Living with Hemiplegic Migraines as a Single Mom: Our Journey Through the Storm
Life doesn’t come with a manual. No one tells you how to prepare for a chronic illness—especially when you're a single mom trying to keep your children’s world from falling apart. When I was diagnosed with Familial Hemiplegic Migraines, I had no idea just how much our lives were about to change.
Hemiplegic migraines aren’t just "bad headaches." They mimic strokes—causing temporary paralysis, vision loss, confusion, and sometimes days of recovery. Being hit with these attacks while trying to parent alone was terrifying. I wasn’t just afraid for myself, I was afraid for my boys. How could I care for them when I couldn’t care for myself some days?
On top of my illness, there was another battle quietly taking its toll on our lives: their father’s addiction to prescription drugs. That pain—the guilt of being the "sick one" while he was the "unreliable one"—was heavy. I often questioned whether I was enough. I worried if my children felt safe, if they felt loved, if they would grow up resenting the life we had.
The truth is, our life had to shift in major ways. We moved—twice. Each move felt like starting over, packing not just our belongings but our trauma, our memories, and our hopes for something better. Through every upheaval, I held onto one promise: we would be okay.
And slowly, we were.
We built a new kind of normal. I learned to listen to my body, to rest when I needed to, to show my kids that strength looks different in every person. I stopped hiding my bad days and instead used them to teach compassion, patience, and resilience.
Then, when I least expected it—love walked in.
He didn’t flinch at my diagnosis. He didn’t back away from the complicated past I carried or the protective walls I built around my boys. Instead, he stood beside us—accepting, understanding, and supportive. Where there was once guilt and fear, he brought peace and reassurance. He didn’t just love me; he embraced all of us.
This chapter of our story is one I never thought I’d get to write.
But our story isn’t over. Life still has challenges. There are still migraines, still echoes of the past, and still moments of uncertainty. But there’s also love, healing, and a future that finally feels hopeful.
To anyone walking a similar path—single parents, chronic illness warriors, survivors of trauma—you are not alone. Your story matters. Your strength is real. And no matter how hard the journey may be, there is light ahead.
Thank you for being a part of ours. 💜
