Migraine disease requires certain behaviors from me. More accurately, migraine prevention dictates many aspects of my life. One of the best ways to prevent an attack is to limit exposure to my known triggers. To do this, there are certain things that I will not do.

1. Outdoor events: As much as I would like to go to outdoor concerts, Riverfest activities, and Ketch’s Burger Battle in the park, the risk surpasses the reward. All it takes is one cigarette smoker combined with the Kansas wind to trigger a migraine attack and ruin my day. Outdoor seating at a restaurant carries the same risk, so indoor seating for me, please. This also means anyone with me will have to accept an indoor life or partake in outdoor events without me.

2. Cigarette smoke: Since I’m on the topic of cigarette smoke at outdoor events, let’s delve further into the secondhand smoke issue. Everything a smoker owns smells like an ashtray even when they aren’t actively smoking. Because of this, I won’t be traveling in the vehicle of a cigarette smoker, and I won’t be able to enter a smoker’s home for any amount of time.

3. No scented oils: I hold my breath every time I walk through the home fragrance product aisle at the grocery store. Scented oils and other home fragrance products will not be in my shopping cart, my car, or my home. Fragrance-free deodorant, body lotion, and dryer sheets are a must in my household. I won’t be spending a great deal of time at a friend or family member’s house that is filled with such odors either. I can only maintain mouth breathing for so long.

4. Medicine and a plan: I will not leave the house without abortive medicine in my purse and a plan in my mind. If I think a meal might happen past my window of opportunity for food, I make sure to have a granola bar in the car or in my bag. When I’m hiking, I have a caffeine bar in my backpack, so I don’t miss out on my lunchtime caffeine. Even with a lot of migraine planning, there are times when an episode strikes anyway. I have rescue medicine in my purse and won’t hesitate to take it. The sooner I treat the problem, the less likely the migraine will interfere with what I want to do.

5. Migraine as a scapegoat: The most important thing I will not do with migraine is use it as an excuse. I will not pretend to have a migraine to get out of work. I will not pretend to have a migraine to get out of a family function or an uncomfortable situation. Migraine is not a convenient excuse to help me get out of things I don’t want to do. Migraine is real, and I don’t want to give anyone a reason to claim it isn’t.

There are times I want to participate in outdoor events, ride in a friend’s car, or visit a family member’s home. There are times I’d like to not have to think about migraine every day. There are times I’d like to use migraine as an excuse to retreat from the noise of the world. I can choose to do these things, but I won’t. Sacrificing my health is not an option when it comes to leading my best life. 

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Originally published at WebMD.com on 1-29-24.

Originally Published on https://www.tammyhader.com/

Tammy Hader Author

Tammy Hader possesses no official, academic writer’s pedigree. With a BBA in accounting from Wichita State University, her history resides in numbers. After a 30-year accounting career, Tammy reinvented herself as a writer in 2018. She is an essay writer at Medium, BizCatalyst360, and WebMD. Tammy is an editor for the Medium publication Journal of Journeys, and she is a contributing author in the Daily Gift Book Series. Watch for her upcoming books in her memoir series. When not writing, she enjoys caring for her mom, cooking for her family, and serving her two rescue kitties with the royal attention they deserve.