In addition to starting Amitriptyline as a migraine preventative, I've also started taking a birth control pill for the first time in my life to see if giving my system a steady dose of hormones might regulate my cycles and perhaps also help with my migraines.

I wondered if the increased risk of stroke among migraineurs might be a concern sufficient to warn against starting a birth control pill, but my primary care doctor and I discussed this and she said the concern was still so small that she wasn't worried. That was definitely a relief.

So now I'm taking a generic version of Yasmin. So far it's going well. I haven't had a noticeable increase in migraine frequency or intensity so far, and I'm hopeful that I might have regular menstrual cycles for once in my life.

I also recently had some labs done to evaluate my diabetes. I found out that my hemoglobin A1c is down to 7.1 from an all-time high of more than 11. It feels great to know I've been able to make this kind of progress.

My ultimate goal is to get my A1c down to a 6 for at least three months before I try to have a baby. I have a lot of other issues to consider before I can start trying, too, such as my many daily medications, my level of disability and our financial status, but it feels good to be making progress on one of the most worrisome considerations.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.