Category: Stories
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What am I doing here?
While doing my regular blog-land roundabout I came across a blog called The Spectacled Bean and a post labelled “Home Sweet Home: do you know where you belong?” The post referred to an interactive website (OECD Better Life Index) where you can find out which country best suits you based…
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Less “bad headache” / more “bad hangover”
A migraine is a complex neurological condition… it is NOT just a bad headache. That said, people who don’t experience migraines themselves are often looking for ‘shortcuts’ to help them imagine what it might feel like. I understand where the “bad headache” idea came from… but it’s just not accurate.…
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Frida Kahola’s pain
The painter Frida Kahola was born in Mexico in 1907. As a child she suffered a bout of polio which left her with a limp. Worse was to come however, and at the age of 18 she was involved in a bus accident so terrible, many onlookers thought she was…
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Have you had a nervous breakthrough?
When I look back over the past few years and try to figure out “what went wrong” and why my occasional migraines became chronic… no BIG OBVIOUS answer appears. What I THINK happened is a series of smaller, negative events (hormonal, lifestyle, emotional, financial) presented themselves all at the same…
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“Are you ok?”
In Australia, today is “R U OK” day – and as the website says, it is about “a national Conversation Movement that is equipping Australians with the skills and confidence to support those struggling with life.” Because, let’s face it, life isn’t easy, AND it’s not always easy to know…
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The haunting migraine of Hill House
I grew up in a haunted house. It was a 100-year-old bungalow that was apparently built by a whaling captain. It never occurred to me to be scared, because my parents never showed any concern and kept smiling. My mother laughed about the presence of Old George, whilst my father…
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The face of (dis)ability
OK, so the photo is accidentally very low resolution – and it’s not the most flattering image of me I’ve ever taken – but hopefully it gets my point across. People who are sick are also capable. A while ago I wrote a post about living with brain-fog and in…
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“I have a migraine” is NOT a lie
When I was in my 20s, I worked in the headquarters of a large Australian retail company, project managing the construction of their stores across the country. It was a great job, because I got flown around Australia, and OK, I wasn’t in holiday mode, but I got to see…
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My sister’s pain
A few weeks ago, I posted about being interviewed for a new podcast called Chronically Empowered. About the same time, I did what I guess most people would do: humble-brag. I sent the link to my parents and two younger sisters, saying something like “I’ve started this blog where I’m…
The Mindful Migraine 