On one hand I am so excited and on the other hand, I am deeply saddened that another in my extended family is suffering in much the same way as I have with her migraines. The excitement is in the ability to pass on the information and knowledge regarding the family history (although extended) and that she is still young enough not to have suffered from some of the brain damage that I have. She will be undergoing the same testing I underwent only a year ago, starting with the MRI & TEE, then they will potentially do the genetic testing. Her mother and I (first cousins) have very similar headaches. She is not yet ready to see a headache specialist, until everything else is ruled out.
I am also glad that the neuro sciences have improved to the degree that they have where there are more options today for treatment than there were when I was her age.
Sometimes life's difficulties do accumulate that one wonders if life is really worth it. It is situations like this that proves that it absolutely is.
I encourage everyone to share your information especially when you hear of another family member experiencing similar issues. While our relationship is distant, I have already polled as many family members as possible to get an idea of how extensive Migraine runs throughout and along with it a significant history of stroke. Most health care professionals are taught not to go beyond 4 immediate generations. If you find out that illnesses extend beyond the immediate family, do everything to make your doctors listen.
I remember when first diagnosed, I was scared out of my mind, and wished that I knew someone to talk to with the disease. How could my head make me that nauseous, or cause those strange auras, or just suddenly turn on me at the age of 25. No one told me about MOH until I found Teri's forums, and when I got into a car accident, and the pain management ppl wanted to put me on relafen for months, I didn't know any better. It took a long time to get out of MOH.
You'll be able to be there for your family member. Keep them out of status migrainous, teach them about proper medication usage- abortives, rescues, and preventatives. And if they want to chat, they can call you in person. How lucky they are to have such an informed person to help them through things, and to bounce ideas off of. You'll be able to recognize if and when they get "stuck" and aren't making progress with a neuro over their head.
If they had to wind up with this disease, they're lucky that medical science has come as far as it has, and possibly even more- or equally- lucky that they have you in their life to help with the hard times potentially yet to come...