If you suffer from migraines, or know someone who does, you may read my headline and experience some confusion. Why would anyone be thankful for their migraines?

For those of you who don’t know much about migraines, or who have never experienced migraines, more than 37 million people suffer from migraines, according to Migraine.com, a leading source on the disease. Approximately 5 million people in the United States experience at least one migraine attack per month, and more than 11 million people experience moderate to severe disability due to migraines.

Migraine.com also states that migraines tend to affect women more than men (18 percent of women compared to 6 percent of men; though this statistic could be affected by underreporting by men). They mostly affect Caucasian individuals between the ages of 35 and 55.

According to the World Health Organization, severe migraine attacks are classified among some of the most disabling illnesses with the Organization comparing a severe attack to dementia, active psychosis and even quadriplegia.

I have suffered from migraine attacks for over 20 years. They began when I was 7 years old, and for years I suffered from all of the symptoms migraines often produce. These include but are not limited to:

• Throbbing, excruciating pain (I describe it as having an icepick constantly thrust into my temple or my eye) – typically on one side of my head
• Extreme sensitivity to light, smells, and noise;
• Nausea;
• Vomiting, sometimes for up to 24 hours;

Thankfully, after years of experimenting, my migraines are somewhat managed. I have found a treatment plan that consists of Botox injections once every three months, the nightly use of a special medical device (called Cefaly) that delivers electromagnetic pulses to a nerve identified as having a role in migraine pain, a daily intake of several supplements that have been shown to help with reducing migraines, and two different medications I can take when I do get a migraine. Although the plan has not completely eliminated my migraines, it has cut them by about 35 percent.

Before I found my current treatment plan (and even sometimes currently) a migraine attack would last between three and four days. More recently, due to a traumatic brain injury I suffered last year, I was experiencing the attacks between 19 and 20 days a month.

Throughout my life I would often be completely incapacitated, unable to go to school, unable to work, and unable to engage in my favorite activities, such as horseback riding.

I was confined to my bed with my room completely light-and-sound-free. I have not kept count of how many hours of life I have lost to a migraine, but I imagine it is a rather large number.

So, knowing what you know now based on my small description above, or what you may know or have experienced yourself with the disease, you may still be asking: How could you be thankful for such a debilitating illness?

Migraines have taught me to be thankful for my pain-free days, especially when I was experiencing painful days most of the month. Those pain-free days taught me to take advantage of the time I have without a migraine. Whether it was being able to see friends, ride my horses, not feeling the embarrassment of calling out of work because of a migraine (again) or being able to attend school and be a full participant in class. My migraines are often caused by things I cannot control, like weather changes, so while I can sometimes prepare for an attack – most of the time I do not know when one is coming – making it that much more important that I do what I need or want to do on days I am feeling well enough to function.

Migraines have taught me to be an advocate for myself with my healthcare providers. While doctors are there to care for us, listen to what we are experiencing and provide the appropriate care, not all doctors are sympathetic to chronic pain. I have experienced my fair share of doctors that do not appreciate just how painful, chronic and debilitating my migraines are. I have tried pretty much every migraine drug on the market, and unfortunately, when I have a very severe migraine attack, only one medication works for me: An opioid painkiller. Because of this, I have experienced doctors that have seen me as a drug seeker or a drug addict, despite the many years I have spent trying every single drug on the market that has been known to help migraines. Despite some of the treatment I have received due to my narcotic prescription, I have been a zealous advocate for myself and my health. I have not allowed myself to be disrespected by healthcare providers or pharmacists. I have kept impeccable records of what I have tried and what has worked. I have invested time into tracking my migraines, what causes them, my symptoms, and other pertinent information that will help my healthcare providers make educated decisions. I do not allow myself to be pushed aside by a doctor, and if I feel a doctor is not fully appreciating my disease or the amount of suffering I endure, I am not afraid to voice my opinion or find another doctor that will take me and my migraines seriously.

Migraines have helped me help others. Because I have tried pretty much everything on the market drug-wise and because I have also had to be creative while in the midst of a severe migraine attack to find other remedies when the drugs I am prescribed just will not work; I am more than able to provide suggestions to other people on what they can try. There are natural remedies, like peppermint oil or supplementing with vitamins or herbs. There are drug remedies, which I often will suggest to someone so that they can bring it up with their doctor. I, of course, do not claim to provide medical advice or a diagnosis of a person’s condition, but I am able to be a sounding board and help someone figure out the next course of action they can take when they just do not know what to do next. I have done it all over the many years I have suffered, and I am more than willing to try and help other migraine sufferers.

Migraines have helped me demand understanding of my disease. When I had to explain my migraines to my friends, teachers or employers, some understood. Yet others thought I was making it up. I have experienced my fair share of people that really did not believe the severity of my disease. However, because I have spent so much time educating myself on the disease and ensuring I am armed with as much knowledge as possible, I am confident in my ability to educate others and stick up for myself when I am being treated as if I fabricate my condition and its severity. I am also confident in my feeling that I deserve understanding. Some migraine sufferers may not be as confident because a friend belittles them every time they have to cancel plans due to a migraine or maybe they have a co-worker who questions whether the migraine really is that bad. If I experience something like this, I am armed with statistics, what I have tried and what I am doing to ensure that I can perform to the best of my ability and to ensure (as much as I can) that this disease does not control or affect my life. I have found that if a person is more educated on the disease and knows I am doing everything I can to control it, they are more likely to be understanding of my condition.

Although having chronic migraines is awful and has affected my life in more ways than I can even name, it has also had its benefits – which are often easier to remember on my pain free days.

If you suffer from chronic migraines, I encourage you to seek help from a healthcare provider that respects you and listens to you, and I encourage you to educate those in your life as much as possible. It is not always easy to understand chronic pain, especially because it is often invisible to those around us, but there are so many ways we can help to educate others, even just a little bit.