[If you have chronic migraine (or any migraine), do you or do you think you could work a typical job?]

Oh, gosh! Not a blood thinner. That causes a whole new set of problems to deal with. I was actually offered a blood thinner due to the slightly higher probably of stroke with migraine with aura. I turned it down. I agree, though, migraine is weird! I have a doctor's appointment soon. I'll discuss my options with him just to know. I hope your family members with APS are doing well.
 

16 hours ago, kbutton said:

Some autoimmune conditions predispose you to migraines, such as antiphospholipid syndrome. I have a couple of family members with APS, and one had migraines until going on warfarin. Quite a few people with migraines who go on blood thinners find that their migraines subside, with or without an APS diagnosis.

Migraines are very weird!

[If you have chronic migraine (or any migraine), do you or do you think you could work a typical job?]

Gosh, I hope so! I'm pinning my hopes on it. It's been a really bad five years now. (Minus the 6 miracle months I had when I first started Nurtec.)

15 hours ago, Farrar said:

So, I have no idea how it is for you. There are lots of different migraine types and ways people get them. But for me, mine got steadily worse beginning in my mid-30's so that by my early 40's, I was miserable and they were back to back to back. Now, as I'm getting further into peri-menopause and closer to the end, they've dropped of significantly. Like, miraculously significantly. Apparently this is not an uncommon progression arc if your migraines are triggered by your dropping hormone levels. So just something to consider.

[If you have chronic migraine (or any migraine), do you or do you think you could work a typical job?]

I'm not sure. I'm mid forties. Things have been getting progressively worse in that department these past couple of years. (Back to heavy flow and super painful cramps. Like high school for me. Ugh.) I keep wondering the same thing. Will the migraines break when I hit menopause. I don't know that that time will come soon enough, though.

I always push through until I can't anymore. When I get to that can't-anymore point, the only thing that resets is sleep. Unfortunately, a short nap doesn't typically do it. Usually it takes several hours.

1 hour ago, Farrar said:

Mine have improved dramatically in the last year or so just because of hormonal changes. Do you think that you'll have any relief coming down the pipeline from menopause or are your triggers completely different?

I can push through when I have to so for me, even if it was a few years ago when I was having them back to back to back, I was okay to function as long as I was able to have breaks. It just depends on the severity. When I push through, they can turn really ugly if I do it for too long. But I'm also not having them like I used to, so I've got a really different context. 

[If you have chronic migraine (or any migraine), do you or do you think you could work a typical job?]

That's what I was thinking. I did try walking in with my head down once. I started to get an aura but it poofed away after a few seconds. However, another day I ran into someone I knew in the Walmart parking lot and got one talking to her outside the store. 🤷‍♀️

7 minutes ago, pinball said:

It could be the lighting…if it flickers at all.

[If you have chronic migraine (or any migraine), do you or do you think you could work a typical job?]

I don't know how your DH did it either. I sometimes get to the point where I can pretty much only sit and stare into space. That's when I usually head to bed. Do you know how your daughter's remote work works?

I did read that about the autoimmune theory.

31 minutes ago, J-rap said:

I'm sorry for anyone having chronic migraines.  😟   Those run in my family.  My dh had a migraine every day of his life starting around age 35.  (Before then, he still had them often, but not daily.)  He made many changes in his life and for the most part was able to take the edge off the symptoms and continue doing what he loved.  He had a demanding full-time job.  (I really don't know how he did it!  But I know he'd rather be busy and suffering than sitting at home suffering, if possible.)  He adhered to a strict diet and was on a calcium channel blocker which helped a bit.  He probably still needed to take a day or two off work on average every month, but he was able to keep working for a number of years.

My dd began having chronic, daily migraines starting at age 16.  She ended up deferring college because of it, and in the end, never went back to school.  However, she's working full-time in the financial tech industry, remotely.  I think remote work helps a lot.  She also adheres to a very strict diet and lifestyle to take the edge off of them. 

A couple of doctors in the past couple of years have told me that some doctors/scientists are beginning to think of chronic migraines as a type of autoimmune condition.  I thought that was interesting.  

 

[If you have chronic migraine (or any migraine), do you or do you think you could work a typical job?]

Yes, and I don't actually want to be on disability. The low-assets thing is a hard no. The only part I really wish that I had access to was the health insurance. That would at least allow me to attempt to get by for a while on side hustles/gig work coupled with maybe some part-time work, if need be. Morning hours tend to be decent for me. When I'm home anyway. I don't know whether driving every morning would cause auras and ruin my morning hours too or not. I don't drive often enough in the mornings to know. Going into our local Walmart causes one almost every time (even in the morning). I thought it was just our local Walmart for some reason but now other stores are starting to cause auras too.

12 minutes ago, KSera said:

Yes, I fear you might have a hard time getting enough benefits to get you by, unfortunately. Between having a little income with TPT, which would decrease your eligibility, and how low payments are, it might not be sufficient depending on the COL where you are. Where we live, it's not even close to allowing a disabled person to support themselves on SSI alone. You also need to pretty much use up all your assets first or get them into some kind of trust first, otherwise those would disqualify you (not house or car, but money).

[If you have chronic migraine (or any migraine), do you or do you think you could work a typical job?]

No, I do. I checked the other day. I worked before having DD. And, I also have been making enough with TPT these past several years, that that topped me off. The monthly dollar amount that I would qualify for isn't great, though. I just wish we had some kind of truly affordable health insurance available for the self employed. Not having this locks a lot of people (a whole lot of women, I imagine) into some not-so-great circumstances.

1 minute ago, Heartstrings said:

If she’s been staying home with kids it’s likely that she doesn’t have enough “credits” to get SS.  The system is set up crappy, as is our way.  

[If you have chronic migraine (or any migraine), do you or do you think you could work a typical job?]

No, I'm sorry. I once found a person on a different form whose husband had the same rare disease as mine. I totally freaked her out trying to talk about it. (Prognosis wasn't that promising then.) She literally told me I couldn't talk to her anymore. This was in the early stages of my DH's diagnosis, so I was initially thrilled to make this connection. Anyway, I'm just trying to say I get it.

3 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

Thanks. I thought for a minute I had found someone else who had that. 

[If you have chronic migraine (or any migraine), do you or do you think you could work a typical job?]

No, I don't. I just meant I've been through a bunch of tests of various sorts to rule out other things. That's how I ended up with a chronic migraine diagnosis.

9 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

Hey, do you have FMD? Is that what you meant?

 

[If you have chronic migraine (or any migraine), do you or do you think you could work a typical job?]

Most of my migraines are silent (no crushing head pain), although this is changing some. I have a lot of head pressure and wooziness, but I wouldn't call it PAIN. It's all the other stuff that makes me unable to function...the cognitive fog, dizziness (sometimes vertigo), nausea, inability for form sentences and speak correctly, balance and coordination issues. I am a perfectionist and have a strong work ethic. I can imagine that I would attempt to power through and be miserable. But honestly, I think I could cause an accident or make a mistake that would get me fired pretty easily. That would devastate me. I was thinking about going to back to school for some kind of health-related career, but I'm not sure that's going to work out. 😞

ETA: I often describe it like feeling pretty darn drunk without any euphoria. So, there's also a kind of down, depressive feeling that can run along with all the symptoms too. Every now and again, when symptoms are especially bad, I will drink something to flip the dysphoria.

24 minutes ago, Katy said:

Migraines yes, chronic cluster headaches no. But that doesn’t mean it’s not disabling for you, it simply means my pain tolerance makes them not as severe for me. Sometimes aura is worse than pain. 

[If you have chronic migraine (or any migraine), do you or do you think you could work a typical job?]

I'm not sure. I've thought about this, as having the cheap insurance alone would reduce a lot of stress but then I would still want to work as much as possible online when I'm able, and they might kick me off for making too much.

I think they would also make me jump through a lot of hoops in terms of trying a bunch of cheap off-label medicines first, which just zonk me out in a different way (and what I have tried hasn't worked). I'm also afraid of losing Nurtec, if I try something else. Our insurance doesn't cover it, so Nurtec is currently giving it to me free. (It's a minimum of $2,000 for my dose per month otherwise.)

26 minutes ago, wintermom said:

Can you get a doctor to write a convincing enough letter so that you can go on full or partial disability? Not sure what that might mean in practical terms for working, but having official documentation may be useful in divorce court as far as compensation your ex must provide you.

[If you have chronic migraine (or any migraine), do you or do you think you could work a typical job?]

I had a full work up with various MRIs, scans, X-rays, bloodwork, etc. before I was diagnosed, but I may need to find another neurologist (mine left during Covid) and see what else I can do. Thank you for posting. 😊

I have been thinking DD and I might enjoy yoga.

9 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

I have no advice for jobs. (Also, I do have other issues that could keep me from working outside the home). 

So, these are just some thoughts in case these could help. 

I have lots of bad headaches, but not chronic like yours. I did discover that having 0 percent chocolate or caffeine keeps me almost headache free. That includes decaf anything. Zero, as in absolutely NO caffeine. 

What about the muscles in your back that run from the base of the skull  to the top of the spine? Massage gun or regular massage for those. Those muscles can cause migraine if not stretched and massaged. 

Yoga. Specifically for the paraspinal muscles/migraine. There are most likely routines for this. 

I have Fibromuscular dysplasia which is known to cause migraines. Maybe a carotid ultrasound wouldn’t hurt…to make sure those are healthy and clear…and to rule this out. Since your migraines are chronic, this might be a good idea in general, if you have not already done so. You will need a person knowledgeable about FMD ultrasound to do this type of ultrasound. Anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong. The carotids need to be checked way up high….higher than what they do for the normal ultrasound when checking for general plaque blockage. I’m just saying, since yours are chronic, an ultrasound might be good to rule things out, and I’d want the whole artery checked, since you aren’t only just checking for plaque. You want to make sure the entire artery is healthy, or as much of it as possible.  

Just a few thoughts. 

 

[What should I do with all these lanyards?]

I'd probably pull any Disney and/or Universal Studios ones, then toss the rest. I'd check eBay on those or at least donate them so a collector can have a chance at them. Keeps a bit out of the landfill. Some Las Vegas hotel ones might have value too. I would eBay or donate any unwanted Disney enamel pins as well. (Or, mail them to my DD. Lol. 😝)

[If you have chronic migraine (or any migraine), do you or do you think you could work a typical job?]

As I've posted before, DH and I will be divorcing within a couple of years. About the time DD heads to college. I'm truly starting to stress about whether I'm going to be able to hold a typical job to support myself (and help pay for DD's college). I have chronic migraine, which means I have a minimum of fifteen migraine days a month. I am taking Nurtec every other day (the max dose), which is/was a game changer for me. However, I am back to having symptoms nearly every day. Things are way better than they used to be, but I am not feeling/functioning normally.

Right now with the heat, I pop an aura just about every time I leave the house. Driving and going into stores can trigger one. (It can be pretty scary driving with one.) Even when I recover quickly, my vision and cognitive abilities aren't great for 2-3+ hours. (I probably need to time it.) And, a lot of days when I'm just home, I have to lie down for a bit in the afternoons. My brain gets too fuzzy to do much of anything and/or fatigue sets in.

I looked up types of jobs that are good for migraine sufferers, and it's pretty much freelance, remote, and gig work. I have a TPT store, so that's pretty much what I already do, but these types of jobs aren't going to provide stable income or insurance. And, our state sucks in providing quality affordable health insurance options for the self employed. I'm trying to think realistically about my future before it's right on top of me.

Any wisdom, thoughts, advice to share?

[Which 2023-24 ACT dates are the best for a rising junior?]

The title pretty much says all. DD is a rising junior. I'm not sure which ACT date(s) to register her for this coming year. She hasn't taken it before. She will be taking Algebra 2 this year. She has taken Algebra 1, Geometry, Biology, and Chemistry. She will likely take the PSAT in October. TIA for your help!

These are the 2023-24 testing dates:

September 9, 2023
October 28, 2023
December 9, 2023
February 10, 2024
April 13, 2024
June 8, 2024
July 13, 2024*

[USPS is hiking the price of a stamp to 66 cents on July 9]

They are doing something with First Class package rate and a couple of the economy package rates too. Combining them and adjusting the rates. I'm not sure anyone knows exactly what the new rates will be yet.

[What a lazy day for a special needs mom looks like]

I'm not going to ask what a typical day looks like. 😬

[Shout out to all AG families]

And, here I thought this thread was going to be about American Girl dolls. Lol. ☺️

That is all. Carry on.

[Drag Story time]

No idea about any of this. I truly only know about one particular drag bar in one particular city. (There are others, but this particular drag bar is the main, popular one in the city.) The workers are like family there. They hang out together after hours, and they even take out-of-state vacations together. And, I think the drag queens get paid a decent wage and they make hundreds of dollars more in tips each night they perform. Several of them are in their mid to late 20s...I'm just not sure they are thinking about it all as deeply as some people here. 😊

I will agree that LGBT folks aren't by any means all the same. Not at all, actually. Lots of division within, but I didn't think that's what we were talking about.

20 minutes ago, Melissa Louise said:

I live ten minutes drive from the big queer suburb in my city. It's part of business there, sure. I'm cynical. A lot of it is pinkwashing. Slap a Pride sticker on the door and continuing to underpay your workers. 

I'd just be restating my objections to treating 'the LGBT'as a homogenous monolith, and to straight-washing gay history out of drag, so I won't respond further than that. 

[Drag Story time]

I still say it's about promoting the LGBT community at large. And that could be an actual place. Large cities may have planned revitalized neighborhoods where LGBT-owned businesses are grouped together and thrive. Part of that neighborhood will likely include bars/clubs that host drag shows, drag trivia nights, etc. Those bars and other successful LGBT-owned businesses sponsor outreach programs and events just like non-LGBT-owned businesses do. The drag queens are representatives of those communities. There are non-drag representatives too, but they aren't as visual.

There was a drag show at our local big-city theme park's Pride Day last week. And, there was some sort of show at a children's museum (not your normal children's museum; it's a rather unique place that's for more than just kids, but kids are the primary patrons) the week before. I have no idea the content of these shows, as I didn't go. But, drag queen appearances aren't just at the library. They're at parades and baseball games and other places too.

All types of people go to drag shows. They aren't just for gay guys. A lot of lesbians go. A lot of people having birthdays and bachelorette parties. People wearing cosplay. Really, just all types of people being themselves and having fun.
 

23 hours ago, Melissa Louise said:

Let's return to drag queens then. 

In what way does drag queen represent, or provide a role model for, say, a girl like my dd, a lesbian?  

How does a drag queen help a boy who is gay but doesn't identify with flamboyance? Gay boys are like other boys - they're not all about being camp.

 

[Drag Story time]

Well, if they label it as anything else, they'll be accused of trying to hide it. Right?

The label does let people know that a guy dressed up as a gal will be doing the reading right up front. It also alerts LGBT parents that this might be something that they might be interested in. And, I have no idea whether this is the case, but large cities have contests where a Pride royalty court is chosen each year to preside over Pride events and generally be representatives of the gay community throughout the year. A drag queen is chosen as Queen of Pride. Drag queen story time might be one of their awareness/community events. In this case, why would the LGBT community want to hide the fact that they are drag queens?
 

15 minutes ago, Ginevra said:

The story times, though, *do* say “Drag Queen Storytime”. So…I do wonder what purpose that serves. They aren’t saying, “Mother Goose Story Hour” and Mother Goose is a man dressed up like a feminine goose. 

 

[Drag Story time]

Yes, that's where we need to get as a society. "Coming out" should not be a thing. There shouldn't be a need for it. I thought we were getting there, but the tide seems to be shifting again.

5 minutes ago, Wheres Toto said:

Her statement was actually made in response to another post.  At the time, I think she was saying that she hoped being gay would be such a non-issue that people wouldn't automatically assume everyone was straight and there would be no need to "come out", it would be something that just comes up in normal conversation where you would talk about your husband or wife or when you got married or who you are dating, etc.   Not something needing an announcement.  

[Drag Story time]

These things ARE news in my state. Along with gender-affirming care.

I wonder how many years drag queen story time has been going on. I have no clue. I didn't know about it until recently. Or, if I did, I didn't spend any time thinking about it.

I think the point of reading Pride books during Pride month is to promote awareness. I'm surprised that the school district instructed teachers to read them, though. That wouldn't fly in my state. I have no idea of the content of the selected books, so I don't know how to feel about them specifically.

We tended to steer clear of things that specifically talked about race or sexuality when DD was small. DH and I also didn't talk about race and sexuality in front of DD. We wanted to raise her in as non-biased of an environment as possible. I have no idea whether we would have taken her to drag story time, as that was never an option. For several years, when we asked her which American Girl doll looked the most like her (her twin doll, so to speak), she identified with an African American doll. My DD is vampire white. As a teenager today, she is the most tolerate person I know. A person's gender, race, and sexuality matters zero percent to her. She's made friends with people who are straight, gay, trans, and nonbinary. I don't really know where I'm going with this paragraph other than to say that we are really proud of her. She sees people for people and teaches us a lot of things that challenges our preconceptions. She has made us more understanding and tolerate over time.

I really feel as though this is a why this, why now kind of thing? Why is the LGBT community being picked on so much right now after enjoying several years of legislative and social progress? I think it's because there's a presidential election coming up. Our last election cycle hated on immigrants. I predict that this cycle's hate mongering will be focused on the LGBT community. I'm not looking forward to it. And, I always wonder, who's next.
 

21 hours ago, Ginevra said:

Can we discuss this? I want to understand what the purpose of this is. I view myself as moderately open-minded and for sure, do not think any group or culture of people should be shunned by society. 

However. Why have a Drag Queen presenting story time to young children at a public event? What is the goal? 

Along the same vein, an elementary school teacher friend said they have been instructed to read from a selection of “Pride books” before school ends for summer. What is the purpose of reading “Pride books” specifically? 

I am asking this in good faith and hope to discuss it in a rational manner. 

PS: these are things in my community within my direct experience; they are not news headlines or internet hear-say. 

 

[Drag Story time]

That's why I put "powderpuff" in quotes. Our high school had "powderpuff" exhibition games during assemblies, etc. where the boys basketball team dressed up as girls (in dresses and make up and boobs and sneakers) and played against the girls team.

Did no one else have these? Lol. Regardless, teenage boys dressed up several times as girls in high school for skits and other things too that I don't quite remember.

ETA: I also remember adult men dressing up to play basketball for a charity event. These things were always labeled "powderpuff." Then again, I think we also had a donkey playing basketball too. Lol. I don't know. I remember a donkey on the court. For what, I'm not sure. 😄

25 minutes ago, KSera said:

I've never known Powderpuff football to refer to anything other than an all-girls football team, fwiw. eta: And hopefully it's phasing out as a name for that, because it's a demeaning characterization of women's sports.

23 minutes ago, pinball said:

Do you know what powderpuff football is?

It’s when GIRLS play football…

[Drag Story time]

I skimmed this thread. I can't remember, has "powderpuff" football, basketball, or similar been brought up? Why is it okay for "straight" young men to dress up as women but not gay ones? How many times did teenage boys dress up in dresses and make up and sport bras and fake boobs for charity or other events in high school? I don't remember anyone getting up in arms about it. As a matter of fact, people of all sorts seemed to enjoy it.