Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page, here is my experience...

I suffered from migraine attacks as a young teenager. They started very suddenly and they were extremely scary for a 13 year old who had just started big school! They only lasted for about a year and didn't have a huge impact on my life (as far as I can remember).

But, at the age of 22 they returned with a vengeance. I suffered personally with aura (shining lights) in my right eye, complete numbness in my left arm and stabbing pain in the left side of my head, confusion and inability to concentrate. My more severe migraines included numbness on my face and mouth so I couldn't speak, so much light in my eye that I was essentially blind and forgetting my friends names. Reading that doesn't sound as bad as it was, I don't think I can describe how debilitating it was. I couldn't just 'power through' it. I would have to get to a bed as quickly as possible, take as many painkillers as possible and sometimes would be unable to work/concentrate properly for days following the initial migraine symptoms.  

As the attacks became more regular (I was suffering 4 times a month) I tried giving up all the food triggers, I tried hypnotherapy and various medications. Unfortunately for me that didn't do the trick as I think stress may have been my biggest trigger, but the vicious circle was extremely difficult to manage.... I am now on daily medication which, thankfully, have stopped my migraines completely so far. But I know that I have been very lucky and a lot of people are in far, far worse situations than I was ever in, even on my worst days. I know how mentally and physically exhausting migraines are. How much stress and depression they can induce. I also am aware of how little people know about them, so I'd love to raise some awareness and hopefully some money to the charity that helped me. I found that Migraine Action had so much advice and support for me when I felt very overwhelmed and had absolutely no idea what to do with myself. Here is there website for anyone who wishes to know more about what they do: http://www.migraine.org.uk/about/

I have chosen to give up sugar (not including natural sugars, like fruit!), chocolate, cheese and caffeine as these are the main things my Doctor told me to stop eating when I was trying to find out what was causing migraines for me. I assume there are many people out there currently giving up these exact things, so, to show solidarity (and to prove to myself that I can do it!) I plan to give up these toxic food groups and hopefully never return to them again. I have done it once and I felt great so I know I can do it again, especially with the support of my boyfriend who will be joining in this challenge with me!

You can see here how Migraine Action spend their donated money: http://www.migraine.org.uk/about/raising-and-spending-money/

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.