Parenting with Chronic Illness and Celebrating

parenting with chronic illness

Parenting with chronic illness remains to be one of my biggest hurdles. I love being a mom, but parenting with migraine makes things especially difficult. This post has turned into a love letter to my baby on his birthday. A day to celebrate and reflect on parenting and parenting with chronic migraine.

How does Chronic Illness Affect my Family?

kids

Last night I went to bed with a migraine attack. This morning I woke up with a 10-year-old. Not one hand but two whole hands and I’m done with having kids in the single digits. Just like that.

Parenting with a chronic illness is a blur. But isn’t parenting, in general, a blur? It’s this whirlwind of an everyday grind trying to avoid the next meltdown. But every now and then I stop in my tracks at how absolutely lucky I am to be raising my favorite human beings and get to watch the magical creatures that they are growing into.

And that time always happens on birthdays.

Now that I get to give my buddy a double high five what happens next? I feel like the saying, “big kid, big problems” is coming back to get me. The issue with my big kid problems growing up is that parenting with migraine doesn’t go away (and can also grow during these stressful times).

With my baby turning 10 and my oldest turning the corner to 13, I feel like I am as worried as ever. But now in a bigger kid way. No longer the stroller mom but now the sports and activity driver, email and schedule personal assistant, chef, and social coordinator.  All of these titles hold migraine triggers for me and roles I don’t take lightly.

Parenting with chronic migraine takes me away from my life more than I’d like to admit and that means time with my kids and family. It hurts! But on my baby’s birthday, I choose to be so insanely grateful. I choose to have fun! I can’t walk away from parenting with a chronic illness but for a while, I’m going to soak in the best title. MOM.

Everyone’s getting double high-fives today!

[written 1/23/19]

parenting with chronic illness

This week I’m focusing on my baby’s birthday party instead of my migraine! He now has to hold up 2 hands to show how old he is. Each year seems to be going faster, and I need things to slow down.

How Can I be a Good Mom with Chronic Illness?

I’ve been fighting this month with the crazy snowstorms and thaw around here. Migraine robs me of so many things, and time is one of them. Parenting with chronic illness changes everything. This week I have gotten frustrated that my meds aren’t working. I’m angry that I’m forced to lay and ice my head while I have so many other things to do. Being sick is a waste of my time, and it’s more than annoying!

So I’m focusing on my baby’s birthday and the blessing that he is.

By the end of the week, I’ll have a 6-year-old. He is no longer my favorite preschooler (and he has had some competitions since I teach there). Now he’s my bus riding, friend-making, still my superhero little man.

Does anyone else get emotional around their child’s birthday? I typically am stressed, trying to cover up a migraine attack and trying to make the best of my day. My goal is to make his day so unique that they don’t see my pain. As a mom, I reflect on the day I gave birth and thank my body for giving me my greatest gifts. My mentality of focusing on my baby’s birthday is always gratitude.

[written 1/25/18]

son

Parenting with chronic illness and having small children is not easy. It’s a lot! Today is my baby’s 5th birthday! He tells me, “It’s easy Mom, a whole hand!” and throws his little fingers out. This Superman is my heart. Now that my baby is a whole hand and thinking about Kindergarten, I think about how hard it is parenting with chronic illness.

Parenting and Migraine

Many people ask me questions about being a mom of young ones, pregnancy, being a stay-at-home mom, and how I have managed all those things while battling migraine. Raising children is hard enough and parenting with chronic illness makes these events much more twisted.

It brings up so many emotions about how hard it was being pregnant, having a baby, and living a migraine life. As with everything, both pregnancies were different, both births and babies were too, and migraine life was significantly different.

I can say I never considered not being a mom. I was meant to be a mom. In my mind, body, and soul, I was told to be someone’s mom (cue the tears). My heart beats for my children. Being a mom is the best thing that has ever happened to me and the best thing that ever will. I feel these seconds, days, and months fly by. At the same time, each second seems complicated, and crazy, and isn’t it nap time yet? I look back at how wonderful it was and then think back at how hard it was. Like, hard, in SO many ways. Yet so very magical, precious, and fleeting.

Parenting with Chronic Illness and having Small Children

People told me that having little ones was the most challenging time with migraine. But parenting with chronic illness and having small children makes it even tougher. Isn’t having a little one the hardest part of most people’s lives? At the same time, I feel that when I look back on my life, I will see these as the days of my life. (If you are a Days of Our Lives watcher, read the last line in the dramatic voice.) Like sand through the hourglass. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my birthday boy. To know him is to love him. Truly! His smile is contagious; his stories make me laugh, and he tells me “I love you” all day long while giving the best hugs.

A whole hand now!  How does time go so fast?

having children and migraine

Sign up for our newsletter

Sarah Rathsack

I tell stories of My Migraine Life. Living life through Migraine consists of advocacy, treatment, prevention, and searching for health and happiness in a positive honest way. My kids, husband, dog, family and friends motivate me to make a difference in the Migraine World.
Posted in ,

You Might Also Like:

World Migraine Summit 2020

Migraine World Summit: Join the Global Community

"Over 30 doctors, professors and specialists have gathered from world leading institutions to help answer some of the most difficult questions for patients in desperate need of relief." Migraine World Summit
Read More
Why is Healthcare so Unaffordable?

Why is Healthcare So Unaffordable?

HOW CAN WE GET BETTER IF WE CAN'T OBTAIN OR AFFORD PROPER TREATEMENT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL PERSON? Migraine is a complicated disease, everyone is different and requires different treatments. They should all be affordable.
Read More
How to Avoid Migraine Attacks While Traveling

Avoid Migraine While Traveling: Tips to Avoid Triggers and Packing List

How do I avoid migraine while travelling? I love to travel but inevitably get a migraine attack before, during, and after. I have been lucky enough to travel all around the world and unlucky sufficient to have migraine attacks in most of those places. These experiences taught me many lessons and ways to pack and avoid…
Read More

8 Comments

  1. achysmile on January 25, 2018 at 3:54 pm

    Reblogged this on Achy Smile and commented:
    This post hits home. My kids were 4 and 2 when I starting having chronic migraine. They were the best kids and now are the best teenagers!



  2. mymigrainelife on January 25, 2018 at 4:07 pm

    So amazing! I started my journey as a child and having my own children only shaped my journey into something so much more focused. They are such an inspiration!
    They are the best teenagers because they learn by example! I’m sure you are proud of each other for all that you’ve grown and gone through together!



  3. G on January 25, 2018 at 6:13 pm

    Great story Sarah!
    G



  4. mymigrainelife on January 25, 2018 at 6:38 pm

    Thanks!



  5. Invisibly Me on January 26, 2018 at 12:35 pm

    Aw this is lovely, and interesting to get your insight into pregnancy and having a child too. Happy Birthday to your little Spiderman!! 🙂
    Caz x



  6. mymigrainelife on January 26, 2018 at 1:01 pm

    Thank you!



Leave a Comment





This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Weighted Blanket

Allay Lamp- Green Light Therapy

Headache Hat- Ice Hat

Heat Wrap

Avulux

Bed of Nails