When Teresa (not her real name) was a child, she experienced her first migraine. It was one of the scariest things ever.

She was playing with her brother and suddenly realised she could not see from her right eye. She panicked and ran to her mum, but could not find the words to explain what was happening to her.

Visual disturbances and aphasia – the inability to produce and process language – are common symptoms for migraine sufferers. For an eight-year-old, they can feel like the end of the world.

When she was younger she could go for months without an attack, but in later years the frequency increased to once or twice a week. The worst aspect was its unpredictability – one moment she could be defending a client in court; the next, she could not see.

Depending on the intensity of the attack, she experienced various neurological symptoms including visual disturbances, the inability to speak, and light sensitivity. Then came the pain, as if someone were drilling the inside of her brain. She could not look at light, hear noises, or even move her head.

Sometimes the pain was so bad that she got sick. It took her anywhere from a few hours to two days to recover.

During an attack, Teresa was unable to drive, read, eat and work, let alone function like a normal person.

She tried painkillers, beta-blockers, even acupuncture – but there was no magic pill for migraine, and to this day, there is no cure.

Preventive medication can be borrowed from other conditions such as heart disorders and epilepsy, but they do not always work.

The effect of experiencing migraines has been huge on her life. It has affected her relationships, career, social life and mental health.

Unwittingly, Teresa became unreliable. She would say yes to invitations but cancel at the last minute. And when she explained her situation, there would inevitably be someone telling her to “pull yourself together, it is just a headache”.

For years she hoped to identify the trigger. She stopped consuming chocolate, gluten, dairy, sugar, and even caffeine. While it certainly helped to have a healthy and balanced diet, it did not make any difference.

Teresa is lucky to have an extremely supportive family. Her parents, husband and son were there to remind her to live her life and not let the migraine define her.

She spent many years being angry at her migraine and being scared of its unpredictability, but over time learnt to accept it as part of who she is.

She took up yoga and meditation to quieten her mind, and thankfully, she has been migraine-free for the last five years.

She says the migraine was a way for her body to tell her to slow down and take better care of herself. She also consoled herself by changing her perception, telling herself that migraines were a sign of a very sensitive brain.

Teresa hopes sharing her story will help people with migraine feel less alone, and that by connecting with professionals like neurologists, health coaches or hypnotherapists, migraine sufferers can find a path to peace.

TELEME Healing Life Stories is a collection of inspirational stories of how ordinary people triumph over their health conditions and recover to lead a healthier life after that. Feel free to email [email protected] to share your story.

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