The support network

June 8, 2018 Nikki Awareness items, migraine, migraine awareness, Uncategorized 2 comments

Day 8 of the migraine awareness challenge

Today’s Challenge

Effective treatment of Migraine and other Headache disorders often requires a multidisciplinary team, plus a support network of family and friends. Who are your Avengers? What are their “superpowers?”

Everyone needs people who have their back. Who are not judgmental and are trying to help us manage our pain and the emotional pain from it as well. And depending on people and asking them for help is nothing to feel guilty about. We need people. We can be independent and still understand with chronic migraines and illness we need people.

So here is my chronic illness team

The pain clinic:

They are trying to treat me with Botox. They put me on Tramadol slow release until I can manage the pain. I saw their psychologist for my depression and pain. And their psychiatrist for depression medication that wouldn’t give me suicidal ideation.

My doctor:

Who is intelligent and thorough trying to help with the vertigo right now. She sent me to the ENT to help figure out the cause of the vertigo. She wants me to stop working at this time and it is nice that she has my back when my work insurance certainly doesn’t.

My mom:

My mom is the greatest person in my support network. She has helped me financially since this insurance fiasco. She drives me to appointments because I can’t drive. She has paid for the numerous forms I had to send into the insurance company. She buys me vitamins that I otherwise wouldn’t be taking due to the cost, but some I have to be on as per doc orders. And she gives me a lot of support when I try to figure out what to do with this situation.

My spouse:

He is an important part of my support network. He doesn’t blame our fiances on me being ill. He is stressed about it, but he knows I have no choice in my health. He does all the shopping, since that is too difficult for me.

Our friends:

All of the friends we have understand my chronic illness can cancel plans or get worse when I try to do things. And they are very understanding of this. They didn’t disappear into the woodwork just because I am chronically ill.