Call for Submissions: December 2012 Headache & Migraine Carnival

I'm honored to be hosting the December 2012 Headache & Migraine Carnival.

The December theme is:

"Pets as Therapy: How our pets help us cope with our migraine and headache disorders."

As always, posts on any topic related to migraine disease or other headache disorders are also welcome.

Submissions for the December Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival are due by midnight (the end of the day) on Friday, December 7, 2012.

The December Carnival will be published on Monday, December 10, 2012, here at Chronic Migraine Warrior.

Please email your submission to Diana at somebodyhealme@gmail.com, and she'll forward them to me.

For more information about the carnival visit the overview page here: http://bit.ly/migrainecarnival.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Caregivers: My Husband

© 2009 Jamie V.

My husband and I were married a year after my accident. We had been dating for over six years, when he proposed just little under two months before the accident.

While we were going out, Jeremy had taken care of me through seasonal sickness (colds, etc). So, I knew that he could be a good caregiver, at least on a short-term basis.

Once I was in the car accident, I hated to think that he'd be immediately placed into a caregiver role, once we were married. We knew that our married life wouldn't look like many other marriages between people our age. We were okay with that, though, because our entire relationship had "looked different" - our relationship was long-distance for almost 6.5 years, including the two months immediately following our wedding. But, it has worked for us (which isn't to say that it's been easy).

Jeremy has proven to be the perfect person for me in so many ways - my friend, my husband, my caregiver. I am truly BLESSED! He is loving, caring, supportive, perceptive.

He's always taken such good care of me. And, since I've been dealing with my chronic migraines, he's only done more. He allows me the freedom to do what I can and to try doing more / to regain some independence, but he takes care of the things that I cannot do anymore or that I'm struggling with due to the migraines.

He takes care of our Honey Bee (dog), and he takes care of the house chores (I try to help as much as I'm able). He often goes grocery shopping and cooks for us.

He's my biggest cheerleader, when I try doing more (though he helps me to not overdo it) and / or try things that I've struggled with since the accident. He helps remind me to celebrate even the smallest of accomplishments and to be thankful for what I have and what I can do.

© 2012 Jamie V.

Jeremy makes sure I take my medications on schedule. He works from home, if I'm starting a new medication or am dealing with a particularly bad migraine. He goes with me to all of my doctor appointments. He helps me determine when I should use my migraine meds, and when I need to get emergency care.

He knows me so well... the me behind the mask. He's been there for me through the best and the worst times. I feel his love through everything he does. And, I try my hardest to share my love with him in everything I do.

I know that God has placed Jeremy in my life to be my lifelong partner, and I'm so very grateful for him.

This post was written as part of the National Health Blog Posting Month (NHBPM), as well as the November PFAM blog carnival.

Caregivers: My Parents

My parents have always been a huge support to me. When I was in a car accident in October 2008, I needed to move back in to my parents' house. They became my primary caregivers, as my mind and body tried to heal.

There are some things in those first few months that are pretty blurry - I remember the day of the accident very well, but several months after the accident are only accounted for by my incessant note-taking of everything and my parents' notes and memories.

What I do recall, is that my parents were always there for me (as has been the case my entire life).

• My mom went with me to every doctor appointment (and there were A LOT!) and meeting with the attorney, for at least the first year after the accident. She took notes during visits and asked questions that I either forgot or didn't think to ask. She was my caregiver and my advocate, and I feel that we grew even closer under very difficult circumstances. She continues to be a support by asking how things are going, asking for updates on how doctor appointments go, and being understanding of my limitations and needs.

• My dad (and my father-in-law) came down to College Station to pick me and my car up (weekend of the accident). My dad offered care and support in different ways than my mom, but still so very needed. He had a car accident several years before that changed his life, too. He helped me to accept and work within the limitations that my illness placed on me (including breaking tasks down into baby steps), and to be able to ask for help (neither of us has ever been good at). We've always understood and related to one another in a special way, and this was just a different situation that we shared.

I will be forever grateful for my parents love, care, and support! I know that caring for me at some of my darkest points, and seeing me struggle so much with things much deeper than the pain, was extremely difficult for them. But, their presence and unconditional love will never be forgotten. Their unwavering love and support helped me through, as it continues to do.

This post was written as part of the National Health Blog Posting Month (NHBPM), as well as the November PFAM blog carnival.

My Closet, My Personality

Today's prompt is interesting... "Clean out your fridge or closet in written form. What’s in there? How does it reflect your personality?"

© 2012 Jamie V.

My closet is pretty well organized, though I'm in the middle of getting my winter clothes out (so they're not all in the closet yet).

• Clothes. All of my clothes are facing the same direction, and organized by type (shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, sweater / jackets, shoes, pajamas, etc) and then by color in each group (except for the pajamas).
• Shoes. My shoes are neatly organized on shoe stands, and are also organized by color.
• Pajamas / house clothes. My pajamas / house clothes are stacked neatly on the shelf above the hanging rod - in stacks for pants, shorts, t-shirts, and sweatshirts. Since house clothes are what I wear most often, it really helps to have them easily on hand.

Organizing has long been something I've thrived on. I like order. I like consistency. I'm methodical, practical, and organized... in some areas of my life. I used to be (and I'd like to still be for many other areas, too), but I haven't been able to keep it up because of my health. But, inside, I still like order. 

This post was written as part of the National Health Blog Posting Month (NHBPM). Other bloggers will share their posts on this FB page.

Songs That Moved Me Today

I've written several posts about how music has played a role in my life. I've even put together a couple playlists:

• My Playlist: Songs of Hope
• My Playlist: Theme Song(s)

I know I've kinda fallen off the bandwagon with posting each day (or close to it). I started to feel too much pressure to just "get it done," and that's too much stress. My mind just blanks and I hate the way I feel when writing or blogging feels like a chore or another thing on my "to-do" list. So, sometimes I just step back. I want to write when I have something to say / share... not just to fulfill a blogging challenge. I hope to be able to get back into it soon because I want to feel joy and relief from writing again.

But, today, God is speaking to me through music. I can't stand the flashiness of the TV, so I have Pandora playing on my phone. I'm going to share a song that I've shared before, but it truly has spoken so much to my heart, especially in the struggles of living with chronic illness / pain. So, I'll share it here, again... Perhaps it will touch you the way it has touched me. There's always hope!

There Will Be A Day by Jeremy Camp

http://youtu.be/k8gkDiTvloc

Another song just came on, and it touched me, too. So, I'll also share that one. I love when God speaks to me through music. I really need it today... it's giving me some peace and comfort.

Lift Me Up by The Afters

This song is filled with hope and promise. What a wonderful Savior we have! It is in Him that I find strength and hope.

You lift me up when I am weak / Your arms wrap around me / Your love catches me so I'm letting go / You lift me up when I can't see / Your heart is all that I need / Your love carries me so I'm letting go / You lift me up with your love

http://youtu.be/KBy2D8p5Kpw

Word of God Speak by MercyMe
Perhaps God wishes for me to spend more time with Him... I'm not good at being still and quiet, but I know that it is only through His grace and love that I can hold on to hope. So, I'll move when He says move, and speak when He says speak. But, for now I'll try to be still and hear His voice.

I'm finding myself at a loss for words / And the funny thing is it's okay / The last thing I need is to be heard / But to hear what You would say

Word of God speak / Would You pour down like rain / Washing my eyes to see / Your majesty / To be still and know / That You're in this place / Please let me stay and rest / In Your holiness / Word of God speak

I'm finding myself in the midst of You / Beyond the music, beyond the noise / All that I need is to be with You / And in the quiet hear Your voice

http://youtu.be/4JK_6osCH74

This post was written as part of the National Health Blog Posting Month (NHBPM). Other bloggers will share their posts on this FB page.

My Favorite Health App

I use a few different apps for my health. I'll just do a quick blurb about a few of them, and then share much more about my absolutely favorite one.

• P Tracker Lite - a free period tracker that allows you to take daily notes of moods, symptoms, and intimacy. You can personalize / customize based on your own menstrual cycle. There's a paid version that offers more features and functions... probably more useful to help track fertility.
• Epocrates Rx - a free drug reference that allows you to search brand, generic, and OTC medicines. You can ID pills and check for interactions with the meds you take. You can also read notifications, get manufacturer contact information, etc.
• MyFitnessPal - a free calorie counter and diet trucker that allows you to track your calories (also includes food information like sodium, sugar, cholesterol, protein, etc. - so you can see your diet breakdown), water consumption, and exercise. You can track your progression toward your goals. I love this app because it allows me to make a goal to actually gain weight.

My favorite health app is, by far, My Pain Diary. You can check out the app website and Facebook page.

Here's the review I've officially submitted for the app:

This has been a great app to use as a health tracker for my chronic migraines, fibromyalgia, etc. I would definitely recommend it to others. 

Update: I've been using this app for 6 months now, and I love it even more. With the last update, I (like many other reviewers) had some problems with the app. But, Damon (the app developer) worked with me to correct the issue. I've never known an app developer that is so passionate about his creation and who will go out of his way to help others. I love the updated things he's added and is looking to add in the future. This app is simply amazing!

I'm beyond picky about what I use to track my health, but this has been so great!

• I love the customization that it allows. There's no pre-set list of symptoms that I have to sift through. I get to add the intensity (you can customize the intensity descriptions to what each number / intensity means for you - it does come with some pretty good descriptions, but you can customize), location and type of pain / symptoms; any triggers that might've caused it; remedies that I use; and notes where I can freely write. Everything is filled in by the user - completely customizable!
• There are even color flags, so that you can track multiple conditions or people.
• You can make entries posts private, attach photos, star entries (I do this on the days I take my migraine meds, so I can easily look at the calendar and see when I can take meds next), and automatically track the weather.
• You can view history (it hi-lights days based on the intensity of the pain selected for each entry (green, yellow, or red).
• There are customizable graphs, and you can customize reports that you can provide your doctor (the color flags I mentioned earlier can help you provide more specific / relevant reports for different doctors).
• You can back it up using DropBox, and now there's iCloud synchronization.

Clearly, I can go on and on and on about this app. I don't take recommending resources lightly, so my enthusiasm for this app is well-rooted and completely sincere. I'm happy to answer any other questions that people might have about the app - just ask away.

What are your favorite health apps?

This post was written as part of the National Health Blog Posting Month (NHBPM). Other bloggers will share their posts on this FB page.