Patient Contributor

Ciara O'Rourke

Migraine Patient Stories

Ciara is a nurse from Dublin, Ireland. She is married and has three amazing little boys.

Overview

Living With Condition
20 Years
Published
7 Articles
Location
Dublin, Ireland

Ciara's History with the Condition

Ciara balances her life with migraine along with being a busy working mom. It is not always easy, but she feels lucky and grateful to have a fantastic husband who understands and helps her through the journey. She also has some supportive friends and colleagues who understand what it's like to live with chronic pain and how it can affect her working and social life.

Ciara is delighted to document her experiences on Life Effects. She feels the best way to learn about a condition is through sharing stories and listening to others with similar symptoms.

She also knows that chronic illness can be a lonely place. If you feel like no one understands you or your feelings around migraine, Ciara hopes to offer support and inspiration.

Ciara says:

"I have been living with migraine for around 20 years. I started to develop episodic migraine in my early 20s, which was brought on by hormonal changes. It wasn't until I was in my late 20s that my migraine symptoms became more chronic. I developed nearly daily headaches, having 20 to 30 headache days per month.

"It was at this time that I was referred to a headache specialist and was correctly diagnosed.

"I have to say that it was a great relief to finally receive a diagnosis. I had already felt the stigma of living with chronic pain. Many people don't understand all the consequences and implications of migraine."

The information presented is solely for educational purposes, not as specific advice for the evaluation, management, or treatment of any condition.

NPS-ALL-NP-00929 April 2023

Published Articles

Getting the Most from Your Vacation when You Have Migraine
6 mins
article
Ciara O'Rourke

Getting the Most from Your Vacation when You Have Migraine

How “Same Thing, Different Day” Helps My Migraines
6 mins
article
Ciara O'Rourke

How “Same Thing, Different Day” Helps My Migraines

How I Stopped Migraine from Getting in the Way of My Career
6 mins
article
Ciara O'Rourke

How I Stopped Migraine from Getting in the Way of My Career

Lockdown Helped with Migraines - Now They're Back with Force
5 mins
article
Ciara O'Rourke

Lockdown Helped with Migraines - Now They're Back with Force

Migraine and Weight Gain: Are They Linked?
5 mins
article
Ciara O'Rourke

Migraine and Weight Gain: Are They Linked?

Why We Need to Destigmatize Migraine
4 mins
article
Ciara O'Rourke

Why We Need to Destigmatize Migraine

6 Tips for Mental Health and Migraine during a Global Crisis
5 mins
article
Ciara O'Rourke

6 Tips for Mental Health and Migraine during a Global Crisis