Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows I am a regular migraine sufferer. I had my first episode at 17 when the sight loss and drilling pain led me to believe I was dying of a brain tumour. Thankfully I have insight into the condition now and since coming across SEL member, The London Migraine Clinic I now have an excellent regime of care.
I was chuffed this month to see another fan of the Migraine Centre in my Red magazine. Ruth Tierney reported in her article 'I lost months of my life to migraines' that she finally found an effective regime at the clinic. The wonderful thing they do there is assemble experts in migraine who take the time to do a full analysis of your life and health to discover not only the best treatment for you but also help you understand more about what triggers your episodes. I was recommended a combination of hormone and pain relief treatments that have enabled me to manage my condition.
I also came to understand that while my episodes were proceeded by manic behaviour where I would work into the wee hours then paint a bathroom, for example, I was not in fact triggering my migraines with frenetic behaviour but rather that the drive itself was the start of the migraine. I learnt that by trying to relax during those periods of extraordinary activity I could at least mitigate some of the worst effects of the inevitable head hurt.
I still get hit every month, but they no longer prevent me from working and getting on with a normal life. Still, having had migraines for such a long time I know first hand how hard they can be to live with and now as a board member of the clinic, I am delighted to be able to support their work in the development of world class innovations in treatment and becoming the first migraine treatment centre operating as a social enterprise.
If you suffer from migraines or severe headaches, contact the centre on 020 7251 3322 and talk to someone today. It really could change your life, and you don't just have to take my word for it, as Ruth describes the treatment she receives at the clinic, "The results have been miraculous ... I'm no longer tip-toeing through life at the mercy of pain."
