Strength in Every Story™

Kelly’s story is one of resilience, determination, and the power of finding the right support system when living with a chronic headache disorder.

Ashley’s journey with cluster headache began at just 18 years old, right as she was starting college. What started as brief, stabbing pains in her head quickly morphed into debilitating cluster headache attacks that would last for hours at a time. 

Ava was just nine years old when her life quietly began to change. At the time, she was a competitive gymnast. She was strong, active, and constantly in motion. When headache attacks started showing up during practice, she didn’t think much about them. Like many kids, she assumed they were temporary. But the pain didn’t go away. It followed her home, then into the next day, and then the next.

In her early twenties, Kori experienced her first severe migraine attack while working as a Special Education teacher’s aide. It struck suddenly when taking her kids to music class. As the pain engulfed her head, Kori found herself unable to move, frozen in place from pain.

For Megan, headache attacks have been a constant companion for most of her life. From high school through her career, she has balanced the demands of daily life while managing frequent tension headache and migraine attacks.

Katy’s journey with headache and migraine has been a relentless battle. Yet, she continues to navigate life with strength in the face of an invisible yet relentless condition.

Heather had been living with headache attacks for most of her life. She was diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), formerly known as pseudotumor cerebri. After receiving treatment for her IIH, she began to have migraine attacks. It took her years to find relief through effective treatment.

Ronetta, a 51-year-old woman living in Connecticut, has been navigating the challenges of migraine disease for over two decades. Her journey began in high school when she experienced her first migraine attack, though it wasn’t until after college that she received a formal diagnosis.

KC recounts her experiences with migraine, her evolving treatment path, and the significance of perseverance and persistence in obtaining the appropriate care.

While still basking in the joy of celebrating an incredible B’nai Mitzvah, Heather was experiencing lingering symptoms from what would later be identified as a “thunderclap headache,” an intense and sudden pain that signaled it was far more serious than a typical headache. 

Nate first experienced the unbearable pain of episodic migraine at only ten years old, starting with attacks once a month. Since middle school, and now as a college student in Michigan, Nate has come to recognize, having experienced it himself, the impact stigma has on migraine and advocates for the importance of establishing a clear understanding of headache and migraine disease, especially when found in children, adolescents, and young adults.

U.S. Army National Guard veteran, Taisha, shares how she navigated the start of her migraine attacks and its challenges, and the process of seeking care within the VA healthcare system.