Life of a Migraineur: Fanotlettinme Be Mice Elf

I am overwhelmingly thankful of all the support from dear family, friends and fellows-in-chronic-pain in response to my most revealing blogmoir post: Life of a Migraineur: What's Free. I continue to receive such motivating comments since it has been read and shared on social media. A big thanks to my Chickadee, who takes the time to share my testimony and screenshot every reply since I'm not personally on FaceBook. Again, it is nice to know people empathize with my struggle to migraine relief. So as promised, I am keeping y'all updated. Grab your holiday beverage of choice (eggnog with shot of Bailey's for me) and settle in for another long post.

A mere nine hours after I published Life of a Migraineur: What's Free, claiming good health and not wanting to jinx myself, I was hit with a very bad migraine episode. I remember talking about a TV show (A Million Little Things) then feeling a stab of pain. It was quick. So I shifted in my seat away from the ceiling lights and kept up the conversation. Until someone said I was turning pale and my eyes were dull. Was I bored? No. Was I thinking about something else? No. It was symptoms of getting sick with a migraine. I immediately got up, took my meds and drove home. Willing myself to not throw up before I got there. I made it.

This migraine turned into the kind where I sleep on the cold bathroom tiled floor until the bouts of vomiting stop. Until I get enough strength to climb into bed with a cold aromatherapy compress and freezer pack. Until the Tramadol finally stays down and begins to take effect. Hours passed. Then days. I couldn't track the time of day because blackout window treatments did what they do: block all light and sound.

It started Thursday evening. I didn't come to until I heard water running in the main bathroom. Did I leave a faucet on? No, Chickadee was washing her hands. I sat up and called her name, asked what time it was: Saturday afternoon. She let herself in when I wasn't answering my phone or iMessages. I found my phone buried under the comforter. Judging from missed notifications, I was out of it for almost 40 hours. The amount of time worked weekly in a full-time job. Think about that. Time is lost in the life of a migraineur. 

Obviously the free miracle drug is not fully in my system yet. It never promised to completely eliminate my migraines. I just didn't think I would get a severe one so soon after the first dose. On the bright side, that was the only severe migraine I had since the first injection about 2 1/2 weeks ago! I got another migraine last night but it didn't last nearly as long. I was also prepared for it because of the unusual weather. It may not feel or seem like any improvement but numbers don't lie. 'Tis the season for results!

Yet I now understand why I got a burst of energy after taking the first injection. Because ever since, I have been exhausted. Oh, I'm TIRED tired. Like no energy, out of breath too easily, naps turn into full night's sleep type of exhaustion. And the minor body soreness I experienced? Well, now I feel heavy like I am 500 pounds dragging around dead weight. This leads to no longer being as active or productive. I haven't danced in my living room or gone to hustle class. I haven't started water aerobics as planned. It takes longer to read through a book that would normally be a page-turner. I'm even too tired to walk from bedroom to kitchen for a snack. Wayment—that one's a good problem to have. And I did help decorate my Christmas tree!

I don't have the energy or physical strength to do much. All of my focus goes into one task at a time. As I am typing this, the television and music are off because the noise is too distracting. I already got sidetracked into watching the candle flame flicker across the room for a good two minutes. Seriously just watching the lit three wicks. I can't sing lyrics AND type too. Following what's happening on a TV show AND writing this post at the same time just ain't possible. It's too much. I fear that my brain can no longer split into multiple tasks. Have I become simple-minded? Is this dumbing-down a side effect? What exactly is not letting me be myself?

Life of a Migraineur: What's Free

Visiting my Neurologist is bittersweet. Sometimes I am excited for new advancements in treating migraines, eager to try whatever is new on the market. But that means I still suffer from migraines. I have been with the same Neuro since I was eleven years old. He knows all my history. I know all the nurses; they have watched me grow up just as I've watched their children grow up through pictures. Yet I will never get used to their greeting smiles every time I enter the office. It is one of pity. It is one of empathy because they know my history with migraines and my continuous search for a cure. And none of us ever say goodbye by saying, "see you later" because it is our hopes that I won't see them again in three (3) months. Maybe by then I will know what's it like to be free from migraines.

Treatment is only good for so long. I believe the daith piercing is still very helpful. My overall number of migraines did indeed decrease. The last dosage adjustment of daily meds seems to have helped also; the migraines are less severe. But as of this year, I developed a new kind of headache triggered by the weather, humidity percentage and pollen count. It would come and stay dull for days. Unlike a migraine that would take up residence on one side of my head, this new type of headache started in back of my head then worked its way around. Also unlike the severe migraines I am used to, I could still function with this new type. Sure, it slowed me down a bit but I wasn't immobile. Sometimes it would go away and sometimes it would develop into more. So how was I to treat it? And what exactly is it?

Bad News: My Neurologist and his resident explained this new type of headache pain is still a migraine in my case. I still have aura associated. It lasts far too long. But instead of literally knocking me out and causing nausea, it torments me slowly. It nags. It teases. It ignores the eviction notice.

Good News: The number of severe migraines has drastically gone down. Never mind that in its place are a cluster of small migraines. It is possible that a new approved drug can help me further. Aimovig is dubbed the "miracle migraine medication" and is a breakthrough according to studies and patients worldwide. In May 2018, it became the first medication to be FDA-approved for the prevention of migraines. Users report 50% less migraines. Therefore, allowing people like me to live their best life without the inconvenience of chronic pain. And it's not a daily pill. It is an injection taken only once a month. That's right...one needle and done. No doc visit. I can self-administer. #DASSIT

Sounds great, right? Except my health insurance does not cover it. The Neurologist warned me that my wack ass (my words, not his) insurance would most likely deny the claim. Before I got in the car good, the pharmacy was calling me. They received my doctor's prescription order and attempted to fill it. However, the insurance denied coverage. The retail cost is $679.99 so would I like to continue with the prescription order? Let me say it louder for the people in the back hard-of-hearing. 🗣ONE INJECTION COSTS ALMOST $700 PER MONTH!

First of all, why should I have to choose between paying for medical treatment and paying rent? I cannot afford that out-of-pocket cost. I crunched numbers. I re-adjusted my budget multiple times. I was ready to cut off cable, lower wifi speed, and keep the heat on bare minimum (rationalizing that my fitty 'lem snuggies would keep me warm). I was going to host a "Shop My Closet" party to sell clothes and handbags that I barely wear anyway. I was ready to stop eating meat to save money and become an instant vegetarian. But I can't eat romaine lettuce because of the E. coli outbreak. By the way, did you know E. coli is a bacteria that lives in the intestines of people and animals? So who the fuck keeps shitting on the lettuce?! Anyway...I even considered a GoFundMe; I have seen way worse reasons for crowd-funding. At least my purpose is for a cure and better quality of life.

I prayed. I prayed harder. Then I let it go. The doctor's office said given my medical history, I qualified for a discount and though it wasn't a sure thing, the pharmacy should accept it. My Neurologist's office provided a history of my file listing all other medications I've tried over the years. Basically to prove that this specific treatment is the next logical step. Meanwhile, I asked for my coverage claim to be resubmitted but again, insurance would not cover a single copper penny.

So I went to the pharmacy to pick up the new 'script. It was about to hurt my heart to swipe my card for $679.99 but the medicine is worth a try. It could be a miracle drug. I could be the next person splashing in waves on the beach in informercial saying how it changed my life. I, at least, owed it a chance. And if it's meant for me to try this new treatment, the Lord will work it out like I asked Him in prayer. The pharmacist greeted me with a smile (not the empathetic kind but the "I got everything on your Christmas wish list" kind of smile). And this is the part where I started crying in the middle of pharmacy. The discount was honored. My total amount due was $0.00 for a whole year.

God...WON'T HE DO IT 🙌🏾

Listen. I didn't walk out. I praise danced my way to the car. I lifted one hand to say "Hallelujah" and the other hand had a tight grip on the prescription bag. I am so grateful. So appreciative that I have a team of support looking out for me. No doubt my parents prayed on my behalf. So blessed to have a God that favors me. Whether the injection works or not, I learned a lesson in faith.

It has only been five (5) days since my first preventative injection. Thanks to Chickadee for administering it for me. I was far too nervous—as evidenced in my shaky hands while recording it. So far, it holds true to its purpose. No obvious side effects except an immediate burst of energy. I was running around my place doing a load of laundry, emptying the dish washer, wiping wood surfaces, cleaning mirrors, and reorganizing my shoe closet according to color and type. And I still wasn't tired. Hours later, I forced myself to sleep by cranking the diffuser with extra drops of lavender and chamomile essential oils. The next day my body felt stiff and heavy (joint pain is a common side effect) but I was fine after soaking in an epsom salt bath. If these are the only side effects I experience, I am totally okay with that.

I don't want to get my hopes up. I don't want to jinx it either. Yet I am claiming good health. I so want this "miracle treatment" to work well with my two (2) daily migraine meds as the perfect cocktail. This is a long journey and I am buckled in for the free ride!

Life of a Migraineur: Whole Lotta L

Roger the Squirrel scrambles up to the roof. A neighbor opens their doorwall letting in the summer breeze. The air conditioning kicks in letting me know the temperature is warmer than 72º in here. In reality, these sounds are faint. The normal person would not be disturbed. But to a migraineur, the sounds are magnified. I reach for my pillow and throw it over my head. I adjust my therapeutic eucalyptus-scented eye patch; it's lukewarm but I have no strength to swap it out for one of the colder ones stacked in my freezer.

I am not sure how many hours passed but I roll over. A wave of nausea and dizziness hit me. With urgency, I throw the pillow and comforter off. Stumble to the bathroom and drop to my knees at the toilet bowl. Time for a good 'ole hug with my porcelain friend. The dry heaving starts and finally, the vomit comes. And comes. And comes a bit more. Surely there is nothing left on my stomach when I see bile. Spent and exhausted, I lean against the bathroom wall for who knows how long.

This is usually when I play the medication gamble game. Should I take another dose of migraine meds and risk throwing it all up? Literally dollars down the drain. This medication is too expensive to take on a whim. Any migraineur will tell you it's levels to this shit. Either take the medication at onset or preserve it for another attack and tough this one out.

I close my eyes and pray the pain goes away sooner rather than later. But God only helps those that help themselves, right? So I muster enough strength to stand, open the medicine cabinet, grab my medicine and walk to the kitchen. I reach into the back of fridge for the mason jar filled with icy water. It is prepped and ready for occasions such as this. Why? Because even the sound of pouring water will hurt. This way, I only have to hear my own swallowing of the pill.

Might as well grab a few cold compresses while I'm here at the freezer. I make my way back to the bathroom, toss the bath rugs out, kick the door closed and lay on the floor. Ah, it's so cold and hard. Quite comforting! I curl up in a fetal position using my arm as a makeshift pillow. The other arm is holding one of the cold compresses around my neck while the other is tied across my forehead. And I just lay there. In the cold. In the quiet. In the dark. Again I lose track of time but it doesn't seem long before I doze off into a heavy sleep.

When I finally wake up and leave the bathroom, I am relieved the pain is damn near gone. Then I look at the clock on my iHome. Wayment—what time is it? I peek through the blackout window curtains. Damn. The whole day is gone. Wasted. I call my Neurologist and leave a voicemail with details of my latest migraine attack. Either he or the resident will respond during normal business hours. I already know what the conversation will be. It is time to consider new treatment options, more aggressive than the current aggressive prescription cocktail. And of course it comes with side effects. Don't they all?

So I have a choice to make: whole lotta weight gain or chronic pain? I should just fake being well.

  

Funny Seeing You Here

01.25.2021 marked the 11th anniversary of www.LiteraryMarie.com ~ Blessings to many years more.

I am on blog holiday until Spring 2021 but I am still turning pages. Experience my real-time reactions while reading via Live Read and Goodreads. 

Readers are the best writers. Behind every good author is a good copyeditor. Email copyediting inquiries and requests to Editor@LiteraryMarie.com

Email book review requests, literary news to be shared and any inquiries to LiteraryMarie@gmail.com  Please provide an accurate summary of your book(s), include an excerpt, personalize and proofread the e-mail. Provide your preference of where the book review is to be shared (Amazon, Goodreads, B&N, etc.) Your request is usually the first impression. Make it a good one!

Want to know what I am reading next? Follow my TBR (to be read).

Who doesn't love a good bookish meme and reading challenges? Well I host and participate in a few. Check them out here and join me!

There is no guesswork if I like/dislike a book. All reviews include the title, author, publish date, number of pages, edition read, whether it is applicable to a challenge and my honest-to-heart rating.

I'm not just all about books, ya know! Follow my tweets about television shows, music and real life shenanigans. 

Speaking of other forms of entertainment, I am a co-host of Sistah Speak Podcasts where we discuss various television shows and give advice from a Sistah's point of view. Listen to us on your commute, at home or at work when you need a good laugh and hours of commentary.

Have you visited the Home of the Hustlers? Visit Spades Up to shop the Love Wounds and Cheat Code collections. Tis the season for hoodies, hats and joggers!

According to The Migraine Research Foundation, 12% of the population suffers from migraine. Morning migraine attacks affect 50% of us. Add in holiday migraine attacks and it's a triple doozy for me. I may not look it but am included in these statistics. Invisible illnesses are real! Follow my journey through Life of a Migraineur blogmoir that I publish periodically. I share candid information, attempt to translate the pain into words, discuss causes and effects, give status of my treatment and raise awareness.

2020 will forever be in history books. It is the year that everyone in the world became a homebody. It is my prayer that 2021 will bring good health, a strong sense of community, less police brutality, race and gender equality, respect, more recognition, sincere kindness, healing, self-worth and genuine love. Thank You for Your Continued Support. ♠️🖤

Stay Productive and Dominate Everything in Sight Until Prosperous❣️

2017 Memes & Reading Challenges

2017 Goodreads Challenge: Read 107 books in 2017. 

2017 Page Count Challenge: Read 27,000+ pages.

Keeping Up with Patterson Challenge: Read books in the Alex Cross, Women's Murder Club, and Michael Bennett series by James Patterson. BOOKSHOTS are a bonus!

Perpetual Kinsey Millhone Challenge: Continue to read books in the Kinsey Millhone alphabet series by Sue Grafton.

Perpetual Jack Reacher Challenge: Continue to read books in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child.

2017 Bookish Kill Your TBR: 12 reading challenges designed to help knock out titles on To Be Read shelves.

1. January - Read a Book That Supports My New Year's Resolution
2. February - Read a Love Story
3. March - Read a Book Published The Decade I Was Born
4. April - Read a National Book Award Winner
5. May - Read a Book About Mental Health
6. June - Read a Book Set Outside of My Home Country
7. July - Read a Book About an Overlooked Figure in History
8. August - Read a Collection of Essays or Short Stories
9. September - Read an Entire Series
10. October - Read a Book That Scares Me
11. November - Read a Graphic Novel or Comic Book
12. December - Read a Book About Belief

2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge: Read a wide range of 52 books spanning topics.

First Lines Friday: Share the first line(s) from current read(s).

Series Sunday: Share a review/recommendation of a book in a series.

Lit Tidbits: Share current literary news.

US vs. UK: Compare covers of books released in US/UK.

Life of a Migraineur: Share moments of my life with migraines.

View all of Literary Marie's Memes and Reading Challenges here.

 

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things

"This is not too surprising considering that I collect neurological disorders like other people collect comic books." ~ pg. 33

Who is Jenny Lawson? The owner of an award-winning popular blog (www.thebloggess.com) and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. I came across her name here and there. However, this book is my official introduction to her wit and hilariously skewed outlook on life.

Furiously Happy begins with a series of disclaimers from the author. First Jenny Lawson insists readers stop. Then after confirming we are still here, she admits some details have been changed to protect the guilty. That's right—because innocent people don't need protection anyway. HAHAHA At this point, I was more than curious and willing to read further. Then the author hits me with yet another disclaimer that it is a funny book about living with mental illness. As a person with loved ones affected by a mental illness, I don't mind humor mixed in with the truth as long as it is respectable. So I acknowledged that I am an accessory to plot and made the decision to continue reading.

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things is the perfect title of this memoir of a woman who struggles with clinical depression, anxiety disorder and a lifelong battle with mental illness. Real issues told in a hilarious truly LOL manner. And I abso-fuckin-lutely loved it!

"I've often thought that people with severe depression have developed such a well for experiencing extreme emotion that they might be able to experience extreme joy in a way that 'normal' people also might never understand, and that's what FURIOUSLY HAPPY is all about. It's about taking those moments when things are fine and making them amazing, because those moments are what make us who we are, and they're the same moments we take into battle with us when our brains declare war on our very existence." ~ xviii

I know all too well about misunderstood disorders. In my experience, very few people want to acknowledge something that cannot be seen. For example, you can't always look at me and know that I am a migraineur. But that doesn't mean I'm not in pain. Depression can't be seen on someone's face but that certainly doesn't mean it is fake. It was refreshing to read a new voice talking about such serious matters and sharing her own real life events. Furthermore, she offered a different way of living life: join the #FuriouslyHappy movement.

Jenny, I know this sounds cliché but you are not alone. There were more than a few essays that I nodded my head and said, "Me too, girl!" So keep waving that "fucked up and proud of it" banner.

Bookhearts, this nonfiction book is for ALL of you. I am sure you or someone you know may benefit from its content. Let us not suffer in the dark or worry about the stigma behind depression. Raise awareness and celebrate life just as you would for a cancer survivor. Start by reading Furiously Happy. I highly suggest book clubs choose Furiously Happy as their May selection since it is a National Mental Illness Awareness Month. I recommend the hardcover edition because the cover is a for sure conversation starter. But inside the spine, brace yourself for some funny ass truths.

Title: Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things
Author: Jenny Lawson
Published: September 2015
Pages: 329
Edition: Hardcover
Challenge: Popsugar Written by a Comedian; Bookish Kill Your TBR—Read Based on the Cover
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥


 

Best You Ever Had

Friendly Reminders from the Best You Ever Had

01.25.2020 marks the 10th anniversary of www.LiteraryMarie.com ~ Blessings to many years more.

Readers are the best writers. Behind every good author is a good copyeditor. Email copyediting inquiries and requests to Editor@LiteraryMarie.com

Email book review requests, literary news to be shared and guest blogger inquiries to LiteraryMarie@gmail.com  Please provide an accurate summary of your book(s), include an excerpt, personalize and proofread the e-mail. Provide your preference of where the book review is to be shared (Amazon, Goodreads, B&N, etc.) Your request is usually the first impression. Make it a good one!

Want to know what I am reading next? Follow my TBR (to be read).

Who doesn't love a good bookish meme and reading challenges? Well I host and participate in a few. Check them out here and join me!

There is no guesswork if I like/dislike a book. All reviews include the title, author, publish date, number of pages, edition read, whether it is applicable to a challenge and my honest-to-heart rating.

Do you follow my live tweeting of television shows and music? I do the same for books! Experience my real-time reactions while reading. Visit my Live Read and Goodreads pages for updates.

Speaking of other forms of entertainment, I am a co-host of Sistah Speak Podcasts where we discuss various television shows and give advice from a Sistah's point of view. Listen to us on your commute, at home or at work when you need a good laugh and hours of commentary.

According to The Migraine Research Foundation, 12% of the population suffers from migraine. I am included in this statistic. Invisible illnesses suck! Follow my journey through Life of a Migraineur blogmoir that I publish periodically. I share candid information, attempt to translate the pain into words, discuss causes and effects, give status of my treatment and raise awareness.

Do you have time for a final friendly reminder? Because I don't know who needs to read this but...🗣 Be grateful for the good and hard times of 2019. Take heed to the lessons. Learn from the mistakes. Repeat the success. Create opportunities. Hustle. Get uncomfortable. Realize your purpose. Let me be among the first to say that 2020 will be a year of vision. It won't be perfect but look forward anyway. Stay Productive and Dominate Everything in Sight Until Prosperous❣️

Thank You, Smooches and Spades Up ♠️🖤

Life of a Migraineur: Deal With It

It is a blessing to have all five senses; but it feels like a curse during migraine aura. 

• Sight ~ I've said this before but let me repeat: light hurts. The sun is an enemy. Sunglasses are a best friend. There is so much pressure behind my eyes that I feel like a living version of cartoon eyes popping out the socket. Shapes turn into little dots and jagged lines. Words on a page or computer are beyond blurry. Street signs are floating green blobs. Then the little dots multiply and take over my vision.
• Sound ~ I am not being funny when I keep repeating, "I'm sorry, I can barely hear you." Because I really cannot hear. It's like my ears selectively turn the volume down. Every sound is distant. Yet every sound is heard. It's weird. I can't hear someone talking to me but can hear a cotton ball land on carpet. 
• Smell ~ That Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume I put on this morning? It now stinks. The bacon I may have cooked earlier now smells burnt. The 3-wick candle and nag champa incense burning is usually relaxing and pleasant. But it instantly makes me nauseous now. I only have a few minutes left to take a whiff of lavender-scented Vicks VapoRub before that sickens me too. Oddly enough, I can only stand the smell of Murphy Oil Soap when experiencing migraine aura. Inhaling it settles my stomach too.
• Taste ~ A strong cup of tea tastes as bland as room temperature water. I could be in the middle of eating then whatever I am chewing might as well be air. Imagine my panic when loss of taste was found to be a proven sign of The RONA. Oh, the many times I panicked wondering whether a migraine was starting or if I was positive for COVID-19.
  
• Touch ~ Can't touch much with numb fingers. *insert black girl shrug here* Even worse, the thread count of sheets really do matter during migraine aura. I can feel every single thread prickling my sensitive skin. It makes the extremely cold bathroom floor and forehead compress feel super soothing though. 

This is all before the pain of the migraine itself! Not everyone who suffers from migraines experience aura; not every migraine comes with aura. Over the years, I have learned to appreciate the aura phase because it at least preps me for the attack. I usually have 30-45 minutes to stop whatever I am doing, take medicine, make my way to the nearest dark quiet room and prepare for battle. 

Please know that migraineurs are not being difficult or rude. We are simply trying to manage the pain when asking you to turn the lights off, stop talking, be silent or go away. So the next time you're around someone with a migraine, be considerate and help them deal with it. ♠️💜

The Migraine Mafia

Author Maia Sepp dedicated The Migraine Mafia to John (Bringer of the ice packs). Likewise, I dedicate this review to my Chickadee (Bringer of the ice packs).

"I was diagnosed with migraine by five, an icepack connoisseur by eight." ~ pg. 12

Viive (pronounced Vee-veh) juggles being a wife and working in a fast-paced technical field all while suffering from a migraine. She has her good days, then not-so-good days. She is close to a promotion until her bosses politely force a leave of absence. Frustrated and from advice of a doctor, she joins a support group called the Migraine Mafia. Viive realizes the room full of strangers may change how she views her chronic illness.

"Of course, one of the very worst things about migraine is that it makes the future a complete unknown." ~ pg. 63

This is my first novel read by author Maia Sepp. As a migraineur, I am very critical and sensitive when it comes to books about this debilitating illness. Unfortunately, I know all too well the restrictions migraines put on a person's life—socially and professionally. Well, Maia Sepp nailed it. I knew from the details of main character Viive's attacks that this was no amateur writer who googled migraine symptoms. No, this author experienced symptoms firsthand. There were so many moments in the book where I literally said aloud, "This is me!" and "Shut the fridge door! Me too!" The mini-migraine rescue drawer, the medication mumbo-jumbo, triggers and triptans were all too familiar and gave the writer credibility. Many kudos for delivering a hilarious, truthful-in-a-fiction-way novel about a small group of migraineurs.

I recommend this novel to my fellow migraineurs. If you are familiar with someone who suffers from a chronic illness or a nervous system disorder, this may give you some light-hearted insight. Keep in mind The Migraine Mafia is a work of fiction and not to be taken as factual medical advice or as a depiction of migraine sufferers as a whole. Regardless, still read it! The Migraine Mafia is only $2.99 for the eBook (less than the price of an icepack). Download now!

Now excuse me while I go search for a migraine support group.

DISCLAIMER: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Title: The Migraine Mafia
Author: Maia Sepp
Published: December 2013
Pages: 187
Edition: Galley
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

4:44 a.m.

So I was fine just the night before. Sipping a Redd's apple ale, snacking on hard salami and cubed colby cheese. I took my nightly migraine medicine as usual. Then around 4 o'clock in the morning, nausea woke me out of my sleep. I stumble in the dark to the bathroom. Made it in just enough time before I vomited up my favorite snack. It wasn't until I stepped away from the toilet that I recognized the pain. Le sigh. A migraine.

I reach for the cabinet to grab my medicine. It should kick in quickly since I caught it at the onset. Or so I hope. But mere minutes from swallowing the powder, it comes right back up. Money and pain relief literally down the drain. I am not sure how much of the medicine, if any, reached my blood stream before I threw it up. In about 4.5 hours, the Cambia will be completely out of my system. Then it will be safe to take another dose. But by then, it is pointless. Because migraine medicine only works effectively if taken at the first sign. Not hours later. So I have to suffer.

I crawl back to my bedroom, grab two pillows and a snuggie. Then I collect my frozen compress from the freezer. Back to the bathroom I go to camp out. You see, it is much easier—and cleaner—if I just sleep on the cold bathroom floor during a migraine attack. The toilet is right there for the bouts of nausea. And somehow the cold darkness is relieving. I drift in and out. Incoherent. Barely sleeping. Only feeling. The throbbing pain on one side of my head. The neck pain that prevents me from stretching out of this fetal position. The tingling in my fingers and toes. The numbing everywhere else. I feel it all.

I start the timer. Because at 72 hours, I am eligible for urgent care. The only sound I leave on is the alarm. iPhone off. iPad off. MacBook sleep. Doorbell disconnected. Blackout curtains closed tight. Any stream of light is blocked. The tiniest sliver of light or the faintest sound is magnified. It hurts to see. It hurts to hear. It hurts to inhale. Dear God, it hurts to feel.

Fast forward to when I am able to nibble on saltine crackers and a coke. I look at the time. No, where is a calendar? It can't be. I lost two (2) whole days of my life! This is my normal. This is the oh-so-unfortunate Life of a Migraineur.

Who Do You Love

"He'd been lonely, and I'd been lonely, but if we were together, we'd never have to be lonely again." ~ pg. 126

One of my fave bestselling authors recently released a new heartfelt modern-day fairy tale novel of first love and soul mates. Eight-year-old Rachel Blum is no stranger to hospitals. She was born with a broken heart literally (tricuspid atresia). Andy Landis is also eight years old and sent to the ER with a broken arm. The two children meet in the waiting room, introduce themselves and share a story. After Andy is taken back to the doctor, the new friends think they will never see each other again. Fast forward throughout the years and Rachel and Andy cross paths often thanks to fate.

A big factor in whether I like a novel is how I feel about the characters. Are they likable? Are they realistic? Is their intelligence level age-appropriate? Are their decisions logical? Yes, I question all of these things and more when reading about main characters. In Who Do You Love, Andy was very ambitious. He set goals and reached them. He took control of his future and genuinely put effort in making a better life for himself. I could totally relate to Rachel. She grew up with a heart deformity causing her to be really sick, fragile, unable to attend events or birthday celebrations and missing a lot of school. As a migraineur, I was the same way throughout elementary, middle-, high-school and college. I miss events, work and holidays still today due to being really sick on the most inconvenient of days. The sad part is, like Rachel states, is I'd never known anything different. And this is why I enjoyed reading about Rachel and her life with Andy. 

Who Do You Love is one of this year's greatest stories of love, fate and happy endings. Rachel and Andy are two memorable characters that I would love to see on the big screen. If I had to compare, this novel reminds me of Nicholas Sparks (but with a happy ending) and Rainbow Rowell with a witty, whimsical Jennifer Weiner signature twist. Who Do You Love is simply a very good novel that I recommend bookhearts read. 

Watch the video below of author Jennifer Weiner discussing Who Do You Love.

DISCLAIMER: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Title: Who Do You Love
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Published: August 2015
Pages: 299
Edition: Galley
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♡

2018 Memes & Reading Challenges

2018 Goodreads Challenge: Read 80 books in 2018. 

2018 Page Count Challenge: Read 24,000+ pages.

Keeping Up with Patterson Challenge: Read books in the Alex Cross, Women's Murder Club, and Michael Bennett series by James Patterson. BOOKSHOTS are a bonus!

Perpetual Kinsey Millhone Challenge: Continue to read books in the Kinsey Millhone alphabet series by Sue Grafton.

Perpetual Jack Reacher Challenge: Continue to read books in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child.

2018 PopSugar Reading Challenge: Read a wide range of 50 books spanning topics.

First Lines Friday: Share the first line(s) from current read(s).

Series Sunday: Share a review/recommendation of a book in a series.

Lit Tidbits: Share current literary news.

US vs. UK: Compare covers of books released in US/UK.

Life of a Migraineur: Share moments of my life with migraines.

View all of Literary Marie's Memes and Reading Challenges here.