What happens when the person you love begins suffering from an illness that neither of you understands?
The Migraine Husband: In Her Pain, I Chose to Stay is a deeply personal and honest account of Author Yasir Arafat Zehgir’s twelve-year journey alongside his wife, Asiya, as they navigate the challenges of vestibular migraine.
Beginning just a year into their marriage, Asiya’s unexplained episodes of dizziness, vertigo, imbalance and pain turned ordinary family life into a journey filled with uncertainty, medical consultations, misdiagnoses and the search for answers.
Through the eyes of a husband and caregiver, Yasir explores the emotional, physical and psychological impact of living with an invisible illness. The book goes beyond the commonly held perception that migraine is simply a headache, highlighting how vestibular migraine can affect mobility, independence, relationships and everyday life.
Combining personal experiences with reflections on caregiving, mental well-being, patience and resilience, this memoir offers an important perspective on the struggles faced by both patients and their loved ones.
At its heart, the book is about love, commitment and the courage to stay beside someone when there are no easy answers.
It is a reminder that invisible pain deserves recognition, caregivers deserve compassion, and nobody should have to face chronic illness alone.
1. Can you provide an overview of your book and how it addresses key challenges in the world today?
The Migraine Husband is a true account of our journey with vestibular migraine. It explores the confusion of unexplained symptoms, the long search for answers, the impact of illness on family life, and the patience and resilience required from both the person suffering and their caregiver.
Migraine is often reduced to “just a headache.” This book hopes to deepen understanding of how disabling it can be, especially when symptoms include vertigo, imbalance, motion sensitivity, nausea and exhaustion.
It also addresses a wider challenge: how do we care for someone in pain when their illness may not be visible to others?
2. What inspired you to write this book, and what specific expertise or experiences do you bring to the subject matter?
I was inspired by my wife’s experience and by the feeling that many people around us did not understand what she was going through. I wanted to tell the story of the person living with migraine while also sharing what it means to be a partner and caregiver.
I bring the perspective of a husband who has witnessed this journey closely, along with around two decades of experience in mental health and addiction support.
I am not a migraine specialist, and I do not present myself as one. This is a personal account shaped by lived experience, listening and research.
3. Could you share some of the most valuable insights or takeaways readers can expect from your book?
I hope readers take away the understanding that invisible pain is still real, and that a person’s illness cannot always be judged by how they look.
The book reflects on the importance of listening, patience, compassionate communication and finding the right professional help.
For caregivers, one important message is that support matters, but caregivers also need understanding and care.
For people living with migraine, I hope the book helps them feel less alone and encourages them to keep seeking informed support.
4. Can you highlight any case studies or real-world examples from your book that illustrate the principles you discuss?
The book’s central real-life example is my wife’s experience: the onset of symptoms, the uncertainty of not knowing what was happening, the search for answers and the effect of vestibular migraine on everyday life and our family.
It shows how symptoms such as vertigo, imbalance and sensitivity to movement can disrupt ordinary routines, even when others cannot see the struggle.
This is not a collection of clinical case studies. It is one family’s lived experience, shared in the hope that it may help readers better understand migraine and caregiving.
5. Are there any particular challenges or obstacles you encountered while writing this book, and how did you overcome them?
One challenge was revisiting difficult moments while trying to write about them honestly and with care.
I also had to balance the emotional truth of our experience with the responsibility to describe migraine thoughtfully and avoid presenting personal observations as medical advice.
I worked through this by returning to our memories, reflecting on what the journey had taught us and checking health information against reliable sources.
Some medical terms were difficult for me to understand, so I spoke with doctors and other healthcare professionals to understand them to the best of my ability.
Above all, I tried to write with respect for my wife’s experience and for every reader whose story may be different from ours.
6. What do you hope readers will gain from reading your book, and how do you envision it making a positive impact on their lives?
I hope people living with migraine feel seen, and that their families gain a clearer sense of how to offer support.
I also hope the book encourages more compassionate conversations between patients, caregivers and the people around them.
If it helps even one person feel less alone, or helps one family respond with greater patience and understanding, then sharing our story will have been worthwhile.
7. In a rapidly changing environment, how does your book stay relevant and adaptable for readers over time?
Medical knowledge and treatment guidance can change, so this book should be read as a personal story rather than a clinical guide.
Its central themes — living with uncertainty, being believed, caring for someone in pain and sustaining hope — remain relevant across time.
I have also included references to established health organisations so readers can continue exploring the subject and seek current advice from qualified professionals.
I also believe that even when families face medical challenges beyond migraine, they can find strength, understanding and a safe space through shared experiences. The book’s message of compassion and resilience extends beyond one diagnosis.
“Behind every invisible illness is a person fighting a battle that the world may never fully understand. And behind many patients is a caregiver who is also learning to cope, adapt and stay strong. Sometimes, the greatest support we can offer is simply choosing to stay.”
Discover the emotional journey of a husband standing beside his wife through the challenges of vestibular migraine.
Whether you are living with chronic illness, supporting someone you love, working in healthcare or simply looking for a story about commitment and resilience, The Migraine Husband: In Her Pain, I Chose to Stay offers a heartfelt reminder that compassion can make a difference.
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One story. One family. One journey through invisible pain. A reminder that love means showing up, again and again.
