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1% Thursday: Stop being so disabled.

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I know, I know – most people don’t realize how disabled you really are.  And hey, that’s why I spend a lot of time trying to get that message across.

This post is not going to tell you to ignore how disabled you are, or pretend you’re fine, or click your heels together three times and feel better.  Don’t panic.

But I do want to give you one small thing to think about.

We all know that we can make some difference in our lives by changing an attitude, learning a skill, discovering a new tool.

And a part of your disability is simply this: how much time you spend thinking about your disability.

Well, if you never thought about it, you wouldn’t really think of yourself as disabled, would you?  All right, that much is obvious.

You can’t avoid thinking about it.  For example, symptoms are pretty – well, they force you to think about them.  No, that headache is not all in your head.  And, as we’ve said before, you’re probably thinking about it other times too.  How can I schedule?  If I have a migraine during that meeting, what’s my backup plan?  Will he understand if I have to cancel?  How can I eat differently?  What if I stay up late – will I regret it?

And so on.

It can’t be avoided, and a lot of the time it shouldn’t be avoided.  Thinking about it can help you overcome challenges, for example.

Now that we’re done with all the disclaimers, are there times when you’re thinking about it – when you shouldn’t be?  Are you constantly worrying about things you can’t change?  Have you gone from hiding your challenges to bringing them up a little too often?

This week, think about something else – just a little more.  Think about someone else.  Think about a hobby.  A dream.  Have fun.  Do something challenging.

In other words, demand that your brain not be controlled 100% of the time by your symptoms.  Demand that it stretch itself, just a little, beyond disability.  Take back just a few minutes of this week from the migraine/headache/cluster monster.

It’s time to fight back.

What is 1% Thursday?

1% Thursday

Every Thursday at Headache and Migraine News (weather permitting) we’ll talk about one measurable, practical thing we can do to make our lives just 1% better.  Usually it will be something very easy, sometimes it will be a challenge.  Let us know if you try it, or share an idea of your own – and maybe a year from now we’ll see that things have really changed for the better!

1% Thursday: Is she ever thanked?

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Is she, or he, ever thanked?

This may seem like an odd thing to do for 1% Thursday, but believe me it really can make a 1% or more difference in your treatment.

If you’ve never done it before, or even if you have – say thank you to your doctor.

Of course, you may have a few people to cover – doctors, chiropractors, nurses, neurologists – whatever it may be.  But make a point of taking a few seconds of their precious time to thank them.

To show you really mean it, why not give them a little gift?  Oh, I know, you feel like you’re paying them a fortune.  Maybe you don’t even think they’re doing a very good job.  It doesn’t matter – if you’re going to them for help, say thank you.

You see, saying thank you can actually improve a relationship that isn’t all that great.  It shows you have respect for your doctor.  Maybe they don’t seem to have a lot of respect for you – no matter, this may be the start of something better.

And what if they don’t appreciate your thank you?  What if they refuse it, or say something nasty (worst case scenario here).  No matter – you’ve reached out, tried to do something nice.  Don’t let anyone spoil your day because they don’t appreciate it.

And you may find in the months to come that they appreciate it after all.

Fostering a relationship of respect, or mutual care, of appreciation, can go a long way.  It makes you feel better about yourself, it gets you noticed, it helps us actually look at each other, and not just at symptoms, numbers, statistics and dollar signs.

This week (or at your next appointments) write a note, give a little gift, just say thank you – whatever is appropriate.  Maybe a family member or friend wants to thank your doctor too.  Trust me, it will make a difference.

What is 1% Thursday?

1% Thursday

Every Thursday at Headache and Migraine News (weather permitting) we’ll talk about one measurable, practical thing we can do to make our lives just 1% better.  Usually it will be something very easy, sometimes it will be a challenge.  Let us know if you try it, or share an idea of your own – and maybe a year from now we’ll see that things have really changed for the better!

1% Thursday: Family Medical History

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This week, compile your relevant family medical history.  I’m not talking about the history of your immediate family, but medical history of other family members that may impact you.

We’ve talked about doing a family medical history when we organized our medical records.  But that was enough to do without the family history aspect, and I want to make sure we don’t miss this, because it’s important.

You’ll want to especially consider parents, siblings, grandparents, uncles and aunts, and great-grandparents.  Try making a spreadsheet with this basic information:

  • Gender
  • Date of birth
  • For deceased relatives, age at death, date and cause of death
  • Ethnicity
  • Diet and exercise habits
  • Relation to you

Now, obviously, you’ll be interested in medical information.  Here are some things you’ll want to focus on, particularly as a migraine/cluster headache/chronic daily headache/etc sufferer.

  • Cancer
  • Heart Disease
  • Migraine/Cluster etc (any kind of headache – remember, headaches were understood differently even 20 years ago)
  • Diabetes
  • Depression/anxiety
  • Dementia
  • Asthma
  • Arthritis
  • Mental illness
  • High blood pressure/high cholesterol
  • Stroke
  • Kidney disease
  • Substance abuse (alcoholism, smoking, drugs)
  • Vision/hearing loss
  • Infertility or miscarriaged
  • Epilepsy

In many cases, finding out this information can be challenging.  I highly suggest you read the Mayo Clinic’s article Medical history: Compiling your medical family tree to get you thinking before you start talking to family members.

As challenging as it may be, it’s very worth it to have an organized medical family tree.  Not just for your benefit, but for your other family members as well!

What is 1% Thursday?

1% Thursday

Every Thursday at Headache and Migraine News (weather permitting) we’ll talk about one measurable, practical thing we can do to make our lives just 1% better.  Usually it will be something very easy, sometimes it will be a challenge.  Let us know if you try it, or share an idea of your own – and maybe a year from now we’ll see that things have really changed for the better!

1% Thursday: Dissolving Tension

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Sometimes a very simple technique can be helpful to just ease 1% of the pain, with certain types of headache.  This is one that you can do just about anytime, anywhere.

Most headaches are susceptible to a "vicous cycle of pain".  The pain causes you to tense up, adding aching muscles to the mix.  A lot of my time during a headache attack is spent getting my body to relax.

There are some great ways to relax while you’re in bed or in a chair at home alone, but what if you’re trying to keep going?  Maybe you’re at work and at the store, and you can only stop for a moment – is there something you can do?

This is a bit of a mental "trick" that you can use to drain tension out of your body – and specifically away from your head and shoulders.

Over about a 3-5 second period, clench one of your fists.  In other words, clench it hard and harder over those seconds.

As you’re doing this, and in the seconds that follow, imagine the tension in the rest of your body draining down into your fist.  All of that tension – specifically in your head and shoulders – will flow down into your fist.

Assuming you’re standing up, don’t flop over – just maintain a good, relaxed, posture.  Let your shoulders fall back, and let your head rest centred over your shoulders.

Wait a few seconds, relaxing your body (again, specifically the part above your fist, which should be down at your side), and continue to tense your fist.

Now your body will feel significantly more relaxed.  Again, over the course of 3-5 seconds, open your fist and let the tension dissapate into the air (again, this is a mental trick – you’re imagining that all the tension is being thrown away from your body, where it disappears like a mist).

This technique won’t cure your pain, but it will stop the vicious cycle of pain for a few minutes.  Repeat it again after a while if you like (not too much, too often – or you’ll just end up with a sore fist!).

What is 1% Thursday?

1% Thursday

Every Thursday at Headache and Migraine News (weather permitting) we’ll talk about one measurable, practical thing we can do to make our lives just 1% better.  Usually it will be something very easy, sometimes it will be a challenge.  Let us know if you try it, or share an idea of your own – and maybe a year from now we’ll see that things have really changed for the better!

Visitors Comment About Gluten-Free Diets

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We’ve had more and more visitors coming to the site commenting about the gluten-free diet.  I think it’s time to learn from their comments.

This will not be a solution for everyone, but there are people who are getting significant results.  Anyway, let’s hear from those who have contributed here at the Headache and Migraine News Blog.  (Note: minor spelling errors have been corrected below for ease of reading)

Visitors comment on the Gluten-Free diet

Aurora, a regular contributor here, has suffered significant disability from chronic illness, including migraine and tinnitus.  She writes:  I have been on gluten-free diet since August and I think it is giving good results.  I noticed the difference in November when there was almost a week of not being bed bound.  It was amazing!  I still have headaches these days, but I do get out of bed and be useful at home.  I am also still on magnesium (been on it for more than a year now).  I am now taking less medication because the headaches are very mild.  She also wrote, regarding tinnitus:  I have been on gluten-free diet for almost half a year now and the tinnitus became a bit quieter.

Katie writes:  I had suffered with migraines since age 6.  Half the doctors didn’t even believe my description of the pain because I was just a little kid.  But, the excruciating pain was too much to bare…I wouldn’t have wished it on anyone.  I used to get migraines up to 3 times a week and nothing would relieve the pain.  Because I was getting them so frequently, we couldn’t even pinpoint a trigger.  Several neurologists, numerous medications, and 20 years later, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  When I switched to a gluten free diet, there were no migraines anymore.  I had my life back!  Results were almost immediate.  I just wish someone would have diagnosed me years ago because I missed out on an entire childhood.  But, I’m happy that I can at least go forward and not have to worry about these horrific, debilitating headaches.  (Note:  Not everyone who has been helped by a gluten-free diet technically has celiac disease or coeliac disease.  More on that below.)

Jenn writes:  I am 24 years old and have been suffering from daily headaches and weekly migraines since I was 8.  I have been on every combination of medications, herbal regimens, had every test, and gone to massage therapists and chiropractors, all of which have somewhat helped but not relieved my symptoms.  My mother is also a migraine sufferer and was diagnosed with celiac’s disease a few years ago.  She began eating a gluten free diet and has had great relief of both her migraines and her celiac symptoms.  I thought nothing of it until August when I was in the Dominican and, for a week, ate nothing but fresh fish and fruits.  I was amazed at the reduction in my headaches!  Upon returning home I decided to try eating less gluten and I have noticed a profound reduction in my daily headaches.  If I eat a bagel, sure enough I will have a headache a few hours later.

I definitely believe in the connection between gluten and migraines. I still continue my daily medication and do continue to have occasional headaches and migraines, but cutting gluten from my diet has allowed me to live my life the way a 24 year old should. I can plan my days around my life, not my headaches.

Jean, who does not have celiac disease, writes:  My migraines completely totally went away after going fully, seriously gluten free for over a year.  It’s been over 2 *years* without a migraine.  Before going gluten free (I am not celiac), I had a monthly, 7 day long excruciating migraine with my cycle.  Frova and Pamprin Blue (combined) would make it possible for me to survive and be a parent, but after going gluten free, one month, then another, then another, *no migraine* and I realized about a year ago that I just am not a migraine sufferer any more!  I so hope that everyone who suffers so severely the way that I did almost all of my life (for over 20 years) tries going gluten free for a year to see if it works for you too.

Christie is trying the gluten free casein free diet:  I went gluten and casein free along with my son who is autistic.  To my surprise, my migraines went away almost completely, almost immediately.  With the few that I did get I was able to figure out that soy was also a problem.  Since cutting out soy as well I have not had a single migraine.  Such a huge relief and all the motivation I need to stick with the diet.  I do still have persistent migraine aura, so I am looking into how I might be able to even get rid of that through diet/supplements.

Auburner writes that it’s hard to keep to a gluten-free diet, but the benefits far outweigh the challenges:  I’ve had migraines my whole life–ever since I could remember.  I would feel toxic.  My head would throb and heat up, my eyes would get really hard and bulge out of my head.  I would moan and usually always vomit.  Only after vomiting would I be able to fall asleep with a cold wash cloth over my head.  It seemed to usually happen at special events like baseball games, birthday parties, Christmas, Thanksgiving or any time I would exert myself in any way.  The problem seemed to worsen as I got into my 30s till the point where I was getting a migraine every week.  But then after a suggestion from a friend to get tested by enterolab (I’m not affiliated with them in any way), and after a positive result, I have been gluten free for 9 months now.  And guess how many migraines?  ZERO!  I laugh in the direction of people who feel sorry for me for my gluten free diet.  I’m so liberated now to be free of migraines.  I would eat bugs.  Happily.  If that’s what it took to finally eliminate what was causing my migraines.  If you have migraines and think it may be stomach related, then it probably is gluten.  I am so glad to be gluten free…but it is super hard.

Candis writes about the other benefits of a gluten-free diet:  Yes!  So glad to see that others have experienced the same effect.  Through trial and error I finally eliminated gluten as yet one more thing to try to get rid of my migraines and it worked.  This is no small thing!  If I even have a small tiny amount of gluten now – I wake up the next day with a migraine – usually the more gluten I have been exposed to, the worse the migraine.  As a happy side effect – I seemed to have shed about 10 pounds of ugly bloat that I always carried around as well.

Greg writes: For about 12 years of my adult life, I had to endure the classic migraine (aura, nausea, intense pain and vomiting) at least once a month.  After my wife was diagnosed with celiac disease, I too went on a gluten free diet.&nbsp Amazingly, my migraines ceased with the exception of one during the first three months of going gluten free.  Coincidence?  Well, one could argue this, but the timing and the abrupt way the migraines stopped lead me to believe gluten was a major factor in causing my headaches.  In the last year, I have accidentally consumed some gluten (mother-in-law bought a cake in the gluten free freezer area that wasn’t gluten free…) on three different occasions and experienced a migraine within 24 hours.  Another coincidence?  This time, I am convinced my migraines are connected to gluten consumption.  While going gluten free may not be the solution for all or even half of migraine sufferers, I would encourage any migraine sufferer to give the diet three months.  There are plenty of great recipies for breads and cakes that you won’t have to miss out on delicious baked goods.  Give a try.

It’s no secret that stomach/gut issues are connected to migraine.  Here’s someone else who found the connection through gluten.  Buttercup writes:  I have suffered from sporadic migraines for 20 years.  I have been gluten free for 3 months now.  The impetus to go gluten free was stomach related-always feeling bloated and uncomfortable.  I noticed a direct correlation between my stomach trouble and gluten (I was really hoping to see no connection because who doesn’t love bread!).  Surprisingly, after a month, it occurred to me that I hadn’t had a migraine since quiting gluten.  I began to research this phenomenon on the internet and was surprised to discover a connection.  In short, I haven’t had a single migraine since quiting gluten 3 months ago (a span of time never achievable in the past) and will never go back to eating it gluten.

Just how hard is it to go on a gluten free diet?  Ryan writes:  Hi- I’ve been on a gluten free diet for a while, and since I lived on pasta and breads, I thought it was going to be difficult.  It is WAY easier than you think.  If you crave pastas, buy gluten free pasta.  When you crave bread, buy gluten-free bread. outside of that, just watch the condiments and even vitamins.  But all meat, fish, veggies, fruit, nuts are ok, which is better since that is what we are meant to eat.  oh and rice and potatoes are ok.  (I suspect this is going to be easier in some areas than in others)

More good advice from gardengirl:  Most people don’t consider hidden sources of gluten when they "go gluten free", so they think it doesn’t work.  MOST rice is sprayed with wheat starch, and wheat starch is a common packaging ingredient-its also used as an anti caking agent in salt, and is the glue on envelopes, stamps, and other things you might "lick" to moisten.  People tend to give up, thinking that because they avoided the obvious forms of gluten, that the diet doesn’t work-it DOES work, IF you eliminate all sources of it.  Wheat starch is also a common binding ingredient in supplements, vitamins, and medications.  So even some of the medications being prescribed for migraines can cause a bounce-back type reaction.  Do your homework, and learn about hidden sources in shampoos, toothpaste, cleansers, etc.  I have been totally migraine free for over 8 years, where as before going gluten free, I suffered weekly with them. Its WORTH the effort. The only migraines I have had in 8 years has been after accidental exposure to gluten. I did not go gluten free for migraines-I was dx with celiac, but the migraines were the first symptom to totally resolve-MANY other chronic ailments totally resolved as well, as long as I am vigilant about what I put in, on, or around my body.

There are many, many more comments that I could include here.  It’s interesting, considering that many people who have found a solution don’t come back to comment!  So I’m sure there are many more success stories out there.

Reading through the comments, I find that some have had dramatic results – practically no more migraine attacks – and others have had simply a reduction in symptoms.  Again, everyone is different.

If you’re thinking of trying a gluten-free diet, and are having trouble convincing your family or friends, perhaps this is a post you could show to them.  Thanks to all of you who have left realistic, helpful, constructive comments.  Feel free to leave more comments below!

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