For today’s post, I interviewed Diana Lee, Somebody Heal Me: The Musings of a Chronic Migraineur. Diana’s story of living with pain is typical for many of us who have had life altering chronic illness. She’s taken a highly creative and productive path to address it.
FYI: This month’s headache and migraine carnival hosted at Diana’s site is up.
Rosalind: You write a blog, Somebody Heal Me:The Musings of a chronic migraineur. What made you decide to do that?
Diana: I found myself spending increasing amounts of time researching headaches, migraines and depression for myself and my friends. I also needed an outlet for my growing frustration with the failure of every single thing I’d tried to help with my migraines. Starting a blog that combined my own health experiences with my journalistic and legal training just made sense.
Rosalind: Do you think that people who read illness related blogs tend to be people who sit around and feel sorry for themselves (which is what some people seem to think)?
Diana: I suppose some do. Truth be told, I fight against feeling sorry for myself sometimes, too. But I think people are reading these blogs because they’re searching for answers. It’s scary and overwhelming and isolating to be sick. By connecting with people in similar situations I think we are all able to benefit by both giving and receiving support.
The best and most rewarding part of blogging is that it has allowed me to have a sense of purpose in my life when so much of what I valued was lost to me. I had to leave my career as an attorney to focus on my health. This was a devastating blow to me because I strongly identified myself with my career. I worked hard to complete law school, pass the bar and land my dream job only to find myself physically unable to keep going just a few years later. Blogging has helped me make connections with people who have had the very same experience and survived. It fulfills me to be able to share my experiences with my readers and help them navigate life with chronic migraines.
Rosalind: Thanks for sharing with us, Diana.
About Diana: Diana Lee is a writer and attorney who blogs about chronic migraines, depression and related health issues at Somebody Heal Me: The Musings of a Chronic Migraineur. She lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with her husband of five years and a spoiled cat, Felix.