Interview with The Migraine Girl!

Janet Geddis, aka The Migraine Girl, is one of my favorite migraine bloggers. Born and raised in Georgia, Janet has dealt with both chronic migraines as well as autoimmune disease for more than half her life. In 2011, Janet opened Avid Bookshop, which is a community-focused, independent bookstore located in Atlanta, Georgia. She writes for migraine.com and recently, her phenomenal blog was moved there in its entirety.  

As a migraine blogger, I have wanted to branch out to other bloggers whose writings have helped me through my own struggles. Reading Janet's blog helped to motivate me to start my own blog! Hopefully, this is just the first interview of many migraine and spoonie bloggers! 

What do you always carry with you in case of a migraine?

I always have my water bottle, a Zomig nasal injection device (for migraines I wake with or ones that approach very rapidly), a triptan pill (Imitrex or naratriptan at the moment), and some Tylenol (which my doctor has me take in conjunction with whatever triptan I take). 

What changes (if any) have you made to your daily life because of your migraines?

It's hard to enumerate the changes I've put in place over time. I've been living with migraine for 23 years (though I wasn't diagnosed until 8 years into my struggle). A handful of changes include keeping a very steady sleep schedule, drinking way more water than I used to, and learning to scan every new environment for potential triggers. For instance, when I go to a restaurant, I am careful not to stand too close in line behind a woman with perfume on, and I know not to sit under the ceiling fan (as it will cause a strobe effect if the overhead light is behind it), and I avoid really loud places. Every new place I encounter, I'm on the lookout for potential triggers. 

How did you start blogging about living with migraines? 

My blog started as an anonymous outlet for me about eleven years ago, and in 2010 I was the first contributor to join migraine.com, which was about to launch at the time. 

What is one stereotype about migraines that you wish people knew more about? 

I wish people understood that migraine is highly individualized. For instance, I'm not lying when I say I have a migraine but still remain at work, mostly functional. Though many of my attacks do leave me in bed in a dark room, there are others that allow me to maintain a somewhat normal semblance of life. And just as migraine changes in me from attack to attack, it changes from person to person.

When you’re recovering from a migraine, what are your go to foods?

 I usually crave salty foods high in carbs. Lately, any kind of potato-based snack has been what I go for as I begin to recover: tater tots, McDonald's fries, and even gnocchi!

What’s the best advice that anyone has given you?

Though I can't remember the eloquent way this advice was put to me, I know it was something about how I need to be less hard on myself and focus on all the amazing things I have done in spite of (and because of!) migraine instead of focusing on all that the disease has stolen from my life.

What are you excited about this year? 

 I am the very proud owner/founder of Avid Bookshop, a community-based independent bookstore here in Athens, GA. This fall, we will not only celebrate our fifth birthday at our original location but will also be opening a second location of the store. This is a huge feat, and I'm so excited. To be able to do this at all is pretty thrilling, but to have done it despite chronic migraine is really quite amazing to me. Thank goodness for my very supportive friends and family and my absolutely incredible team of booksellers at Avid--thanks to them and our loyal customers, my bookshop business is expanding year by year and I couldn't be happier.  

Thank you so much Janet, for letting me interview you! I wish you the best with your second location and with your journey! 

If you loved this interview, follow Janet on social media! Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and her blog on migraine.com!

If you're a migraine blogger who's interested in being interviewed, contact me through Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. 

As always, have a lovely, migraine-free week!