Migraines, otherwise known as “very bad headaches” by those who don’t fully understand then, are very hard to live with. When I was 8 I was diagnosed with chronic migraines and have been living with the daily struggle of possibly getting one. This might not seem like the biggest deal but when you live with it, it gets hard to function. Here’s why.

I wake up in the morning, my head is hurting a little bit but it’s bearable enough to go on with my day. The sun hits my eyes and my cringe for a second because of the light sensitivity that goes with headaches and migraines. I get out of bed and take two Advils, my recommended dose, and go brush my teeth. I go back to my room, get changed into day clothes and get ready to leave the house. I always need to bring a slightly bigger purse or bag because I need somewhere to put my Advil, Tylenol and my prescription migraine medication. A bit clunkier than I’d like but you gotta do what you gotta do.

I leave the house, ready to go hang out with some friends and have a good time. We planned to go for lunch, then walk around downtown and do some window shopping, and afterwards go back to a friends and hang out there. When you have chronic migraines, plans don’t usually go as planned, which is what happened.

Lunch was good. We had a fun time talking about the usual girl stuff. After lunch we went downtown and walked around looking at various stores. As the sun got higher into the sky, I could feel its light and heat hitting my head, making me a bit achier. I take 2 more Advil and we continue walking around. By about 3PM, my head is hurting again, but it’s nothing I can’t handle so I just keep it to myself and we keep walking in the bright summer day. It comes time to go to my friend’s house and by this time, my head is pounding harder than the heart of a running leopard. As we get to my friend’s house I realize that any loud sound is making it pound more, not a good sign.

We set up the TV with Netflix and as we’re about to start a sharp shooting pain hits me on the left side of my temple. This is what it’s like to have a strong migraine. It feels as if someone has just stabbed me in the temple about 10 times and then left the knife in there while twisting it around in circles. It’s the type of pain you just want to hold until it goes away. I reach into my bag and grab my medication and take a pill. My friends ask if I’m okay and I tell them that I just need to lie down in a dark room for a bit. I get up and go sit in my friends room alone, clutching my head.

20 minutes later, the migraine is not much better, but at this point the nausea is setting it. Because of how much my head was hurting and that I was feeling dizzy from it, I get nauseas when I have a strong migraine for too long. I try and hold myself together, drink some water and hope it goes away fast. Luckily for me I had taken my medication in time because another 20 minutes later and I’m feeling a bit better. I go out and join my friends and we enjoy the rest of the movie. I call it quits after the movie ends and leave my friend’s house early so that I can go home and try and rest.

When I get home, I change into my sleeping clothes, brush my teeth and then take my migraine preventative medication, another prescription, then take a B vitamin pill, which is also meant to prevent migraines, get into bed and close my eyes. As I lay there, I hope that I won’t wake up with another migraine like I did that morning. I fall asleep thinking about what else I could have done if I hadn’t gotten a migraine today.

So next time someone says they have a migraine or, a “very bad headache”, don’t just tell them to take some ibuprofen and suck it up, because it’s almost ever that simple. Living with chronic migraines is horrible, and although these strong migraines only come maybe once a week, they are still painful and should not be pushed to the side or dismissed as a simple little headache. It’s important to listen to what someone is saying to you and to understand that for them, it’s very serious.