Life Interrupted - Cracked By Migraine | LMAC FreeStyle Collage No. 161

Hello everyone. I wanted to share with you my current collage with a theme of endurance. My style of collage is a Freestyle. Often I do, but I wasn't required to utilize any contest photo in my design. However, if you'd like to join in visit the LMAC Community page.

For individuals like me who suffer from migraines, ours is a test of true endurance and resilience. You may not realize it, but 40 million people suffer from a migraine. Many refer to it as a migraine headache.

However, I discovered it's much more.

Migraine is more than a headache. As a complex neurological condition, migraine is a disorder that affects the brain and can cause intense pain on one or both sides of the head. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and/or sound, and poor concentration. A migraine attack can last 4 to 72 hours.

As a young adult, I worked full time with a stressful legal career, added to that a family, attempting to continue my education, and assisted with the care of elderly parents. I was too busy to realize my headaches were more just being "too busy trying to do too much".

For me, when I feel an attack is imminent, I can immediately assess what level it may rise to. I feel as though my head is being split in half and running amuck in different directions. I can't grab it quick enough to put it back together. Blinding light erupts from my pupils throbbing at a high rate of speed. I literally have to pause what I'm doing and immediately take my medication and lie down. Naproxin works well enough for me to calm my muscles.

Since all individuals are different, any one or a combination of events can summon a migraine attack. Some of the more common events include:

Stress. Certain foods. Alcohol. Skipping meals. Sudden changes in weather/barometric pressure. Hormonal changes in women around the time of their menstrual cycles. Changes in sleep patterns. And, over-medicating.

My daily intake of medications for several underlying conditions is taxing on my mind and body. I have noticed that as I aged to senior citizen, my attacks are less frequent and severity less intense.

In addition to the above, the degree to which one may experience a migraine is affected by one's age, gender, and genetics. Scientists aren't one hundred percent certain but theorize that due to hormonal changes women are thirty percent (30%) more prone to migraine attacks.

Presently, there is no cure for migraines. However, in today's medical advancements, numerous methods and treatments exist to reduce the frequency and severity. Since each person may respond differently to treatments, those treatments must be tailored to the individual's needs and lifestyles.

As I did, consult with your physician if unsure whether you are susceptible to possible migraine attacks.

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In preparing my collage, I wanted to portray how I personally feel when a migraine attacks. I utilized a free-sourced image of a female with her head split with one side having fallen. I included an abstract wavy image to replicate how my immediate surroundings are clouded. Sight, smell and feeling are heightened. The experience reminds me of a person alone on an island. No one can empathize if they have never experienced one. It's difficult to explain the emotions rendered and physical pain.

Finally, I included one of my pure fractals that resemble a lightning strike. Members from the LMAC Community through their contributions to the #LIL database contributed the seagull standing near the shore and a giraffe on stilts.

Below are the steps I took to compile my design and images I included. I utilized Canva to blend the different type images. Below are my steps in which I began with a blank, white canvas, then added layers of elements, removing backgrounds, resizing, detaching elements from their backgrounds, duplicating, colorizing, and repositioning items as needed incorporating the tools at my disposal in my Annual Pro Membership Subscription.

Item	Contributor	Source
Fantasy Golden sunset	Pixabay	Link
Female with head split	PxFuel	Link
Fantasy Wood perch near shore	Pixabay	Link
Abstract Purple waves	Pixabay	Link
Abstract Wavy Brown Lines on black	Pixabay	Link
Eye and bird near shore	Pixabay	Link
Little Egret standing on bank	Contributed to #LIL by Hive account@digitalis	Link
Giraffe on stilts	Contributed to #LIL by Hive account@eve66	Link
Pure Fractal titled "White Lightning"	Hive account@justclickindiva	Link

Below is my completed collage:

Thanks for your visit. I appreciate it. I hope you like my freestyle collage theme.