How Migraine Has Affected My Work and Relationships

Long-term “migraineur” Daisy Swaffer shares how chronic migraine has affected her work and social interactions in this Life Effects video.

Transcript:

When people ask me how I'm doing, I want to give them a good, positive, hopeful response.

I feel the disappointment in me as soon as the question's asked. 'Cause I know I'm not going to be able to give them the answer that they want.

Migraine, for me, is like there's a gremlin inside of my brain. It's always there. But when the migraine attack happens, it takes over my whole body, and I'm kind of pushed out to the edges.

The hardest thing with having a chronic migraine condition is not being able to control things in your life.

I used to have a really good career in IT, working with people that I loved. And my manager gave me every accommodation he possibly could.

I was already only working part-time because of the migraines, and I was only making it in one day a week at best. And if that one day a week still gave me no quality of life, my life was still about either I was in work, or I was having a migraine…

Eventually, I had to stop working. It's so frustrating. I'd loved my job, and I can't do it anymore because the migraines physically stop me from doing it.

I usually end up having to put on a brave face when people do ask me how I am. 

I say: "Not too bad. How are you?" It's not a lie because if I was too bad, I'd be in bed. I wouldn't be talking to someone then.

So, it's kind of a “public Daisy” and a “private Daisy”.

The “private Daisy” is dealing with so much more that people just can't see from the outside.

The information presented is solely for educational purposes, not as specific advice for the evaluation, management, or treatment of any condition.

The individual(s) who have written and created the content in and whose images appear in this article have been paid by Teva Pharmaceuticals for their contributions. This content represents the opinions of the contributor and does not necessarily reflect those of Teva Pharmaceuticals. Similarly, Teva Pharmaceuticals does not review, control, influence or endorse any content related to the contributor's websites or social media networks. This content is intended for informational and educational purposes and should not be considered medical advice or recommendations. Consult a qualified medical professional for diagnosis and before beginning or changing any treatment regimen. 

NPS-ALL-NP-01108 JULY 2024