Coping mechanisms

There are many ways to cope with migraine and dysautomia/Neurocardiogenic syncope. I often get asked "How do you do it? How do you stay sane with these things?" So, I thought I would attempt to answer this question. Here is a list of my various coping mechanisms:

Reading- I am an escapist reader. I basically go into a different world while reading and it proves to be a great distraction. Mysteries, sci-fi/fantasy, and novels all help me to survive.

Friends- I have a great circle of friends and all of them are just as warped and wonderful as I am. I also take great comfort in the fact that I can call any of my good friends, at any time, and know that they understand.

The internet- I do not know what I would do without the various forums for migraine, email, and blogs to keep me sane.

Movies/ tv shows- also a good way of escaping.

Writing- as you have probably guessed, I deal with many of my problems by writing about them.

Max- I do not know what i would do without my favorite canine companion. Dogs just make things better.

Faith

Family

Positive attitude- yes, I may be on the floor, my headache can be a 9 on the pain scale, but apart from that, I am absolutely fine.

These are just a few ways of dealing with these two horrible diseases.

Declation of Independe- why we celebrate the Fourth

Normal progamming will resume tomorrow. Right now, I will take a brief moment to honor those who wrote and signed the Declatation of Independence and made this great nation what it is today.

The Declaration of Indepence was written by Thomas Jefferson in just two weeks. This small document would change the world as we know it forever. Here is a Transcript of the declaration.

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Information from : http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html

It was signed by representatives of all thriteen colonies. It was adopted by Congess on July 4, 1776.

Fifty Years later on July 4, 1826, Jefferson died. His last words were "Adams lives" John Adams dies later the same day. 

Information from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson

Jefferson wrote his own epitaph and refused to have any word of it changed. It does not mention his presidency, the Lousiana Purchase, or other accomplishments. It reads as follows:

Here was buried Thomas Jefferson Author of the Declaration of American Independence Of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom & Father of the University of Virginia.

April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826

Information from:http://www.famousquotes.me.uk/epitaphs/3.htm

Our founding fathers gave us a great many things- George Washington won the Revolutionary War, defeating Cornwallis at York Town. The Constition. and the ability to stand up and fight for our rights when the need arose. So when you are celebrating today, and enjoying freedom remember those who first shook off Colonial Rule and formed a unique and wonderful nation.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!

A Mother's Love

A Mother’s Love

It is a law of nature that few forces on this earth are as powerful as the love of a mother for her child.

It doesn’t matter how old the child is- the child can be an infant, taking his first breath, a four year old who needs to be held, a teenager who needs her mother in times of sickness.

And, yes, even older- even forty or fifty.

And it is said that mothers will do incredible, impossible things to help their children-

They will walk through fire, think nothing of getting on a plane, do all in their power.

I recently witnessed this power in my own mother, though it was not directed at me,

But at her oldest and first born son. She told me she would not have done this surgery, or gone through this much pain if it hadn’t been for the fact that she felt the need to help this adult, who is still her child and is still her child fighting a disease he won’t acknowledge.

But despite that, she will help him still.

And in that moment, I knew- I knew that my mother had done the same for me.

 I learned that neither heaven or hell or any actions could ever remove this love.

No matter what we do, she loves us.

Even when she shouldn’t, even though others give up, she loves us.

In that one moment, I knew one thing for sure- we will be ok.

And I prayed that my brother will come to realize how fortunate he is.

Favorite Poems

Things have been a little crazy in my life lately- well more than usual. At times, I find myself remembering poems- two in particular have been running through my head lately, so I thought I would share them with you.

Holy Sonnet XIV by John Donne

Batter my heart, three-person'd God ; for you
As yet but knock ; breathe, shine, and seek to mend ;
That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend
Your force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
I, like an usurp'd town, to another due,
Labour to admit you, but O, to no end.
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captived, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain,
But am betroth'd unto your enemy ;
Divorce me, untie, or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me. 

From http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/sonnet14.php

The other poem is by Rudyard Kipling. Different time period, but for some reason both poems seem to give me comfort that it is hard to find elsewhere.

IF by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or, being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two imposters just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools; If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on"; If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run - Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!  From:http://www.everypoet.com/archive/poetry/Rudyard_Kipling/kipling_if.htm

Headache and Migraine Blog Carnival

The June edition of the Headache and Migraine Blog Carnival is up at http://somebodyhealme.dianalee.net/. Read, learn, enjoy!

Poem: Losing a battle

I am losing the battle.

I try to stand and fight, but I fall again.

The enemy comes closer- I can feel the heat of his fiery breath.

Slowly he advances as I scramble for a weapon,

But there are no weapons near by- my sword is broken

And all the potions that keep this enemy at bay are scattered on the sand

I can do nothing except try to stand and face the enemy.

But I fall again, and again, and again,

I fear that all is lost- he is closing in for the kill

And for a moment, I want to surrender to it- to stop this pain, to sleep, to lay down my arms and rest at last, but I can’t.

I see something glimmer in the sand- buried, but within reach.

I it out and find the golden sign that conquers all.

I am able to stand again. I hit the foe. He backs down for now.

But this battle is not over. It will never end. I only know that, with the sign,

With that great sign that conquers all, just as Constantine did at Milvian Bridge, I will prevail. 

Hiding

Hiding

You would never know it to look at her-

There are no outward signs of the torment raging inside her,

The torment behind the mask she is told she must wear.

Indeed, she has worn it so long that it is now a part of her.

So now, with ease, she smiles when she is in pain, laughs when she faints, downplays the horrible torment that she fights daily.

But now, the mask is beginning to crack.

She is tired of faking it- tired of playing this part.

“I wonder,” she asks, “what others would do if they knew what lies beneath the mask?”

The war against pain, against fainting rages, trying to consume her.

And every victory is costly and paid for with tears and pain.

She is weary, tired, and wants to take off the mask- just for a while, just so others can see and she can take a breath.

But others tell her- “no, you must leave the mask on- perk up, and play the part of the happy young woman, the helpful volunteer, the dutiful daughter.”

But they don’t realize that the war inside her is causing the mask to break- and there are choices that have to be made now.

Should she leave the mask on, despite the fact that it will drain her of more precious energy? Should she abide by what society tells her is right- “don’t show it”

Should she take it off and finally surrender to the fight?

Or does she simply keep fighting, forgetting the mask, using it only when needed?

And when she does fight, she removes the mask, adds it to her arsenal, and then she can show the world her true face- war weary, but never surrendering, she will fight to the end and she will win, and on one bright, glorious day, she will stand victorious, with the mask broken at her feet.