Confession: I use Fortnite as a migraine management tool. (Yes, really.)

We each have a unique experience of migraine. And we each have things we do that helps us. Me? I play Fortnite. Yes, really, that mega online game most commonly played by young boys. I love it. And I love it most because it helps me manage my migraine.

I find the hardest thing to monitor when managing my migraine is cognitive function. My brain usually works at a phenomenal speed – it’s one of the things I like about having a migraine brain. But now that I have most of the symptoms controlled with Aimovig, it’s sometimes hard to figure out if I am actually crystal clear or there’s migraine symptoms going on I’m just not consciously aware of.

I’m always worse in the morning. It takes until about 10 for my brain to fire up. On a really crystal clear day, it’s firing from 5am, and by 10 it’s at full speed. On a blah day, I’ll be dopey for most of the morning, get going by 10, and then need a nap by 2.

I need to plan my day. Routine is the most important thing for me to manage my migraine. That means I need to know in the morning if I’m going to need that nap at 2, and if I need to clear my afternoon schedule.

That’s where Fortnite comes in.

A quick couple of solo games in the morning and I’ll know if I’m good or bad. A bad day, I’m dead in the first 30 seconds of every game. I’ll just stand there like an idiot unable to choose which gun I want while I get obliterated by someone with a grey pistol (the lowest powered and most common weapon in the game). A really good day I’ll win (or at least top 3) each round.

If it’s somewhere between those two, I’ll jump over to squads. There’s more going on in a squad game, you need to be aware of what your teammates are doing as well as yourself, so it requires multi-track cognitive function. If it’s a crystal clear day, then I should be able to navigate to at least a top 5 result – even if my squad is a bunch of 8 year olds who don’t go to the same place. Not crystal clear and my teammates will need to revive me, and I get *irrationally cranky* at the 8 year olds.

(8 year olds shouldn’t be playing Fortnite, just by the way.)

It’s a simple little thing, and a fun thing, that helps me assess my cognitive function, plan my day, and manage my migraine.

(If you want to add me – rktxby.)