An Edinburgh woman is aiming to raise awareness and money for those suffering from migraines by running and marching 700,000 steps for the Migraine Trust this March.
The distance is equivalent to 300 miles and will be completed by Leither Katy Brown who has suffered from chronic migraines for the last ten years.
The 34-year-old entrepreneur says that she has to live with pain every day for the last seven years despite trying almost every medication or natural remedy there is to try to get rid of the serious health ailment. It has badly impacted her ability to pursue certain career avenues and Katy says that she has to set boundaries to better live with the debilitating condition.
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Despite this she has remained positive and is on a quest to help others by raising money for the Migraine Trust and their work.
On living with chronic migraines, she said: “I was diagnosed with chronic migraine about ten years ago and I’d say for the last seven years I have been in a lot of pain everyday. I’m one of the very fortunate ones that has been able to see a neurologist on the NHS but getting a diagnosis can be a painstaking journey.
“I’ve tried every treatment available from prescription medications and even alternative treatments like homoeopathy and acupuncture. Currently I am on a new trial drug that tries to target the root cause of the migraine in the brain but unfortunately have not had much success.
“It can be a long journey of trial and error which is very emotional. You can develop feelings of hope and then despair which can be difficult for your mental health.
“Typically the pain I experience fluctuates on a day to day basis and hour by hour basis. I would describe the sensation as though someone was using a hammer to pound the side of your face by your eye or as though someone is tightening screws into your head.
“The World Health Organisation says that chronic migraine can be more debilitating than rheumatoid arthritis. People don’t seem to realise the severe nature of a migraine and that the primary symptom is pain.
“When it is really severe I can have nausea and am unable to eat. I will have to live off a banana and can have visual disturbance as well as sensitivity to light and even the wind.
“A large challenge around battling the stigma of migraines is that sometimes they are just seen as a bad headache when in reality it is a complex brain disorder. It is an invisible illness that people cannot see.
“If I were to walk down the street with a huge plaster cast around my head then people would stop and ask what was wrong but since the condition cannot be seen it is difficult to understand. A migraine is everyone’s favourite excuse for a sick day and this also creates a stigma as people struggle to differentiate between a headache and a migraine.”
Katy says that living with chronic migraines impacts every aspect of her life and that it can be isolating. Not only does it chip away at your mental health causing depression and anxiety but it also impacts your career.
She says that those suffering from the condition can find it frustrating as there is no known cure which can be tricky to come to terms with. She has had to make adjustments to her career goals and is unable to travel long distances due to the difficulties that can be caused by having chronic migraines.
She added: “I sacrificed my health for my career for a while and I pushed through the pain but I burnt out and paid a high price for it. Now I have come to the realisation my career choices have to be in line with my health disorder.
“I have to be open about it so I can have support and for adjustments to be made in the workplace. I have to set very clear boundaries for myself.
“You even have to think about your social life. If I go out for lunch then I know I probably cannot cope with going out for dinner either due to the sensory overload.
“It is important to have a sleep routine and set strict boundaries. For instance I would not be someone who is able to go to a HIT class with blaring music or strobe lighting.
“But I am a positive person and try to focus on the fact that even though there are these boundaries there is still so much I can do. My mindset is that I focus on what I can do and not on what I can’t.”
Katy, who lives with her spaniel Lucky who she enjoys going on long walks with, is a trustee of the Migraine Trust alongside her professional role of helping set up small start ups. She says that the support the organisation provides is second to none and provided her with a shoulder to lean on when she needed it most.
The charity has a helping for those suffering from migraines to call to get guidance or support that they need. It is understood that around one in seven live with a migraine in the UK and chronic migraine can impact as many as one in fifty.
She says this is why the work of the organisation is so important as they are able to campaign around issues of awareness as well as corporate and governmental policy. Katy believes that there has to be a better understanding for how migraines impact people's lives.
This is why it is important for her to take on the challenge of 700,000 steps so that she can raise money to help fund drug discovery and treatments. At the moment she says it is not the easiest to get diagnosed on the NHS and there is still progress to be made in this area.
She ended by saying: “Sometimes you hear a lot of the bad stuff and how the impact on our day to day lives is frustrating but I’d like to say I always try to find the positives in every experience and living with chronic migraine has made me learn a lot.
“I’ve learnt to focus on the small things. I have greater perseverance and have more patience and have become a more accepting person.
“Our greatest power is how we respond to things. Living within the boundaries it has created was helpful to not to feel anger or frustration but with every passing day I am learning how to to better live with it.
“I would encourage anyone struggling with migraine to be brave and talk about what you are carrying around as that can be one of the greatest supports we can have.”
You can support Katy’s fundraiser here.
You can also visit the Migraine Trust here.
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