Why do we get migrain headaches so often?

Hello Deb, I’m a new menber and I would to give you an advice about the secrets of meditation haha, that is really something much simple than it seems. So what you need to do is to close your eyes and focus on an experience that gives you so much peace, that makes you feel like in heaven, trust me, you will feel that peace through your body and it will make you feel calm and better. Try to do this with your daughter, talk to her and ask her about her best memory in the world and practice this exercise together, again, trust me, this is going to help your daughter and you would have an experience unforgettable with your daughter. Grettings

This makes a lot of sense!

It is quite upsetting though because every single person experiences a headache at least once in their lives so when some people hear about an AVMer’s headache/migraine (2 different things!) they like to base their experiences on us, when infact headaches and Ms are SO much more different with a neurological disorder/disease, just like you mentioned with the AVM ‘taking up space’!

I wish people could understand that! With my Ms, I used to get them every 2 weeks-month and they were the main reason as to why I was allowed an MRI which diagnosed the AVM. However after having my GK treatment I began to get chronic migraine- chronic as in everyday and not just EVERYday, I would get them 3-5 times a day around the clock! It has still been a struggle to understand how GK aggravated the pain so much. It has been a constant nightmare, bearing this through college and exams as a 17/18 y/o. Yet I still forced myself to go to school as much as I could bearing in mind I spent most of the time in the medical room more than the classroom, but I just wanted to be there, with the thought at least I am trying my best…

2 years fast forward and you could say the frequency has now maintained to about 1-2 times a day. Some say you get used to the pain, but I, would say that I dread everyday thinking when is it going to come, how bad will it be, will it come when I’m outside, with friends/with family??? AND most of all- WHY?
Chronic pain =. Chronic fear

I wish everyone well with their headaches/Ms! :rose:
We will get through this together!

Hi everyone,

I apologize, it’s been some time since I’ve been out here. It’s also been a long time since I’ve thought about Gamma Knife surgery. I realize and understand that GK may have been the only option or hope for many because of the location and threat of their AVM.

GK was not an option for me as my AVM is within my spinal cord tissue. Docs said that the radiation from the GK would cause to much damage to the healthy spinal cord tissue around my AVM, in order to irradiate/obliterate the AVM, and thus, would likely cause death, but if it didn’t, permanent paralysis with the need of a ventilator to breath was certain.

So I still have my AVM and I still have headaches, as well as other neurological issues. However, I had decided to stop all meds, including pain meds. That was a long drawn out experience I don’t ever want to revisit.

However, for the first time in all these years - (my ordeal with my AVM, had many bleeds, started way back in ‘the olden days’ :steam_locomotive: of 1987, I’m now an old woman of 53 :older_woman:) - my pain seems to be somehow more honest, or organic, or natural may be a better word, and somehow a bit more tolerable. My last major bleed was in 2000. I would have been 33 at that time.

My heart breaks for those of you who struggle with such headaches after GK. I do quite vividly remember the extreme pain from the bleeds I experienced. I wonder if the pain is coming from the tissues that surrounded the AVM after the radiation from the GK passed through to the AVM?

I also wonder if there are natural foods or supplements (fish oil?) that your doctors can help you to identify that may help your body repair such tissues?

In my old age I’m starting to wonder, if given the proper nutrients and minerals (i.e., the building blocks) that maybe, our bodies, including our nervous system and brain tissue could actually be smart enough to somewhat repair or heal any damaged tissues?

I know the One who made my body is quite a bit more intelligent about these things than the very well-meaning and caring medical community. Please understand, this is not a knock on the medical community at all. They are awesome people and I believe are doing their level best to help folks. But we still don’t know everything about how our amazing bodies work. Just in my lifetime I’ve seen a lot of stuff change in the arena of ‘what they know’ about how the body works. And it seems to forever amaze the brightest and smartest.

I wish you all the best in your walk and search for help and healing. Love, Kim Palmer

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