Honestly, Mondays don't really feel like Mondays to me anymore. I used to dread them... the start of a new work-week. I'm not really on a normal week cycle... Jeremy's work-week is Wednesday through Sunday, so that's what mine has become (except I don't "dread" his "Monday"). Mondays are like our Saturday, so it's actually kinda nice.
But, there are definitely some things that make me less-than-excited to get out of bed, including stigma around Migraine. I hate that others often think that Migraines are "all in your head" and/or are just "bad headaches." Over 10% of America's population (approximately 36 million people) have Migraine, and it ranks in the top 20 of the world's most disabling medical illnesses. About 4% of the U.S. population (approximately 14 million people) have Chronic Daily Headache, and about 2% of the population (approximately 7 million people) have Chronic Migraine. And yet...
Migraine is poorly understood and often misdiagnosed / mistreated. Research is poorly funded. Actually, that's an extreme understatement. The National Institute of Health (NIH) only allocates 1/10 of 1% (i.e., 0.01%) of their budget to Migraine and all other headache disorders combined. One-tenth of a percent... that blows my mind! No wonder there are so many people suffering from Migraine. Of all the medications used as Migraine preventive treatments, not a single one was developed primarily for Migraine treatment.
My hope is that by sharing our stories and joining together, that Migraineurs can one day be heard, understood, and treated. We're in desperate need of funding, but we also need to take opportunities that we each encounter to inform others about Migraine. That's one reason I keep this blog. It allows me to share information about Migraine, as well as my experience with Chronic Migraine, with others.
Reference: Migraine Research Foundation
This post was written as part of the National Health Blog Posting Month (NHBPM).
