This page may contain affiliate links. Please refer to the Privacy Policy for more information.

165 shares Pin

Share

Tweet

Flipboard

Hemiplegic Migraine has handed me some challenges that sometimes feel like mountains that I cannot climb. Other struggles are not as dramatic or difficult to navigate but put stumbling blocks in my path. Here are some of the most prevalent challenges that I face the most:

🌸 1. I can’t talk clearly during episodes. Everything I say (or try to say) comes out as a mumbled up mess. It is very frustrating to hear something different than what I am trying to say come out of my mouth. My husband has become very good at deciphering it but for others it is impossible to get my points across.

🌸 2. I loose the ability to use my right arm. Of course, I couldn’t possibly be lucky enough to loose use of my weak arm, I have to make things as complicated as possible and loose my dominant arm. Tearing toilet paper off the roll, writing instructions to people (see #1 to find out why that is important), opening medication bottles and a plethora of other things just become more difficult because of this challenge.

🌸 3. Loss of energy makes being productive nearly impossible. With my chronic Hemiplegic Migraine, I am homebound. I often have days in which I have 2-5 episodes in a day. This all makes my brain tired, which in turn, makes my body tired. The act of going downstairs to the fridge and coming back upstairs can take 15 minutes to get over on some days. Even if I have not had an episode recently, my energy level isn’t enough to keep me from needing a long rest after a shower.

🌸 4. My vision doesn’t work right. Most people have heard of visual migraine aura. That tiny little spot in the center of your vision that spreads until it covers at least portions of your field of vision. I get that too but after it goes away, my eyes loose depth perception and everything looks flat. I have fallen down the stairs because the steps looked flat. I had too teach myself how to maneuver stairs during episodes. Furniture looks flat on the ground and any items in a walk way can’t be seen. This is the most dangerous symptom I have and it is the reason I can not drive. (Now, doesn’t that make everyone feel a little safer on the roads?

By far, these are not all of the challenges I have to deal with because of Hemiplegic Migraine…not even close! But these are the ones that are consistently requiring me to modify my life.

What challenges do you face with your chronic illness?