Chronic illness is making me miss out on life.

[Zephyrus]

I don't know if anyone here can relate but here goes. For the first 23 years of my life, I was normal. No pre-existing illnesses at all, going through my Uni degree, two years in, a wonderful partner. Life was good. Then a genetic migraine illness hit me and threw everything off. For the last year, I have been dealing with what is called vestibular migraines. They are migraines that can present with no pain, no sensitivity, no symptoms whatsoever so I can have one and not even know it. If my migraines go untreated, they then turn into symptoms of vertigo. At its worst, I couldn't even shower without feeling faint and dizzy. After trialling many different medications, I am now at one that semi does the job most of the time but I still get attacks. I am now to the point where I am too scared to leave my home form having an episode and whoever I'm with having to help me. I don't remember the last time I left the house without having to. I feel like I'm missing out on life semi due to my illness but now as well as the anxiety that comes from it. I'm now becoming jealous of my loved ones because they get to still be normal and do normal things. I don't hate them by any means and still love them dearly but I envy them with everything that I am. I guess I'm just wondering if anyone sort of knows what I'm going through and/or can offer any advice from a similar experience on how to get through this until I can hopefully find a permanent fix.

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi Zephyrus,

Welcome to the forums! I'm glad that you're here and decided to post. I'm so sorry to hear about your migraines and I can see how it would be affecting your life.

I don't have experience with these, as most of my headaches usually come with a hell of a lot of pain, but I do know what it's like to have physical symptoms that impact your life. I've also had the sort of dizziness where I have had to just sit in the shower because standing was too hard.

Can I ask what it might look like or feel like for you if you were to leave the house? If for example you went to buy milk or bread at Coles, what sorts of things are you afraid might happen?

rt

[Zephyrus]

Hi rt,

The worries when I leave the house are if I end up with a migraine that goes untreated, it will turn into vertigo and I will then start feeling dizzy and faint. Nothing helps it, I just have to get through it as best I can until I can get home.

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi Zephyrus,

What happens when you start to get dizzy - do you usually sit or lay down?

I'm just wondering how you manage it outside of the house and if you were able to manage that on your own.

rt

[Zephyrus]

Hi rt,

I usually need to go lay down but I don't really have any ways to manage it while I'm not at home as nothing I've tried so far has worked. Drinking water, having something with a little sugar in it, eating, sitting for a little while. It will happen regardless. Even laying down sometimes doesn't help either.