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Aurora's avatar

I get it. I was told for the longest time that my seizures were a result of my trauma and PTSD, and I needed therapy to fix them. As it turned out, they were the result of a metabolic disorder just like your migraines were from a metabolic disorder, and I now haven't had one since May 2024. Sometimes the science just isn't caught up to what's actually going on in our bodies. I hope the migraines stay gone forever!

Amber Horrox ✨Warrior Within✨'s avatar

Gosh, I am so glad you got to the root of your seizures.

I wish someone would write a book on the metabolic system. I’m keen to know and understand more.

Stephanie Weaver's avatar

Natalie, this makes me think of my first time attending the American Headache Society’s annual conference, where I learned the term “interictal”: defined as “the time between migraine attacks.” What I defined as feeling well or feeling good or free of pain, the neurology field called “waiting for the next attack.” I didn’t love that—at all.

I am thrilled for you that you’ve shifted something so significant and I truly hope you are cured! Migraines SUCK.

Natalie Mead's avatar

Agree, migraines are the worst! And I still get them to be clear...it's just the "chronic" part that's gone :) Yes, I've run into the the term interictal in reading research studies. It adds such an odd tension to the experience of migraine, doesn't it? Maybe one day it will be an antiquated term. Hope so!

Amber Horrox ✨Warrior Within✨'s avatar

“Waiting for your next migraine attack” - wow!

I’ve been in remission for a couple of years. I haven’t experienced severe pain for 3.5 years now.

My belief was similar to Natalie’s in that if I got to the root of the cause there must be a path to wellness we can carve out from there.

Like yourself, I do not have the face of someone who is sat here waiting for my next migraine attack 😂😂

Michelle Richmond's avatar

Natalie, I'm so happy to hear you've been in remission for six months. The extreme keto is so interesting. I know someone else who discovered the benefits of an extreme keto diet for her adult son, who suffered from severe bipolar disorder. She and her husband have a foundation called Metabolic Mind, worth checking out for its research.

Natalie Mead's avatar

Hi Michelle, yes I’ve heard great things about keto for mental health conditions. Will check it out!

Jen's avatar

Future Natalie is a figment of your imagination. I hope Natalie today enjoys every moment of no migrane pain, remission, cure, or changed life, whatever noun works best for today.

Natalie Mead's avatar

Thanks Jen! How goes the book release?

Cori Bren's avatar

Do you mind sharing what your metabolic illness was and who helped you fix it? I’m a recent discoverer of functional medicine and a lot of it shares a foundation of improved metabolic health. I have personal friends with all manner of strange intractable ailments that might respond as yours did.

Natalie Mead's avatar

Hi Cori, yes I am happy to share, if you shoot me a DM. It’s a lot of back and forth to share in comments.

Veronika Bond's avatar

"recovery gaslit" — what an excellent expression.

It sounds very familiar. I think it happens all the time in the medical-science-ivory-towers. Doctors are "experts" on health and dis-ease, therefore (in their logic) actual experiences of our own well-being or unwell-being must be wrong, if they don't fit into the neat little boxes they have created and labelled for their own convenience. There are many things between heaven and earth that medics and scientists are clueless about.

Congratulations to your remission and best wishes for your ongoing recovery.

Natalie Mead's avatar

Thanks, Veronika! And I shall continue trying to live in defiance of the labels.

Amber Horrox ✨Warrior Within✨'s avatar

Holy guacamole Natalie !!!

I am SO GLAD you are here sharing your story 🙏🙏🙏

Thank you for raising this not talked about point…..how do medical professionals respond when we share news of our recovery?

I spent way too long wondering why I wasn’t brought in to the neurology team meeting when I broke the chronic pain cycle in 6 months to stare how I’d done it (I remained chronically ill for far longer than this but that was dismissed so I chose not to return to the healthcare system to repeat the previous 20 years for what i totalled to be a further 5+ diagnoses).

It took me a few years to realise that the medical field have NO INTEREST in recovery.

Look what happens when people like Miranda Hart share their journey - she was annihilated in the press. Told she was dangerously outdated and her insights (which are all scientifically backed and get to the root of the cause) were branded as pseudo science.

This case isn’t an anomaly.

When i met with Angela Mohn to record this podcast, she shared with me outside of the recording that her neurologist got up and walked off when she shared what had worked for her.

I’ll leave you with the recording in case any readers want another success perspective on keto (and listening to your inner knowing).

P.s. let me know if you’d like to come on my podcast Your Migraine Story Matters. I’d love to help you share your story.

https://open.substack.com/pub/warriorwithin/p/keto-for-migraine-with-angela-mohn