ANNUAL REPORT 2021
LUNDBECK
ANNUAL REPORT 2021
= CONTENTS
PATIENT PERSPECTIVE
Ruled, but not ruined,
by migraine
4/111
We are sharing the voices
of people living with brain
diseases, because patients
are at the heart of all we do.
Read Audrey's full story on
ā www.lundbeck.com
Lying on the floor of her darkened bathroom,
paralyzed by searing head pain, nausea and
diarrhea, Audrey Craven of Dublin, Ireland, felt as
isolated as one can feel. She wanted to be with her
three young children, make dinner for her family,
participate in life. But the migraine kept her on the
bathroom floor, unable to move, speak or think.
There, on the cool floor tiles, Audrey understood that her symptoms
would eventually improve; the fatigue and brain fog she felt during the
"migraine hangover" days would recede; and there would come a time
when she finally felt like herself again. And then, after just a few days,
the whole thing would start up again. The dread of that repeating cycle
sometimes made her feel lost and alone in her migraine. "That's the
killer. Because you're just coming through, you're just coming back on
your feet and you know you will have to go through it again," she says.
At that time, there were no online support groups and no migraine
patient organizations in Ireland. Her family was sympathetic but didn't
fully understand the severity of her symptoms. Her friends were
supportive, but sometimes implied she could do more to power through
her headache. And the medical community was often downright
dismissive. Audrey longed to connect with someone who understood
what she was going through. Someone who could help her see a way
off the bathroom floor.
"When I was in that very dark space and place, I made a little promise.
If I ever got a handle on my own migraine, I'd do something about the
dearth of information and support for people like me."
FROM MIGRAINE PATIENT TO MIGRAINE ADVOCATE
Audrey eventually received a proper diagnosis and treatment plan
that helped her manage her disease more effectively. She became
involved with patient support groups and went on to fulfill her promise
by establishing Ireland's first migraine voluntary patient organization,
the Migraine Association of Ireland (MAI).
Audrey is proud of how she has helped others in the migraine
community. But she knows that this is her unique story and making the
transition from migraine patient to migraine advocate isn't as simple as
picking yourself up and getting on with it. The understanding that there
are so many people with migraine wanting, but unable, to get on with it
is what fuels her.
You feel so disempowered
with this hidden disability
that is underdiagnosed
and undertreated
"When you've seen doctor after doctor and when the medication isn't
effective, it's impossible not to get disheartened. How do you pick
yourself up? I think a lot of people can't and they can start to feel
helpless," she says. "That's why if you're in a position to have a voice
on behalf of those who are feeling so isolated in the darkened room,
unable to advocate for themselves - never mind anyone else you do
it. Sometimes in helping others you help yourself."View entire presentation