Life Interrupted - Cracked By Migraine | LMAC FreeStyle Collage No. 161

Hello everyone. I wanted to share with you my current collage with a theme of endurance. My style of collage is a Freestyle. Often I do, but I wasn't required to utilize any contest photo in my design. However, if you'd like to join in visit the LMAC Community page.

For individuals like me who suffer from migraines, ours is a test of true endurance and resilience. You may not realize it, but 40 million people suffer from a migraine. Many refer to it as a migraine headache.
However, I discovered it's much more.
Migraine is more than a headache. As a complex neurological condition, migraine is a disorder that affects the brain and can cause intense pain on one or both sides of the head. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and/or sound, and poor concentration. A migraine attack can last 4 to 72 hours.
As a young adult, I worked full time with a stressful legal career, added to that a family, attempting to continue my education, and assisted with the care of elderly parents. I was too busy to realize my headaches were more just being "too busy trying to do too much".
For me, when I feel an attack is imminent, I can immediately assess what level it may rise to. I feel as though my head is being split in half and running amuck in different directions. I can't grab it quick enough to put it back together. Blinding light erupts from my pupils throbbing at a high rate of speed. I literally have to pause what I'm doing and immediately take my medication and lie down. Naproxin works well enough for me to calm my muscles.
Since all individuals are different, any one or a combination of events can summon a migraine attack. Some of the more common events include:
Stress. Certain foods. Alcohol. Skipping meals. Sudden changes in weather/barometric pressure. Hormonal changes in women around the time of their menstrual cycles. Changes in sleep patterns. And, over-medicating.
My daily intake of medications for several underlying conditions is taxing on my mind and body. I have noticed that as I aged to senior citizen, my attacks are less frequent and severity less intense.
In addition to the above, the degree to which one may experience a migraine is affected by one's age, gender, and genetics. Scientists aren't one hundred percent certain but theorize that due to hormonal changes women are thirty percent (30%) more prone to migraine attacks.
Presently, there is no cure for migraines. However, in today's medical advancements, numerous methods and treatments exist to reduce the frequency and severity. Since each person may respond differently to treatments, those treatments must be tailored to the individual's needs and lifestyles.
As I did, consult with your physician if unsure whether you are susceptible to possible migraine attacks.

In preparing my collage, I wanted to portray how I personally feel when a migraine attacks. I utilized a free-sourced image of a female with her head split with one side having fallen. I included an abstract wavy image to replicate how my immediate surroundings are clouded. Sight, smell and feeling are heightened. The experience reminds me of a person alone on an island. No one can empathize if they have never experienced one. It's difficult to explain the emotions rendered and physical pain.
Finally, I included one of my pure fractals that resemble a lightning strike. Members from the LMAC Community through their contributions to the #LIL database contributed the seagull standing near the shore and a giraffe on stilts.

Below are the steps I took to compile my design and images I included. I utilized Canva to blend the different type images. Below are my steps in which I began with a blank, white canvas, then added layers of elements, removing backgrounds, resizing, detaching elements from their backgrounds, duplicating, colorizing, and repositioning items as needed incorporating the tools at my disposal in my Annual Pro Membership Subscription.
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| Item | Contributor | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy Golden sunset | Pixabay | Link |
| Female with head split | PxFuel | Link |
| Fantasy Wood perch near shore | Pixabay | Link |
| Abstract Purple waves | Pixabay | Link |
| Abstract Wavy Brown Lines on black | Pixabay | Link |
| Eye and bird near shore | Pixabay | Link |
| Little Egret standing on bank | Contributed to #LIL by @digitalis | Link |
| Giraffe on stilts | Contributed to #LIL by @eve66 | Link |
| Pure Fractal titled "White Lightning" | @justclickindiva | Link |

Below is my completed collage:

Thanks for your visit. I appreciate it. I hope you like my freestyle collage theme.

CONTEST RULES
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
| What is Let's Make a Collage? | It is a photography and collage contest where entries can be submitted. |
|---|---|
| Who created the contest? | @quantumg is the contest owner. |
| What type of contest is it? | This Contest utilizes a single photo provided by the contest owner as the basis for you to create your own photo collages by adding to the photo provided. |
| What are the rules? | 1. Use as your starting point for your collage the photography provided by the contest owner. It is located on the contest owner's post for free use without any copyright protection. |
| 2. Entries are required to be posted to the LMAC community and must contain a link to the contest post. | |
| 3. Entries need to set the LMAC account (@lmac) as 20% beneficiary to be eligible for the dynamic component of the prize pool.; | |
| 4. Extra support with the LMAC trail to all collages where LIL assets have been included AND the respective LIL-contributors set as 2% beneficiaries; | |
| 5. By submitting your contribution you agree that your artwork remains public domain and that it can be copied, modified and distributed, even for commercial purposes, without requiring further permission. | |
| 6. Any graphical element that is added to the photography either needs to be your own original work (e.g. own artwork or photography) OR needs to derive from sites whitelisted by LMAC. | |
| 7. IMPORTANT: Indicate the source of all materials used in your accompanying post. Otherwise your entry can NOT be put up for the final vote. | |
| 8. All sort of editing, modification and/or manipulation is allowed as long as no copyright is affected. | |
| What do you win? | Prizes listed on the contest owner's post. |





SOURCES:
a) JustClickindiva's Footer created in Canva utilizing its free background and images used with permission from discord admins.
b) Unless otherwise noted, all photos taken by me with my (i) Samsung Galaxy 10" Tablet, (ii) Samsung Phone, & (iii) FUJI FinePix S3380 - 14 Mega Pixels Digital Camera
c) Purple Butterfly part of purchased set of Spiritual Clip Art for my Personal Use
d) All Community logos, banners, page dividers used with permission of Discord Channel admins.
e) Ladies of Hive banner used with permission of and in accordance with the admin's guidelines
f) Thumbnail Image created by me in Canva.
g) "Flames." What is Apophysis 2.09. https://flam3.com/

If translation included, I use DeepL to assist my readers.
Thanks for your patience an understanding.




















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STOPCheck out our last posts:
I used to get migraines, years ago. I don't remember when they stopped. I think it was when I started taking prednisone for another condition. When they came, I knew I was in for 3 days. There was almost something comforting in that, because almost like clockwork, three days later I knew it would be over.
Your collage is very personal, I can see that. I think the purple part really captures it for me. I don't even remember the pain so much as the sense of being under siege. Couldn't think. The headache became me :))
I'm glad yours have slowed down. It's a terrible thing. Hard to describe (but your picture does it!) unless you have one.
Your reply is upvoted by @topcomment; a manual curation service that rewards meaningful and engaging comments.
Thank you very much, @kpoulout and @topcomment. 🌺
🥰
Hello @agmoore. I'm so happy to hear that your migraines have stopped. I truly believe they alleviate themselves in our senior citizen years. You are correct in that one knows exactly how long to expect incapacitation. It's almost like slipping into darkness, then emerging only after it loosens its grip. The most agonizing aspect for me was the intense eye pressure and blinding sensation with loss of confidence in my ability to think, concentrate, and reason.
I appreciate your kind words for my collage design. Thanks for your visit and support. Take care.
The Great Illusion: How @guiltyparties Built an Empire on Empty Promises
Prologue: The Mask of Benevolence
There is a particular kind of tragedy in watching a wolf dress itself in shepherd's clothing, not to protect the flock, but to shear it bare while convincing the sheep they are being cared for.
Today, we pull back the curtain on @guiltyparties.
To the casual observer, this account appears to be a hub of charity, a distributor of aid, a beacon of hope in the Hive ecosystem. The transaction history is a cascade of outgoing transfers: thousands of HIVE and HBD flowing to
gpwalletaccounts, to individuals in need, to "medical emergencies," to "food funds," to "rent." The memos speak of compassion: "dog's vet," "towards surgery cost," "Christmas event and gifts for the children."But look closer. Follow the money. And you will find not a charity, but a centralized banking cartel disguised as a community fund. You will find a system where power is concentrated, transparency is an illusion, and the "help" provided is merely the interest paid on a loan of trust that can never be repaid.
We expose the truth: @guiltyparties runs a massive farm, a shadow bank, and a political machine, all while pretending to be a simple benefactor.
I. The Architecture of the Shadow Bank
Figure 1: The Wallet Network (The Shell Game)
The Implication:
Why does a charity need 30+ numbered wallets? Why does it need to route funds through
@bdhivesteemto convert currency before distribution? The answer is control. By fragmenting the treasury, @guiltyparties creates a labyrinth that protects the central hoard from scrutiny while maintaining absolute authority over who eats and who starves.II. The Mechanical Symphony of Control
Based on on-chain transaction logs
While the public sees "gifts," the blockchain records transactions. And the patterns reveal a cold, calculated machine.
Figure 2: The Stipend System (@logic)
Figure 3: The Currency Mill (@bdhivesteem)
III. The Narrative vs. The Ledger
The most dangerous lie is the one wrapped in truth. Yes, @guiltyparties does send money to people in need. The transactions are real. The memos are heart-wrenching. "Medical," "Food," "Surgery."
But consider the source.
When a warlord builds a school in the village he occupies, is he a philanthropist? Or is he buying silence?
The ledger shows that for every dollar given to the poor, ten dollars are moved between shell companies (
gpwallets). For every memo about "feeding children," there is a silent transfer of thousands of HIVE to@logicto fund the bots that downvote dissenters.The Truth:
The "charity" is the marketing budget. It is the cost of doing business for a cartel that seeks to dominate Hive's governance and culture. They give you crumbs to keep you from noticing they are eating the whole loaf.
IV. The Connection to the Downvote Machine
We cannot talk about @guiltyparties without talking about @spaminator and @hivewatchers.
The cycle is complete:
This is not community building. This is protection racketeering on the blockchain.
V. The Verdict: A Scam of Proportions
To call this a "scam" in the traditional sense might be too simple. It is more insidious. It is a governance scam.
The use of dozens of
gpwalletaccounts serves no purpose other than obfuscation. A true charity publishes its ledgers. It does not hide behindgpwallet24andgpwallet25. It does not route funds through internal swaps to avoid detection.@guiltyparties has built a shadow state within Hive. They hold the purse strings, they hold the voting power (via delegates), and they hold the whip (via downvote bots). And they expect us to thank them for the privilege of being ruled.
Epilogue: The Reckoning
There is a particular courage in speaking truth to power, especially when that power holds the keys to your survival.
But the blockchain does not care about fear. It only records truth.
And the truth is this: You cannot build a free community on a foundation of centralized control. You cannot claim to be a benefactor while funding the silencing of your critics. You cannot pretend to be a saint when your ledger reads like a mob boss's ledger.
To the users of Hive: Do not be fooled by the breadcrumbs. Look at the bakery. See who owns the oven. See who controls the flour. And ask yourself: If I speak out against the baker, will I still be fed tomorrow?
The time for gratitude is over. The time for scrutiny is now.
Expose the farm.
Demand transparency.
Break the cartel.
— #Bilpcoin: We expose the truth, so you can confront it.
#HiveBlockchain #CryptoForensics #GuiltyParties #ShadowBank #DownvoteCartel #Transparency #BilpcoinTruth #StopTheAbuse
This collage stitches together fragmented moments feels like the migraine itself, disjointed yet oddly everyoneiliar. The way the stilted giraffe balances while the rest feels like sinking is terrifyingly accurate.
You are correct @peng-an. One area may be steady, while the rest is under siege, which renders you off balance. The episodes snatches chunks of time from your life. Thanks so much for your visit and insight. You get it, and I appreciate that and your support. Take care and have a nice rest of your week.