How has the Internet impacted how you live with Migraine?

I've been thinking about something recently. (OK. No smart remarks about what happens when I start thinking!) When the doctors I'd been seeing weren't helping me with my Migraines, my Migraines were getting worse instead of better, and I finally got ticked off enough to realize that I was going to have to take charge, where did I turn? I turned to the Internet.

It was from the Internet that I learned...

• that Migraine is a disease.
• that there are doctors who are true Migraine specialists.
• that the headaches I had at one point were medication overuse headaches, aka rebound.
  
• how to keep a headache and Migraine diary.
• just how many people are trying to cope with this disease.
• much, much more.

From seeking help for myself, I also gained a new career. It dawned on me that if I needed help, there must be other people in similar situations. That's how I came to apply to work for About.com, building their headaches and Migraines site. From that came becoming a volunteer staff member for MAGNUM, the National Migraine Association; a chance to write my book, "Living Well with Migraine Disease and Headaches;" the Patient Partners Award from the National Headache Foundation for ongoing patient education, support, and advocacy; and eventually, working here on MyMigraineConnection. Saving the best for last, from seeking help for my Migraines, I met many new friends online -- friends who genuinely understand what it's like to live with Migraine disease.

There are other ways in which the Internet has changed my life for the better...

• Communication. Emailing family members and friends is such a valuable tool. When schedules make phone calls difficult, I want to send a photograph or document, and in many other ways, email has become an indispensable part of life.
• Research. The Internet makes information available that would otherwise be outside my reach. For example, our local library doesn't have the books and medical journals where I find so much information about headaches, Migraines, diabetes, heart disease, glaucoma, and more.
• Shopping. I detest crowded malls and stores. Loud places, aisles of detergents or candles, and other things are Migraine triggers for me. Plus, living in a small city, our stores sometimes don't stock or are out of items we want to buy. You know -- that "must-have" toy that the grandkids want. Shopping online is not only convenient, it's often less expensive.

OK. Now it's YOUR turn! Please click on the "Add Comment" link below and tell me how the internet has impacted now YOU live with Migraines.