BackgroundIf you've been on social media recently, you may have seen the rise of green light therapy for pain relief. While it may seem new in the migraine world, the effects of green light therapy are well-documented. According to Dr. Bing Liao, a neurologist at Houston Methodist Hospital, green light can change the level of serotonin and alter the endogenous opioid system, a pain-relieving system, throughout the central and peripheral nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, and immune syste...| Chronic Migraine Ellie
Today is Shades for Migraine Day! It’s part of Migraine and Headache Awareness Month (#MHAM2020) to raise awareness about living with migraine. Post your photo on social media with the hashtag #shadesformigraune and challenge 3 friends!| Chronic Migraine Ellie
It's been a while since I've written a blog here. In the past year, I wrote a thesis that got high honors, graduated college, moved to a new city and started a full-time job, all while navigating my life with migraine disease. I've joined Migraine.com as a writer and Lyfebulb as a patient ambassador. This past week, I co-hosted #MigraineChat with Beth Morton (My Counterfactual Brain) and talked about migraine advocacy. Since Headache on the Hill (HOH) is next week, I wanted to take some time...| Chronic Migraine Ellie
Yesterday, I tweeted about how writing a thesis with chronic migraine has been one of the most difficult things that I've done. It got an outpouring of love and it just so happened to be on a day that I finished the first draft of my body chapters. I was already feeling good, and I'm a month out from my final deadline. But it hasn't been like this for the whole process. I feel like I don't read enough about young adults with chronic illness going through school/university, so I thought that I...| Chronic Migraine Ellie
In June of 2018, I took my first dose of Aimovig, one of the new CGRP medications. I livestreamed on facebook about taking my first dose, posted about how excited I was to try it and then haven't talked about it since. I've always been one of those unlucky people with medications where it either has terrible side effects or it works for a bit and then isn't effective anymore. I was excited to try Aimovig, but also completely terrified. What would happen if it didn't work? Even more terrifyin...| Chronic Migraine Ellie
It's been a while since I've sat down and written a blog. 2017 was a monumental year for me in so many ways. To start off, I am a lot healthier and more active than I have been in the last 6 years. I participated in Headache on the Hill 2017, which was one of the most exciting and fulfilling experiences that I could have attended. I'll be back this February for HOH 2018! This summer, I lived in Washington D.C. working full-time at a start-up healthcare company named Aledade Inc. at which ...| Chronic Migraine Ellie
Hello hello!| Chronic Migraine Ellie
This week, I interviewed Courtney Kilian, founder of Om & Ink! I am excited to share her story with you all, because she is such a wonderful, positive soul. Her story and her work is also inspiring- and you will see why in her interview! | Chronic Migraine Ellie
Welcome to #MHAM2017, Migraine and Headache Awareness Month! Last year was the first year that I participated in #MHAM. It was an amazing experience, albeit a difficult one, so I'm excited to do it again this year! A couple general announcements: every week I will be compiling the facts, pictures, and infographics and putting them into a blog every Friday. Secondly, there is a new event during MHAM this year that I am a part of that I would love to share with all of you! Shades for Migraine...| Chronic Migraine Ellie
A lot of people ask me how I can be so happy when my life always feels like such a mess medically. Something is always wrong, I always seem to be fighting for something and on top of that my personal life feels like it is always changing, for better or for worse. My mom jokingly calls me Pollyanna because I seem to have such an optimistic view of life for most things. I always say that if I got stuck on the negative parts of my life, I would be constantly depressed. That's not to say that I d...| Chronic Migraine Ellie
After meeting so many amazing and inspiring people from Headache on the Hill and other people| Chronic Migraine Ellie
Every morning, I wake up and assess how I'm feeling. Some days, I can't move from my bed. Other times, I can pull myself up and somehow can get to class. My clothes and my makeup provide a mask that helps me get through the day. I don't know what it is about makeup, but it just helps me to feel like I'm a bit functional. Eyeshadow brightens up my tired eyes. Foundation balances my skin tone, hiding the redness of my skin. Concealer covers up the bags under my eyes, hiding my lack of sleep. Bo...| Chronic Migraine Ellie