My Migraine Journey

I started having vestibular migraines in 2017 with a bout of vertigo that lasted 10 days. During those days I could not walk without assistance and felt like I was on a boat in a hurricane. I continued to have vertigo but no other migraine symptoms for about a year. I went to a physical therapist who helped ease me out of bouts of vertigo and tried to prevent them with prescribed exercise. Then in July 2018 I started to have frequent migraines with intense pain, confusion, light sensitivity, sound sensitivity, and vertigo. That August I went to a plastic surgeon who injected Botox on the left side of my head to compare if there was an improvement vs. the untreated side. It made a huge difference and nearly eliminated my migraines. Unfortunately, I was unable to see a neurologist until January 2019 in order to have the costs covered by my health insurance. I started having daily migraines as soon as the Botox wore off. My migraines would get so intense that I had to go to urgent care for steroid shots when I could no longer stand the pain (after about 10 days). When I finally saw the neurologist, we found out that my insurance plan would not cover Botox until I had failed 3 preventative medications. To fail a medication, I had to be on it for a minimum of 2 months and needed to demonstrate that my migraines did not improve. The next 5 months were spent bedridden while I trialed and failed the medications. I was finally able to have Botox prescribed for my migraines in May 2019. This helped tremendously with the pain. However, migraines still occur frequently. Today I am still trying to figure out the perfect cocktail of medications to keep my migraines under control. I find that I can do one activity a day before being hit by a migraine. I write this blog post to let others know that it will take work and time, but it is possible to move towards feeling better. The phrase, “I am feeling better, but I am not well” really resonates with me. I am cautiously optimistic that in time I will be well, and I hope you are too.

Chronically Chic does not endorse any treatments, procedures, products or physicians referenced in these patient fact sheets. This information is provided as an educational service and is not intended to serve as medical advice. Anyone seeking specific medical advice or assistance should consult his or her doctor.