what I write about

MigraineChick had an interesting post that included her very own Wordle, a visual representation of what words she uses. The most frequently used words are in bigger font.

I plugged in my url for this blog and Wordle instantly generated a page showing what words I use the most. The end result is visually pretty but, in many senses, really sad.

Both "Migraine" and "migraine" make an appearance, as do the words "stressing" and "argument." No need for lots of explanation here--just wanted to say it made me sad to look at it.

How to Cope with Pain blog carnival posted

The July blog carnival at How to Cope with Pain is now up. I'm off to peruse it now. (As usual, I slacked and didn't provide an entry. Next time, Gadget. Next time.)

dishwashing dreams

Let's talk for a moment about how much my miniature (18"-wide) dishwasher has changed my life and, potentially, helped my migraine frequency.

I've been wanting a dishwasher for months--nay, years! I hate, detest, dislike, and loathe doing the dishes by hand. My kitchen is very small and there was no room for an in-cabinet dishwasher--or so I thought until I found the GE Space Saver dishwasher.

The contraption was installed a month ago and has CHANGED MY LIFE. First of all, I don't have to come home with a sense of dread, knowing that yesterday's cereal bowl (complete with rotting milk) is at the bottom of the sink under last night's pizza pan. If I don't feel well, I can still have a snack without feeling stressed out about having to wash up the dishes afterward.

Let's face it: having to deal with chores drives me crazy and makes me feel inordinately stressed out. I've been known to have minor (or major, depending on how you look at it) freak outs centered around the messiness of my house on a monthly basis. (The word "monthly" is a key word here, folks.)

Not bending over the sink to scrub means fewer bothersome neck and back pains--pains which can trigger migraine headaches!b

The dishwasher had an unintended effect as well. Obviously I don't have to worry about doing the dishes or having stinky bowls pile up in the sink. I thought the glory would end there, that not stressing would be the main focus. Little did I suspect that having clean dishes most of the time would encourage me to eat more regularly. I no longer think, "Ooh, I'm kind of peckish...but I'll just have a few cashews so I don't have to wash a plate in order to make a snack." Now I can just bust that plate out, make some delicious snack, and therefore take that extra step that prevents a hunger-induced Migraine episode.

Yay for me!

If you have a few hundred dollars to spare (or landlords that just so happen to be extremely generous parents of yours), get a dishwasher. It shall change your life!

procrastination station

Being away for two weeks certainly broke up the momentum I'd had going on my blog. I hope none of you have given up on me, as I aim to write more frequently now that I'm home again. Two weeks doesn't seem long at all, but it certainly changes things when you're out of town with very limited computer access. It was pretty nice to ignore email for days at a time, that much I can tell you. I realized how much time I spent online and was, to be honest, a bit disgusted by it.

So I'm trying to spend my time online in a more productive way. As much as I'm passively interested in what my friends' status updates on facebook are, I realize this is not a good use of time! I think back to my elementary school report cards. There was a category called "uses time wisely," and I always got an E for excellent there. Little did the teachers know that my habits at home were soon to be horrendous. I'm sure my mother could tell many an unpleasant tale of my telling her the week before the science fair that I needed a backboard and a project. This procrastination problem was an issue for me during high school, college, and even into graduate school. (It still is an issue now, but the deadlines are looser and therefore I pretend it's not a problem.) How is this related to the internet? Oh yeah. I'll go online with the express purpose of checking my work email and end up spending thirty minutes listening to my friends' music on myspace or playing Scrabble online with friends. Does Janet use time wisely? I'd give her an N for "needs improvement."

I really pushed some buttons when I complained about Dr. Diamond's belief that there is a "migraine personality." Admittedly, I was glad that I got a handful of comments from critical thinkers, most of whom didn't think my anger was merited.

Here's the deal. I don't argue that the majority of patients going to Dr. Diamond's clinic fit within the bounds of what he claims to be a "migraine personality." Here's what I take issue with: Migraine affects millions of people of all ages, all backgrounds, all socioeconomic categories, all heights, and all races. Publishing a comment claiming there's a "migraine personality" in such a gigantic publication as USA Today is irresponsible.

Let's review Diamond's description of the migraine personality: "usually young, petite, compulsive, neat individuals who keep long lists."

As all of us out here in the blogosphere know, there's been an exponential increase in migraine awareness articles, blogs, and advertisements in the last few years. I believe that, with a good chunk of exception, many people who scour the internet for medical information tend to be young (a subjective description to start with) and rather assertive in terms of self-care. Anyone remember how the old notion of "migraine personality" described a compulsive white woman who was middle- or upper-middle-class? That belief was dismissed long ago after the grand realization that, generally speaking, that description matches the type of person who would choose to go to the doctor. I can name at least ten people right off the bat who choose not to go to the doctor for their Migraines because of lack of money--of course it's people who choose to spend their money on medical visits that are the ones who go to the doctor!

I have such a great argument in my head but am having a lot of trouble verbalizing it all. Suffice it to say the following:

1. I greatly respect Dr. Diamond and the work he has done.
2. I find it was irresponsible of him to publicize a personal belief (without statistical evidence provided) in such a huge forum.
3. I'm disappointed that we Migraineurs had the opportunity to make the general public more aware about this condition and ended up instead with a cursory article that did very little to explore the implications and effects of Migraine disease.

To see other takes on the issue, please read the comments on my original post. Everyone brought up good points, but I'm stickin' to my guns on this one.

July Migraine & Headache Blog Carnival Posted

Diana Lee has done it again! Visit this page to see the July edition of the Migraine & Headache Disease blog carnival. This month's focus? "Migraines & Spirituality."

Have fun reading!

"Migraine Personality" myth once again rears its ugly head

My mom just gave me a special news insert from Florida Today's newspaper from mid-June. The small publication is called USA Weekend: HealthSmart, and I have every reason to believe it accompanied not only the Florida Today newspaper but also USA Today and any other papers the overseeing company owns.

Dr. Seymour Diamond (of the NHF and the famous Diamond Clinic) debunks a handful of myths about Migraine disease. Like the other short articles in the publication, a half-page or so is dedicated to each health condition and set up as a series of true-false questions. For example, in an article about sleep, the myth is something like, "Teenagers need the same amount of sleep as adults." Truth: No, they need more.

Okay, fair enough.

But the Migraine article's supposedly debunked myths are of a different ilk, especially the last one that have left me flying into a near-rage. I did a search online for reactions to this article and, as far as I've found, it's not being covered by Migraine advocates and/or bloggers--and it should be.

Myth: There is no such thing as a "migraine personality."
Diamond's expert opinion? That there IS a migraine personality!

What year is this? What is happening? I'm reminded of a March 2007 post from Kerrie at the Daily Headache about the ridiculous idea that there is a specific Migraine personality. (In a rush so will have to link to it later--sorry. Fingers are flying to write this even though I'm supposed to be out the door!)

Check out the article here, and let me know what you think. I hate to know that thousands upon thousands of national newspaper readers have stumbled across such a gross error and, without being armed with well-founded knowledge about headache disorders, will agree with Dr. Diamond.

Grrrrrrrr.