Those of Us with Migraine - What Are We?

I haven't had enough coffee for this one, and no coffee is not a trigger for me

How about levels of migraine???  We're often asked by doctors to describe our pain level with 10 being the worst pain we've ever felt.  So the person that cannot function in society at large is a 10.  The person that has one per quarter or less is a 1.  Each person could be assigned a number by their doctors with its value depending on...

a)  The number of migraines per month/quarter/whatever

b)  The severity of the migraines in causation of disability (i.e. the ability to physically/mentally function) with guidelines being set by the AMA, NHA, or whoever.

No way could it be perfect as there would be some objectivity by the doctor and/or the patient, but HEY, it's just a thought.

Could you imagine some of the conversations between migraine sufferers...

Joe:     (To co-worker Mary)  How'd your visit with the neurologist go?

Mary:   The doctor says I'm a level 6 head pain sufferer.

Joe:     Sorry to hear that.  Doc says I'm a level 7 MIG head but could be a 4 or 5

           if I would stay away from MSG. 

           My wife says I'll always be her level 9 pain though...

I guess I was really hoping for an answer when I saw the article title, but there are more and more questions raised in the article.

This indicates that we still have a long way to go as far as classifying and researching the disease. Thanks for bringing up the topic. This should be an interesting discussion!

~LiSaV

I absolutely agree that it does raise more questions than answers.  It seems like I spend a good deal of time educating my friends and family on what exactly "my" migraines are.  I would put them under the disease category because I have more than 3 or 4 a month.  But do I want the rest of the world seeing me like that?  I don't know.  Am I diseased?  Yes, according to my doctor.  And yes, according to me.  However, as much as these migraines control so much of my life, I still don't want to give them that much power by giving them a classification.  They have altered my life upside-down.  They took away a career that I loved and plans made are always iffy.  I've accepted that I am a person with a disease and that disease is migraines and I have adjusted my life accordingly.  Yes we need more funding, we need to be heard, this disease needs so much more from society and our government.  What I've written here, about me, it's just my personal views.  Please don't anyone take it personally.  I had migraines a long time ago.  They went away...or so I thought!  3 years ago, they came back with a more strength then I ever thought possible....and I don't like them!! Like anyone does, huh?  

Thanks Dr. Young.  I've been thinking a lot lately about how to define myself.  I think I'm transitioning from fighting this disease 24/7, working full time and basically freaking out to accepting the disease, not being able to work full time and trying to learn how to proceed.  I'm optomistic that this is a good thing to do, although as someone else stated, it's very hard to give up a career that I worked so hard on and spent so much money to get to.  A friend of mine and I keep talking about our dream of opening a restaurant, but I just don't want to have to give that up too.  But the reality is - how the hell could I possibly do that now?  :(

I feel that I have to constantly overstate the disease to the outside world and understate it to myself, lest I fall into such a deep depression that I can't function anymore.

As for the "Migraineur" question - I never liked that term, but I can't think of anything else.  For me, it's just "I get migraines all the time."

Thanks for the discussion - really great!