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Welcome!

Heather Hart

Hi! My name is Heather Hart, and I am the voice behind this website.

I share much of my story throughout the pages and posts you’ll find here. However, I wanted to take a moment, introduce myself, and share my struggle with chronic pain.

Everyone’s struggle with chronic pain is unique.

I know that.

Your struggle might look nothing like mine, or we might have a lot in common. Either way, I know that God is always good. That’s one fact I cling to, no matter how bad the pain gets. So with that knowledge, here’s my story…

The Migraine That Never Went Away…

It was the summer of 2017, and I felt like I was on the top of the world. I led the women’s Bible study at my church and was living out my passion as an author writing for Christ. My family and I had moved to our small Texas town a few years prior, and the small-town life suited us – it suited me.

Life wasn’t always easy, but I breathed deep.

I was loving Jesus and living life to the fullest.

In fact, earlier that summer we had been camping and hiking in the mountains of Colorado with the youth group from our church.

Then it happened…

One day I got this insane migraine.

It was super intense, and I couldn’t shake it.

That migraine changed my entire world…

The Beginning

After a few days of laying in bed, I made a doctor appointment. My head hurt so bad, something had to give.

The doctor gave me a shot and sent me home… but it didn’t help. A few days later I was back at the doctor begging for something to stop the pain.

That was the first time I was hospitalized for my migraines.

I don’t remember much of what happened over the next few weeks. I just know my head hurt. Bad.

At some point, they took me from the hospital in our small town to the hospital in the city by ambulance.

It was the first time I had ever been in an ambulance.

Here’s the thing: The agonizing pain in my head made everything that came next blur together.

There were lots of tests run.

I know there was something wrong with my spinal fluid. And I know they couldn’t give me the medicine that helped ease the pain if my blood pressure dropped too low. But most of the time I just laid in bed with my eyes closed, wishing the pain would go away.

It never did.

They eventually sent me home. My head still hurt, but not as bad. The first ten days after I left the hospital were the best. After that, I went downhill quickly.

I was back in the hospital less than six months later.

Related Post: Hope for When You Feel Like Giving Up On Life

Changing Doctors

The first 11 months went by with no sign of hope.

My neurologist, while he assured me he was the best there was, didn’t make any promises. He explained that there was so much we didn’t know about the human brain, but with enough trial and error, we might eventually find something that worked.

And there was a lot of error.

He had so many patients, he didn’t know who I was most of the time.

He ran the same tests repeatedly. He relied on me to tell him which medicines I had tried and which ones I hadn’t. The problem with this was that my head hurt so bad I had no clue.

A Light At The End Of The Tunnel?

One day, when I was at the local emergency room getting treated for extreme pain, a local doctor asked if I would be willing to come see him for my migraines. Since my neurologist was a 45 minute drive and we weren’t seeing results, I decided to give it a go.

That local doctor got better results in less than a month than my neurologist had in almost a year.

One morning, I was taking the trash out to the curb and realized my head didn’t hurt.

It stopped me in my tracks.

I took a deep breath, smiled, and then the pain started easing back in.

But it gave me hope.

Sadly, it seemed like as soon as my body adjusted to the new medication, the migraines came back full force. I would have a good week when the doctor increased the dosage, but then my body would adjust and it would stop working.

Eventually, I was on the maximum dose, and my body had adjusted to the medicine. The doctor eventually apologized and said he had tried everything he could think of.

Learning About Migraines

About this time, one of my husband’s coworkers told him about a clinic that specialized in migraines. They had helped someone he knew, and he thought we should give it a go. It was a four and a half hour drive from where we lived, but at this point, my head had been hurting for a year and a half. We were pretty desperate.

Before the doctors at this clinic would see you, they required you to take a two-hour class about migraines.

Part of me wished my first neurologist would have taken that class. By the time it was over, I felt like I knew more than he did. Which was frustrating, but also inspired hope.

These people knew their stuff.

If anyone could help me, I felt like it would be them.

I have a dear friend who drove me to the clinic once every three months to see the neurologist. She didn’t just treat my migraines; she acted like she cared.

Sadly, the billing department at the clinic didn’t mesh well with our insurance company. Thus, I had to find another new neurologist.

Thankfully, the new, new neurologist is only two-and-a-half hours away and is just as wonderful as the last one. Maybe even more so.

Chronic Pain & Jesus

My migraines were starting to get better. I actually had a full day (24-hours) without a migraine in January of 2020.

But then they started getting worse again. I’m not sure if it was the stress of life (mother of four and distance learning) or my body adjusting to medication again, but that’s just the way it was.

My new neurologist finally sent me to a neurologist who specialized in spinal headaches. She thought maybe when they did the spinal tap back in 2017 it hadn’t healed right.

It took almost a year to get in, but in 2021 I had my first blood patch. It was a complete success… for 10 months I was virtually migraine free. But then it failed and my migraines came rushing back. My second blood patch lasted three months. My third, less than a week.

I’m currently living on my fourth blood patch, knowing at any day my migraines could come rushing back. And I still get intermittent migraines. So every time my head hurts, everyone asks about my patch. All I can do is suggest they pray it’s just a regular migraine and not a failed patch.

And if I’m 100% honest (which I always am) I’m not okay with that.

In the beginning, I had good days and bad days. I had days when I clung to Jesus with all I had in me and days where I felt empty inside. But after 1K+ days of migraines, the pain has worn me down.

That’s why I started this blog.

Partly to share my story, but also to remind myself that even when it hurts, God is still good.

I am an author.

Writing with a migraine is hard.

When your head hurts, it just doesn’t work.

However, writing is still how I process thoughts.

This blog isn’t written to be the best in show.

I’m not trying to win any awards.

But if you are reading this and going through your own chronic pain journey, I want you to know that you are not alone; and it’s my hope that you find Jesus here.

From one sufferer to another,

I had no idea that first couple of days that I would still be dealing with it over five years later, yet here I am.

Chronic pain takes a toll but the good news is that Jesus remains the same – yesterday, today, and forever. And His love never waivers.

Life is hard, God is good, and the gospel is a balm for the soul.

Heather Hart

Read My Blog Posts About Chronic Pain

Clinging to Jesus When You’re In Pain
Chronic Pain

Clinging to Jesus When You’re In Pain

ByHeather Hart July 20, 2021January 12, 2023

I returned to Joni and Friends podcast on July 15th, 2021 to share some of the tips from my book,…

Read More Clinging to Jesus When You’re In PainContinue

Coping with Chronic Migraines
Chronic Pain

Coping with Chronic Migraines

ByHeather Hart July 13, 2021January 12, 2023

July 8th, 2021, I was interviewed on the Joni and Friends Podcast. Below you’ll find the episode transcript. You can…

Read More Coping with Chronic MigrainesContinue

What Are You Longing For?
Chronic Pain

What Are You Longing For?

ByHeather Hart June 1, 2021January 12, 2023

Don’t keep hoarding for yourselves earthly treasures that can be stolen by thieves. Material wealth eventually rusts, decays, and loses…

Read More What Are You Longing For?Continue

3 Prayers for Physical Pain
Chronic Pain

3 Prayers for Physical Pain

ByHeather Hart April 21, 2021January 12, 2023

My head hurts. That’s a common phrase for me. Whether it’s in my head or coming out of my mouth,…

Read More 3 Prayers for Physical PainContinue

Praying When it Hurts
Chronic Pain

Praying When it Hurts

ByHeather Hart March 26, 2021January 12, 2023

In 2019, the CDC put together a National Health Interview Survey, and they found that over 20% of adults suffered…

Read More Praying When it HurtsContinue

Chronic Pain and Memory Loss
Chronic Pain

Chronic Pain and Memory Loss

ByHeather Hart February 24, 2021January 12, 2023

I willed myself not to cry. I knew my memory wasn’t what it used to be, but I wasn’t prepared…

Read More Chronic Pain and Memory LossContinue

Chronic Pain & Lukewarm Faith
Chronic Pain

Chronic Pain & Lukewarm Faith

ByHeather Hart February 17, 2021January 12, 2023

Roughly a year after my chronic migraines started, I realized my faith was suffering. I realized I was no longer…

Read More Chronic Pain & Lukewarm FaithContinue

Let’s Talk About Chronic Pain
Chronic Pain

Let’s Talk About Chronic Pain

ByHeather Hart November 8, 2020January 12, 2023

Read More Let’s Talk About Chronic PainContinue

Chronically Unworthy
Chronic Pain

Chronically Unworthy

ByHeather Hart December 2, 2019January 12, 2023

We were singing Living Hope when it hit me.  I have been suffering from massive migraines for over two years….

Read More Chronically UnworthyContinue

Chronically Vulnerable: 3 Reasons to Share Your Struggles
Chronic Pain

Chronically Vulnerable: 3 Reasons to Share Your Struggles

ByHeather Hart October 22, 2019January 12, 2023

I saw a meme earlier this week that said, “Not to brag or anything, but I can forget what I’m…

Read More Chronically Vulnerable: 3 Reasons to Share Your StrugglesContinue

Fighting Fear with Jesus
Chronic Pain

Fighting Fear with Jesus

ByHeather Hart September 30, 2019January 12, 2023

“No Worries,” the text read. I was clueless, so of course, my first thought was, should I be worried? My husband…

Read More Fighting Fear with JesusContinue

When Life is Hard, There’s Still Hope
Chronic Pain

When Life is Hard, There’s Still Hope

ByHeather Hart February 18, 2018January 12, 2023

I was ready to give up. My head hurts so bad. I started counting the cost. Not just the cost,…

Read More When Life is Hard, There’s Still HopeContinue

Finding My Answers in Jesus
Chronic Pain

Finding My Answers in Jesus

ByHeather Hart October 2, 2017January 12, 2023

This past summer was rough for me. Not just the normal summer struggles, but I spent a couple weeks in the…

Read More Finding My Answers in JesusContinue

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