Spotlight - Aaron of Pain in the Head

Spotlight: Aaron D. Blog: Pain in the Head Blogging: since October 2005 Migraines: For five years Work: Software engineer

What made you start your blog?

I needed a place to complain about my headaches. At first I wanted to start a private diary, but then I found Blogger and thought I’d make my blog public so others could benefit from my experiences.

What are your goals for the blog?

Short term – keep a regular schedule to post what’s happened in the past few days. Long term? Try to come up with new and innovative content to keep myself challenged and readers interested.

Who are your migraine disease mentors or heroes?

My aunt has had migraines all her life. Hers debilitate her and I’ve always felt that she must be a strong person to handle such horrible pain. Also, my friend Kim is great support; she gets migraines that last three days at a time.

How do you treat your migraines?

I’ve tried different drugs like triptans, antiseizure meds, and pain killers and none really work. Tylenol and Ibuprofen can kill a migraine if I take them soon enough.

I’m trying to live a more healthy life, which seems to be helping. I try to limit caffeine, reduce calories and fats and exercise at least three times a week. I’m not following a set plan, but I’m taking a more active role in reducing my weight, which doctors say could help reduce the headaches. Also, if I lose weight, I might be able to get off the meds for my high blood pressure, which I’d love.

What kind of exercise do you do?

I walk every day. It used to feel like a chore, but now it’s just part of my daily schedule. I even bought a Wii Fit to track my weight loss. It graphs my BMI and weight and is good for working out indoors or in the evening.

How’s it going?

With the weight loss, so far so good. The trend is certainly going down and I’m maintaining the exercise regimen. I am going to join a gym because walking and Wii Fit doesn’t cut it for the amount of activity I need to maintain. The Wii Fit has been great for tracking weights without having to write them down and it does fill in when the weather is bad.

Are their foods you need to avoid?

I don’t have specific triggers for my migraines, but I’ve had responses to chocolate once in a while and certain alcoholic drinks. And avoiding fatty junk and highly processed foods has certainly helped with my stomach acid/GERD.

What three things do you say to newly diagnosed migraineurs?

Find a friend to talk to about your migraines, and find a neurologist you like and can trust. If your doctor is dismissive or makes you feel like you’re wasting his time, get a new one. Also, don’t be afraid to try alternative treatments like chiropracty and acupuncture.

What is your experience with complimentary treatments?

I can’t say without a doubt that they’ve helped my migraines, but I do find complimentary treatments make other parts of my body feel better, which helps with overall health. I’ve tried acupuncture only once on my hand – I’m not sure I could handle my whole head engulfed in needles!

What do you wish someone had told you when you first started getting migraines?

That they’re not all alike. The term is a generic classification and yours may not fit the classic symptoms.

Have your personal relationships changed?

Yes, having a supportive partner makes my migraines much more bearable.

How’s your social life?

Most people know I get migraines, but unless they get them too, they don’t understand. The one thing I try to explain is the way migraines screw with reality. Perception changes and time seems to slow. It’s nothing like a regular headache - it messes with your whole being.

When I get a migraine at work, keeping a business smile on my face is difficult. Minutes can seem like hours; time warps and my focus wanders. When I look back, I tend not to remember much about what happened that day.

As a software engineer, how are you able to sit in front of the computer during an attack?

It can be very difficult to handle computer screens and fluorescent lights, yes. Switching to an LCD screen with no flicker helps during mild attacks, but not being able to concentrate on programming tasks is a big problem.

How do you deal with it?

At my last job, I was fairly open about the migraines with my coworkers and boss. I would end up taking off or leaving early because of the migraines. It felt, though, that my boss wanted me to “man up” and stay at work.

So in my current job, I’ve been less forthcoming, handling the migraines with medication and just letting them pass. My migraines typically last only half an hour but frequently reoccur later in the day. It’s a paradox of sorts – if I take off, I could lose my job – no job, no health insurance for migraines. But if I stay at work, I could perform poorly.

Why should people read Pain in the Head?

Good question. I try to show all sides of life living with migraines. The fun, boring, happy, angry, confusing, sad, exciting things can still exist even with a big pain in the head.

I don’t just focus on the pain all the time. At first, it seemed like I was spending a lot of time complaining about the pain rather than helping others. But I use the word complaining loosely – I always feel like talking about pain is whining. I like to whine and anyone who wants to listen to my whining might get something out of it! Pain sucks but life goes on.

Any favorite posts?

Check the lower half of this one. I love that quote from Violent Acres. It simplifies why, in the end, the pain is good -- up to a point.

Learn more about Aaron.

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