I’ve suffered from episodic migraines for much of my life. I was able to deal with that for the most part. Beginning last October, I began to get migraines every 2-3 days (sometimes more, sometimes less), and no longer had sufficient time to recover before another one would start. I finally went to see a neurologist for treatment in February this year, and after inducing a couple of months of increasing panic attacks from the first medication he prescribed (verapamil), I finally have found a treatment for me which has dramatically reduced the incidence of migraines (nortriptyline). I’ve started to feel like my life is back in my control, like I have the power to take control of how my life goes without constantly being taken out or disoriented by this terrible disorder.

Listening to the first hour (or was it the second) of The Diane Rehm Show from August 16, 2012, “Living With Migraine And The Search For New Treatments,” it feels good to hear so much of what I’ve discovered over this past year explained so clearly. Most people have no idea what suffering from migraines is like (how can you if you’ve never experienced it), and how deeply it affects those who suffer from it. It was interesting to hear that many specialists no longer classify it as a “headache disorder” and instead have started to see it and treat it as a “brain disorder.” I think it sounds very reasonable that I have a brain disorder. It connects a lot of the dots, and I’ve always felt a bit Abbie Normal anyway.

I hope there are a lot of people that benefit from the information discussed on this show. I also wish this show would have been put together a year ago, when for months I had no idea how to explain what all was going on, and couldn’t comprehend that my previously contained migraines had begun to manifest in strange and life-consuming ways. Maybe others will understand sooner and be able to gain back control of their lives much earlier than I was able.