Sydney L.

Photography by Jalencia Pouge

If you’re reading this, your pain doesn’t define you. 

I have suffered from chronic migraines since I was 5 years old. I’ve been quiet about it as I've gotten older because I was judged so harshly when I was younger. It’s easier to sit there silently in pain while my vision fades in and out than it is to voice what I am experiencing and be accused of faking it or be asked a million questions about what caused me to feel this way. Trust me, if I knew I would have fixed it by now.  

It may be hard to believe, but the mental toll that this condition takes on me far outweighs the physical toll. I grew up with people knowing that I was the migraine girl. People stopped inviting me to things because they assumed I would be in too much pain to show up, so I’m sure you can only imagine the shock I experienced when I came to college, and I made friends who think that migraines are the least interesting thing about me. These are the same friends who will listen to me vent about being tired of the pain and drive me to urgent care when it becomes unbearable.  

If this letter makes one person feel a little less alone, then I've done my job. I hope you find people who will sit with you on your best and worst days, because you deserve that and so much more.  

Sydney L., University of South Carolina

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