managing Migraine

#mightywithmigraine #Migraine #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #MentalHealth #Spoonie #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #EDS #POTS #Endometriosis

Certain foods and beverages may trigger migraine attacks. Some of the most commonly reported ones include:

🍇 Alcohol
☕️ Caffeine
🧀 Dairy products, specifically cheese and yogurt
🥓 Processed meats such as bacon, sausage, ham
🍭 Artificial sweeteners
🍫 Chocolate

What trigger yours? Share your experiences in the comments below.

#Migraine #Fibromyalgia #ChronicPain #ClusterHeadache #SUNCTHeadache #ChronicVestibularMigraine #ChronicIllness #Endometriosis #mightywithmigraine

It’s hard enough — both physically and emotionally — when our health forces us to cancel plans. It can be even harder to explain to others WHY we have to cancel on them (again), too.

If someone you care about cancels plans with you, please try to respond with patience and understanding. It’s frustrating when plans don’t work out — trust us, we’re frustrated too! — but health conditions can be unpredictable. Even if we don’t respond to your call or text right away, please know that your outreach means the world to us.

Don’t know what to say when someone cancels plans? Check out these ideas from our Mighty community.

🥖 Special honors for the Panera one. (Maybe one day they’ll start making dairy-free mac and cheese? We can only dream.)

To learn more about canceling plans while chronically ill — and ideas for spoonie-friendly activities — listen to the most recent episode of Health and (un)Wellness.

🎧 Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/58ztwhFTrmN3y5hoctE0Qq

🍎 Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tips-for-being-social-with-mig...

📚 Read the transcript: Tips for Being Social With Migraine

#mightywithmigraine #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #Disability #RareDisease #CheckInWithMe #MentalHealth #Fibromyalgia #Migraine #Anxiety #Depression

⬆️ The quote above is my experience! ⬆️

Work is the topic of this week’s venting-sesh-turned-productive conversation on our Health & (un)Wellness podcast.

Kat and Skye are joined by headache specialist and executive committee member of the International Headache Society Global Patient Advocacy Coalition (IHS-GPAC), Olivia Begasse de Dhaem MD, FAHS. Together, they discuss why people with migraine struggle to succeed in the workplace (spoiler alert: it’s not them), how others can support them, and tips for requesting individualized accommodations. Oh, and in case you’re curious of the episode’s general vibes: People with migraine want to work, but often can’t due to inaccessible workplaces or lack of flexible career opportunities. Thanks for coming to our TED Talk!

🎧 Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/57vyjqje5EAykfctZe86D5

🍎 Listen on Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/migraine-in-the-workplace/id1689263942

#DistractMe #CheckInWithMe #Spoonie #Work #MentalHealth #Anxiety #Depression #Migraine #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #mightywithmigraine #Fibromyalgia #Endometriosis #EhlersDanlosSyndrome

Whether you live with chronic, episodic, or a once-in-a-blue-moon attack, migraine can take a massive toll on every aspect of your life, including (and sometimes, especially) your relationships. We’re talking about relationships of every kind, too! All relationships take work to maintain, not just romantic ones, and migraine can impact how and to what extent we’re able to do that work.

We asked our migraine community which relationships are the toughest for them to maintain due to migraine. The results were fairly close! With 30% of the votes, family relationships came in first place. Friendships came in a close second with 28%. 24% of Mighties who responded to our poll said that their relationships with their co-workers or peers were the most challenging for them to maintain, while 18% really feel migraine’s impact on their relationship with their partner or spouse.

Do the results of this poll ring true for you?

🎙️ Listen to Mighty staffers Kat and Skye discuss the effect migraine has had on their relationships in the most recent episode of Health and (un)Wellness: Migraine: The Relationship Third Wheel: spoti.fi/3rDzRh7

#Migraine #Relationships #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #mightywithmigraine #Fibromyalgia #EDS

It’s no secret chronic illness can take a toll on our relationships. Migraine isn’t any different. Between the pain, nausea, light and sound sensitivity, and all the other symptoms that migraine can entail, it can be hard to maintain relationships with other people while taking care of our health.

We asked our migraine community to share how the condition has impacted their relationships. 49% of Mighties said that they’ve lost relationships or those relationships have become strained due to migraine, while only 15% said that migraine hasn’t been a factor in their relationships, negative or positive. 36% of people who responded found themselves somewhere in the middle and said that migraine has had both negative and positive effects on their relationships with others.

How has migraine affected your relationships?

🎧 To hear about migraine’s impact on Mighty staffer Kat and Skye’s relationships, check out the fourth episode of Health and (un)Wellness, now on Spotify: spoti.fi/3rDzRh7

#mightywithmigraine #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #Migraine #Relationships #Fibromyalgia #EDS #CheckInWithMe