by Beth Francis
At the start of the 2nd yr of my PhD inwards Ocean Sciences at Bangor University, I was diagnosed alongside chronic migraine, in addition to I felt every bit though my whole Blue Planet collapsed inwards upon itself. I went from existence healthy, active in addition to enjoying my life in addition to PhD, to what felt similar a vanquish of the individual I was. When I experience a migraine, I am completely bed-bound for upwardly to a few days, barely able to become to the bath past times myself - never require heed working on my PhD. Even the sentiment of going into the component division to work, or out in addition to close past times myself on a expert solar daytime instantly scares me, because I fearfulness I volition acquire a migraine in addition to live stuck. Over the final year, I receive got tried to regain command of my wellness in addition to my life past times embarking on a challenge to swim inwards the seas around North Wales for 100 days, in addition to along the agency shared my journeying of living alongside a chronic illness.
Migraine – non only a headache
For those of you lot who are lucky non to know what a migraine is, allow me start past times maxim it is definitely non “just a headache” (you would live surprised past times how oft migraineurs hear that!). Migraine is the most mutual in addition to most disabling neurological disorder inwards the UK, in addition to affects 1 inwards seven people [1].
Migraine tin ship away live broken downwardly into iv distinct phases:
My diagnosis in addition to the regain of “Vitamin Sea”
I was diagnosed alongside migraine alongside aura at the historic menstruum of nine, the 5th generation of women inwards my solid unit of measurement to live affected past times the disease, but honestly, it didn’t ever experience similar a huge component division of my identity. That is non to state that the attacks weren’t excruciating - I was hospitalised alongside migraines several times during my childhood, teenage years in addition to early on twenties, but they were mercifully infrequent. All of that changed inwards the starting fourth dimension yr of my PhD, around May 2017, when I of a precipitous went from getting, at most, a few attacks per month, to experiencing a migraine almost every unmarried day. Chronic migraine is defined every bit existence to a greater extent than than xv headache days per calendar month of which 8 are migraineous. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised the impact of migraine worldwide in addition to categorised it every bit the same degree of disability every bit dementia, quadriplegia in addition to astute psychosis [4].
By Oct 2017, I had tried in addition to failed 3 unlike types of preventative medication, had steroid injections into my occipital nerves (which too failed) in addition to taken almost every suggested supplement imaginable. Nothing was working. So my partner, Andy, who is an independent filmmaker, in addition to I decided to develop ourselves a challenge. We had read a newspaper past times Depledge in addition to Bird (2009) discussing a concept known every bit “Blue Gym” [5] in addition to how existence active around the H2O could live expert for wellness in addition to wellbeing. So nosotros decided to swim inwards the mutual frigidity waters around Anglesey, Wales, for 100 days to run across how it made us feel. Along the agency nosotros filmed our efforts in addition to documented the journeying through social media in addition to rapidly constitute how incredible existence active inwards nature was for the agency nosotros were able to create out to this enormous alter inwards our identities every bit a final result of chronic migraine. At the fourth dimension nosotros weren’t expecting the swims to assistance alongside the migraines themselves, but to a greater extent than that they would only brand us experience improve close ourselves. However, nosotros rapidly constitute that the mutual frigidity H2O had an amazing pain-relieving upshot in addition to are instantly working on inquiry looking into this alongside Portsmouth University. Our projection gained national media attention, in addition to nosotros constitute ourselves of a precipitous speaking on the radio, publishing articles discussing what nosotros were doing on BBC News, speaking alive on BBC Breakfast, in addition to most lately winning an international accolade for patient advocacy at the WEGO Health Awards inwards Boston, USA.
Despite all of this, chronic migraine is yet a huge component division of my life. Cold H2O swimming has been amazing for our full general wellbeing in addition to for relieving hurting during a migraine attack, but I am yet getting close xv per month. Unfortunately this meant that I had to drib downwardly to part-time report on my PhD in addition to I am yet struggling to continue up. I’m non lone inwards this, through social media I receive got met others studying alongside chronic migraine, including other PhD students, in addition to sadly many who endure this status are forced to respite or locomote out their teaching in addition to receive got that many opportunities are instantly unopen to us because of this disease.
What I receive got learned from chronic illness
Although this status is extremely hard to alive with, in addition to I oft experience that it has taken hence much from me, I am grateful for the experiences it has opened to me in addition to inwards detail that it has enabled me to connect alongside an incredible community of boyfriend chronic illness sufferers in addition to larn hence much to a greater extent than close wellbeing. So my advice to all of you, whether you lot are struggling alongside your health, or only the pressures of a PhD, is:
Follow Our Journey
Website · Facebook · Twitter · Instagram · YouTube
At the start of the 2nd yr of my PhD inwards Ocean Sciences at Bangor University, I was diagnosed alongside chronic migraine, in addition to I felt every bit though my whole Blue Planet collapsed inwards upon itself. I went from existence healthy, active in addition to enjoying my life in addition to PhD, to what felt similar a vanquish of the individual I was. When I experience a migraine, I am completely bed-bound for upwardly to a few days, barely able to become to the bath past times myself - never require heed working on my PhD. Even the sentiment of going into the component division to work, or out in addition to close past times myself on a expert solar daytime instantly scares me, because I fearfulness I volition acquire a migraine in addition to live stuck. Over the final year, I receive got tried to regain command of my wellness in addition to my life past times embarking on a challenge to swim inwards the seas around North Wales for 100 days, in addition to along the agency shared my journeying of living alongside a chronic illness.
 |
| Regaining command of my wellness in addition to wellbeing on the beaches of North Wales |
Migraine – non only a headache
For those of you lot who are lucky non to know what a migraine is, allow me start past times maxim it is definitely non “just a headache” (you would live surprised past times how oft migraineurs hear that!). Migraine is the most mutual in addition to most disabling neurological disorder inwards the UK, in addition to affects 1 inwards seven people [1].
Migraine tin ship away live broken downwardly into iv distinct phases:
- The starting fourth dimension of these phases – the prodrome, is the most hard to identify, but includes things such every bit fatigue, mood changes in addition to nutrient cravings for upwardly to a few days earlier the headache stage begins.
- The 2nd stage is non experienced past times all migraineurs. It is known every bit the aura phase. It is ordinarily less than an hr inwards length in addition to people may experience things such every bit changes to their senses (such every bit blind spots or zigzag lines, smelling in addition to hearing things which aren’t there), confusion, tingling/numbness, partial paralysis, vertigo in addition to difficulty speaking.
- The headache phase, which people most associate alongside migraines, hence lasts betwixt 4-72 hours (although some tin ship away final indefinite lengths of time, this is known every bit status migrainosus) in addition to during this fourth dimension sufferers volition experience a issue of symptoms including (but non express to): severe caput pain, nausea in addition to vomiting, tummy pain, increased sensitivity to stimuli (including light, sound, odour in addition to touch), in addition to an altered solid soil of consciousness.
- Finally, the postdrome, 1 time the headache stage has finished, which I tin ship away best depict every bit feeling similar a hangover. This stage includes symptoms such every bit extreme fatigue, musculus hurting in addition to weakness, dizziness in addition to misfortunate concentration. [2,3]
My diagnosis in addition to the regain of “Vitamin Sea”
I was diagnosed alongside migraine alongside aura at the historic menstruum of nine, the 5th generation of women inwards my solid unit of measurement to live affected past times the disease, but honestly, it didn’t ever experience similar a huge component division of my identity. That is non to state that the attacks weren’t excruciating - I was hospitalised alongside migraines several times during my childhood, teenage years in addition to early on twenties, but they were mercifully infrequent. All of that changed inwards the starting fourth dimension yr of my PhD, around May 2017, when I of a precipitous went from getting, at most, a few attacks per month, to experiencing a migraine almost every unmarried day. Chronic migraine is defined every bit existence to a greater extent than than xv headache days per calendar month of which 8 are migraineous. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised the impact of migraine worldwide in addition to categorised it every bit the same degree of disability every bit dementia, quadriplegia in addition to astute psychosis [4].
By Oct 2017, I had tried in addition to failed 3 unlike types of preventative medication, had steroid injections into my occipital nerves (which too failed) in addition to taken almost every suggested supplement imaginable. Nothing was working. So my partner, Andy, who is an independent filmmaker, in addition to I decided to develop ourselves a challenge. We had read a newspaper past times Depledge in addition to Bird (2009) discussing a concept known every bit “Blue Gym” [5] in addition to how existence active around the H2O could live expert for wellness in addition to wellbeing. So nosotros decided to swim inwards the mutual frigidity waters around Anglesey, Wales, for 100 days to run across how it made us feel. Along the agency nosotros filmed our efforts in addition to documented the journeying through social media in addition to rapidly constitute how incredible existence active inwards nature was for the agency nosotros were able to create out to this enormous alter inwards our identities every bit a final result of chronic migraine. At the fourth dimension nosotros weren’t expecting the swims to assistance alongside the migraines themselves, but to a greater extent than that they would only brand us experience improve close ourselves. However, nosotros rapidly constitute that the mutual frigidity H2O had an amazing pain-relieving upshot in addition to are instantly working on inquiry looking into this alongside Portsmouth University. Our projection gained national media attention, in addition to nosotros constitute ourselves of a precipitous speaking on the radio, publishing articles discussing what nosotros were doing on BBC News, speaking alive on BBC Breakfast, in addition to most lately winning an international accolade for patient advocacy at the WEGO Health Awards inwards Boston, USA.
 |
| Andy in addition to I swimming inwards the mutual frigidity wintertime body of body of water (left), every bit guests on BBC Breakfast (middle), in addition to afterwards winning Best Team Performance at WEGO Health Awards (right) |
Despite all of this, chronic migraine is yet a huge component division of my life. Cold H2O swimming has been amazing for our full general wellbeing in addition to for relieving hurting during a migraine attack, but I am yet getting close xv per month. Unfortunately this meant that I had to drib downwardly to part-time report on my PhD in addition to I am yet struggling to continue up. I’m non lone inwards this, through social media I receive got met others studying alongside chronic migraine, including other PhD students, in addition to sadly many who endure this status are forced to respite or locomote out their teaching in addition to receive got that many opportunities are instantly unopen to us because of this disease.
What I receive got learned from chronic illness
Although this status is extremely hard to alive with, in addition to I oft experience that it has taken hence much from me, I am grateful for the experiences it has opened to me in addition to inwards detail that it has enabled me to connect alongside an incredible community of boyfriend chronic illness sufferers in addition to larn hence much to a greater extent than close wellbeing. So my advice to all of you, whether you lot are struggling alongside your health, or only the pressures of a PhD, is:
- Make fourth dimension to focus on your wellness in addition to wellbeing. Whether this live things such every bit mindfulness, pursuing hobbies or only taking the fourth dimension to unwind inwards whatever agency best helps you. If you lot convey unloosen energy from existence inwards nature, banking venture gibe out the Blue Gym in addition to Green Gym concepts on how beneficial existence active outdoors tin ship away be.
- It is slowly during a PhD to isolate yourself. Make for sure that you lot receive got people you lot tin ship away plough to if things acquire difficult, in addition to aspect for alert signs that others are struggling.
- Move at your ain pace. I receive got ever been someone who feels similar they are racing against the world, but this experience of of a precipitous losing that mightiness has actually taught me that it doesn’t thing how fast you lot are moving, hence long every bit you lot continue going to the best of your abilities.
Follow Our Journey
Website · Facebook · Twitter · Instagram · YouTube
Beth Francis
School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, UK
If you lot receive got questions or comments concerning Beth's post, delight locomote out a comment below. You tin ship away too ship her an email or connect alongside her in addition to Andy on their channels mentioned above.
____________________________________________________________
References:
[1] https://www.migrainetrust.org/
School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, UK
If you lot receive got questions or comments concerning Beth's post, delight locomote out a comment below. You tin ship away too ship her an email or connect alongside her in addition to Andy on their channels mentioned above.
____________________________________________________________
References:
[1] https://www.migrainetrust.org/
[2] https://www.verywellhealth.com/anatomy-of-a-migraine-1718209
[3] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/migraine/symptoms/
[4] https://www.migrainetrust.org/about-migraine/types-of-migraine/chronic-migraine/
[5] Depledge, M.H. in addition to Bird, W.J., 2009. The Blue Gym: wellness in addition to wellbeing from our coasts. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 58(7), p.947.