Tuesday, Sep 04th 2012

Woman Living with Chronic Migraine Gets a Second Chance at Birthday Bash

Meet Tina Bembry of Nashville, Tenn., a winner of the Rewrite Your Day contest, which is awarding 15 people the chance to work with celebrity event planner Mindy Weiss to re-create a special moment lost to Chronic Migraine.

Tina's Story
by Tina Bembry

I have been living with Chronic Migraine since 2002. Chronic Migraine is a neurological condition that causes me to experience headaches 15 or more days a month, with headaches lasting four hours a day or longer.  Typically, my migraine symptoms include pain, often accompanied by nausea. As a result, I have missed many anticipated moments in my life, including holiday celebrations, church mission trips, work events and music concerts with friends, which are such an important part of the culture and nightlife in my hometown. However, the most special moment I have missed due to Chronic Migraine was my birthday this year.   

For my 39th birthday, I had hoped to travel to Texas to visit with close friends, but because of frequent headaches and migraines before the trip, I had missed too many days of work to take any time off for vacation. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed to have to cancel my plans. While turning 39 may not seem that eventful to some people, this birthday was particularly important to me because I considered it a milestone in my life. My mother and grandmother died from cancer before this age, and I feel very grateful to have made it to this birthday and still be cancer-free. Instead of my Texas trip, I ended up catching up on the phone with friends both near and far. It was a nice day, but not the one I imagined for myself to honor this meaningful moment. 

While I still experience several migraines and headaches a month and continue to miss important moments, I am seeing a headache specialist who is working with me to help manage my Chronic Migraine. I would encourage anyone who thinks they are living with Chronic Migraine to find a headache specialist in their area who can help them find ways to cope with the physical impact of this condition.

My Re-creation

I was so excited to be named a winner of the Rewrite Your Day campaign and have the chance to "redo" my birthday with the help of celebrity event planner, Mindy Weiss.  My birthday party included all of my favorite activities, including live music played by local band, The Silver Threads, country dancing and dining on a barbecue buffet.  I was so happy to end the day blowing out candles on a festive birthday cake in the company of my closest friends and family. I also enjoyed raising awareness of Chronic Migraine in my local community and encouraging others to find a headache specialist who can help them manage their condition.

To learn more about the campaign or to find a headache specialist in your area, visit www.RewriteYourDay.com. For more information on Chronic Migraine, click here.