Death to anyone who calls a migraine a ‘headache’

img_4523.jpgI am a chronic headache and migraine sufferer. Notice how I say headache and migraine sufferer. They are different, I promise. Generally these ailments are brought on by stress or not eating right so I can usually manage them. However last year, I finally decided to take action because they were ruining my life.

In 2016, I logged 13 migraines that kept me at home sitting in the dark unable to move let alone make it to the office. I can usually tell right when a headache is about to reach migraine territory. It’s right when my closing my eyelids feels like starting afire in my scalp. My vision starts to blur and I start to feel nauseous, then my neck feels sore and I can’t open my eyes unless there is total darkness. It’s so miserable.

My mom was visiting me in June last year when I was struck with a particularly outrageous migraine brought on by too much fun at Coney Island. When she saw first hand how miserable I was she suggested something called a daith piercing. She went on and on about how amazing it is for people with chronic headaches. At first I was just annoyed she was talking because I HAD A MIGRAINE. Then once the migraine subsided I was able to hear her out. I was visiting Utah in July for my friends wedding so I told her we could go check it out together when I was home.

Mom basically drove me straight from the airport, jk not really the airport, to Iris to get see about getting my daith pierced. I found a pretty piece and I thought the piercing was cute so I didn’t protest when the woman said they could pierce me up right then and there. I used the excuse that it could possibly help my migraines to get over the cost and my #mormonguilt. So I did it.

For the first few hours after getting the piercing I had a terrible headache, it didn’t cross into migraine territory, but it was a doozy. I was starting to regret my decision thinking it was going to do the opposite of what I thought it would. However, after about 2 months, it was still tender but healing nicely and I hadn’t had a headache since that initial ‘doozy’.

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Right after I had done the deed. 

Yesterday, about midday I started to get a headache. It started off pretty normal, I didn’t think much of it. By 3:00pm I knew we were headed straight to migrainville. I took off a little early from work trying to get ahead of it. I came home, took a hot shower and went straight to bed. I laid in bed for hours suffering! I felt like that scene in 500 days of Summer where they both just stare blankly and say “suffering” over and over again.

 

One doctors appointment and one cheap groupon massage later I’m now leaving migraineville and headed into headache town. I didn’t realize how nice my non-migraine life had been. I lived 8 glorious migraine-free months because of this piercing!! Now… you’re probably wondering why this news warranted a blog post – it didn’t. I’m just this happy about my piercing and the life its allowed me to have.

If you live a migraine-full life – I highly recommend 10/10.

xoxo

Maggie

boy bye, 2017!

boy bye, 2017!

2017

January

My family spent New Years in the Dominican Republic. See post here.

 We met our newest nephew, Remy!! He did not disappoint. You can see a cute pic here.

Dallin celebrated his 28th year on Earth with friends at our favorite SLC spot – David’s Kitchen! I posted some love for him here.

February

We experienced several snow days in Brooklyn. Something we thought we could handle being from Utah. It’s different here. Very different.

 

Dallin began his career as a stand up comic.

I went to Canada for Commodity to participate in a Sephora Store Leadership Summit. It was one of the highlights of my Commodity career.

March

We moved. Same building, different unit. We upgraded from a studio to a 1 bedroom! We’ve made it!!

I read 3 really great books in March. They were so great I feel the need to include them in my highlights.

– Jo Malone’s My Story: I loved learning the intricacies of her sell to Estee Lauder

– The Anatomy of Peace: Beginning of 2017 I was feeling *very* angsty (politically mostly), so I needed to reread this so I could learn to function like a normal human again.

-Mormon Feminism Essential Writings: Look, there is so much I find unsettling about my religion but this book actually helped me recommit to my LDS faith. I would highly recommend. 

April

April was a busy month. We had so many fun visitors: Mikey and Emi, Kourtney (my oldest friend), Katelyn and Colton and finally, Andrea! I loved showing off my city.

– May your home always be too small to hold all your friends (pretty easy to do when you live in a 500 sq ft apartment). You can see some photos from all our visitors here. –

Like I mentioned, April was busy. I was about to have a true Bridesmaids level mental breakdown so I bought a ticket home to go on a girls trip with my mom and my sister. We surprised my cute grandparents in Arizona and it was just what the doctor ordered! You can see more from this trip here.

May

In May, Dallin took my to see my hero, Sara, perform in her musical “Waitress”. It was magical. You can read about our funny (and star filled) experience here.

We got a bidet. 10/10 would recommend.

June

I celebrated my 25th Birthday and it was genuinely the best birthday I’ve ever had. My mom and my sister flew in and we spent the weekend in Coney Island. You can see photos here.

Team Commodity started to grow! We added 6 hires this year, starting in June. I’m lucky to be learning from some of the finest the industry has to offer.

We got bikes!!

July

Our bikes were stolen 😦

My best friend got married!!  You can read a silly post about a letter I wrote to Sar in 2010 here.

We went to our first Yankees game.

August

We saw Dave Chappelle live with Solange at Radio City Music Hall. A life highlight for Dallin!

Melanie, my sister, got engaged!!

September

Maddy and Terry came to visit me and we knocked off one of my NYC bucket list items: bus tour!!

Sara and Colby also came to visit in September… Colby interviewed for a position in NJ and got it!!

October

Probably the highlight of my year – Melanie got married!! We got pictures back a few weeks ago, and she still won’t let anyone share them on social media. It’s killlling me.

Commodity partnered with Rose & Ivy. It’s my favorite Commodity partnership yet!

Dallin and I celebrated 5 years of marriage.

November

We spent Thanksgiving with my Aunts in Washington DC.

MY BEST FRIEND MOVED TO NEW JERSEY!! She’s only a 2.5 hr train ride away.

December

We spent Christmas in NYC! It’s the most magical place to be for the holidays.

For Christmas dinner we went to Joes Shanghai with our good friends Jon and Whitney. I think we found ourselves a new Christmas tradition.

Dallin quit his job. He will be starting school in January to become a graphic designer. I’m so excited for him!!

 

2017 was a learning year for me. I learned how to battle my negative self talk, I learned I don’t have to react to every tweet I read (I’m looking at you Donnie) and I learned how to be present. All of which I am still working on.

I don’t generally set New Year’s resolutions as I feel they set us up to fail, however, this year I did set one. My goal is to have more physical reminders of goodness in my home. Reason being – I’ve never loved my apartment. I adore the location so that’s the trade off. However, due to me not liking my actual apartment, I’ve never made much of an effort to make it a sanctuary like I have in other places I’ve lived. So this year I’m changing that.

Dallin, being the supportive husband he is, already helped me accomplish this goal by gifting me the most amazing artwork pieces by mormon artist Kristen Anderson @kinoelleart . I’m obsessed!! You have to go check out her work.

You can read my 2016 recap here.

Thanks for reading! Wishing you all a Happy New Year!! Good luck 2018!

xoxo

-Maggie

Man, I feel like a woman

Man, I feel like a woman

You may have seen on my instagram (@meg.greenhalgh) that my Grandma and Grandpa won Christmas this year with this amazing vintage suede two piece. I’m seriously so in love… so of course, I made Dallin take a million photos of me wearing it.

There’s something about a new outfit and hair do that make a lady feed damn powerful! *cue Shania Twain*

I get asked all the time why I change my hair so often. There are a few reasons –

  1. why not?
  2. it’s cheaper than therapy
  3. nothing makes me feel more confident than having complete control over something (shout out to the rest of my psycho Gemini twins!!).

Thank you Gma and Gpa for your endless encouragement of me expressing my individuality. You created this. I love you both!

 

 

– Maggie