This week tested me.
Not in a dramatic, fall apart kind of way. More in a quiet, exhausting, are-you-kidding-me kind of way.
I have had a migraine for nine days.
Nine.
Days.
Not a little headache. Not a tension headache. A migraine that sits there, humming in the background, the foreground, and everywhere in between. Sometimes louder, sometimes quieter, but always present. The kind that makes your entire body hurt, leaves you nauseous, and makes you question how much brain power you actually need to function.
After a week of this, and with some nudging from a few trusted doctor friends in the US, I decided it was time to book an appointment here in Manitoba. I was hopeful. Maybe they could give me some guidance on how to break this migraine. Surely after nine days of pain, someone would want to dig a little deeper.
I sat down. The doctor came in. And within seconds, I realized this was not going to go the way I had imagined.
I was not asked where the pain was located.
I was not asked what it felt like.
I was not asked what made it better or worse.
I was not asked about light sensitivity, nausea, stress, hormones, sleep, or patterns.
Nothing.
I was asked one question.
“What medications are you taking?”
I answered honestly. I explained what I had tried. I explained what I had not tried. I explained that this was not my normal.
The solution offered?
More Tylenol.
More Advil.
More triptans.
And I just sat there, nodding politely, while my internal dialogue was screaming.
Because here is the irony. Overusing Tylenol and Advil can actually cause headaches. Medication overuse headaches are a real thing. Why am I the one who knows this? So being told to take more of the very thing that can perpetuate the problem felt like some strange medical oxymoron.
Headache because of meds?
Solution: more meds.
Perfect. Or not.
I walked out feeling frustrated, unseen, and honestly like I had wasted my time. Not because I doubted my experience, but because the system did not make space for it.
And that moment right there is the entire reason MyUnMess exists.
Not just for perimenopause.
Not just for supplements.
But for women who are tired of feeling like they are wasting their time asking for help.
So many women come to me saying the same thing.
“I feel off, but I cannot get answers.”
“I feel like I am overreacting.”
“I am told everything is normal.”
“I am exhausted from advocating for myself.”
This is not about blaming doctors. The system is overwhelmed. Appointments are rushed. Care is reactive, not investigative. And women fall through the cracks when symptoms do not fit neatly into a box.
Especially midlife women.
Hormones shift. Nervous systems change. Pain presents differently. Migraines become more frequent or more intense. Sleep changes. Stress tolerance drops. But instead of curiosity, women often receive quick fixes and surface level advice.
Take this. Try that. Come back if it gets worse.
And in the meantime, women are left wondering if they are imagining it.
MyUnMess was created to fill that gap. To give women education, tools, and support so they do not walk away from appointments feeling dismissed or confused. To help them understand patterns, ask better questions, and trust their bodies again.
Because health is not just about suppressing symptoms. It is about understanding why they are happening in the first place.
This migraine reminded me of that in a very personal way.
I am still navigating it. I am still listening to my body. And I am still advocating for myself.
But I am also more committed than ever to helping women feel informed, supported, and empowered. So they do not feel like they are going crazy. So they do not feel like their pain is inconvenient. So they do not feel alone in it.
If you have ever walked out of an appointment feeling unheard, please know this.
You are not difficult.
You are not dramatic.
You are not imagining things.
Your body is communicating. And you deserve support that listens.
With Gratitude,
Sue