Melissa Farmer-Hill never imagined that the relentless headaches she endured for years would lead her to a life of advocacy, education, and empowerment. Her journey from personal struggle and eventual migraine diagnosis to becoming a voice for others living with the neurological disease is one of resilience and transformation, and a reminder that we need to challenge the status quo to redefine migraine care.

The signs and symptoms of migraine

Melissa started suffering from sinus complications and allergies in 1994 while serving in the military, decades before her migraine diagnosis. Like so many others, she managed these symptoms with over-the-counter medications. 

“I was taking over the counter medications and whatever doctors gave me at that time,” Melissa said. “For years, these remedies appeared to work for me and allowed me to push through the demands of military life. I thought all of this was relatively normal.”

However, after retiring from the military, Melissa’s symptoms worsened, and her approach to treating the symptoms no longer worked. She began experiencing heightened sensitivities to light and sound, alongside persistent, debilitating headaches.

“It felt like a parade going on in my head,” Melissa said. “Despite the intensifying pain, I continued to attribute these symptoms to sinus issues and allergies. I never thought I could be suffering from migraine.”

As an entrepreneur now running an e-commerce coffee business, she often found herself unable to focus on her work during these episodes. She also missed moments in her life due to migraine attacks.

“When you have these symptoms, you don’t care about the coffee business—you just don’t care about anything but getting through the pain,” Melissa said. “Everything stops. You might plan for an event with your family and then realize you can’t attend because your migraine attack may last for hours or days, and it’s unpredictable.”

The migraine diagnosis

After unknowingly living with migraine for decades, Melissa finally received an official diagnosis, a turning point that allowed her to understand the true impact of migraine and how to work with a doctor to create a custom care plan.

“My message to others going through something similar is don’t try to treat it yourself. For me, it worked at times until it didn’t,” Melissa said. “Going to see a doctor allowed me to understand the true nature of my disease and seek proper treatment.”

Melissa’s experience is not unique—more than 40 million adults in the US live with migraine, a complex and disabling neurological disease known to severely impact and disrupt life. 1 After trying three different prescription medications following her diagnosis, Melissa eventually found one that works for her.

“My migraine symptoms are significantly mitigated now,” Melissa said. “I can now live my daily life much easier than before with proper medication to manage migraine. It was also very important for me to become more educated on living with migraine.”

Throughout her journey, Melissa has encountered numerous misconceptions about migraine. One of the most frustrating to her is the belief that migraine is “just a headache.”

“Migraine is a lot different from that,” Melissa said. “It’s not as simple as getting over it and moving on. If someone has a physical disability, you can see it. But migraine is invisible. People don’t realize how debilitating migraine attacks can be. My diagnosis further brought those facts to light for me.”

A newfound passion for migraine advocacy

For Melissa, learning the truth behind her symptoms not only marked a turning point in her personal health but also opened her eyes to the broader community of individuals living with migraine. A chance encounter at a women veterans’ conference introduced her to the National Headache Foundation (NHF), sparking her eventual passion for advocacy and education.

“I saw two people wearing National Headache Foundation shirts, and I had a conversation with them to explain my story,” Melissa said. “I didn’t even know they had been around for 50 years. This goes back to my ongoing migraine education, and it was a pivotal moment for me.”

By meeting NHF representatives, Melissa’s eyes were opened to the world of migraine advocacy and the importance of it.

“I thought the only support I had was my doctor,” Melissa said. “But seeing that there are people out there advocating for those living with migraine inspired me to share my story and educate others.”

Since then, Melissa has partnered with NHF to organize lunch-and-learn sessions, particularly for women veterans. As the resource coordinator for her Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post, she invites agencies to share information about migraine and treatment.

“I want people to know that the impact of this disease is real,” Melissa said. “It’s not imaginary—it’s real, and people suffer greatly from it.”

Melissa’s journey from struggling in silence to becoming a voice for millions is a testament to the power of resilience and self-advocacy. By sharing her story, she hopes to inspire others to seek proper treatment, find support, and recognize that their experiences matter.

“There are millions of stories out there, and each one is different,” Melissa said. “If someone sees my story and relates to it, maybe they’ll understand the importance of advocating for themselves and others. The more people understand, the more compassionate they can be."