Shelly's Story

Headache Center
“I have been to numerous neurologists and Dr. Thronaum was the first neurologist who was willing to try different things. She has confidence these will work. She treats me like I’m a unique person, she also has a great sense of humor.””

Shelly Bachman, of Rogers, knows all too well the challenges of living with migraines. She’s has a strong family history of migraines as well as her own that began around age 8 and have persisted ever since.

“The headaches impacted my life dramatically,” she said. “I missed all my kids’ school events like concerts, because of smells perfumes will trigger. I also missed my son’s baseball games because being out in sunlight was a trigger.”

For nearly a decade the daily chronic migraines have affected her ability to hold a job. After learning about a new FDA-approved medication through her primary care doctor, Shelly decided to give it another try. She saw Leah Thronaum, DO, in the summer of 2018.

“I have been to numerous neurologists and Dr. Thronaum was the first neurologist who was willing to try different things,” Shelly said. “She has confidence these will work. She treats me like I’m a unique person, she also has a great sense of humor.”

Feeling better has given Shelly new hope. She has started a part-time job and hopes to get back to work full time. “She’s given me faith again because of the relief I’ve found,” Shelly said. “I still battle the headaches, but the amount of pain is more tolerable.”

Shelly recently moved another half hour away from Dr. Thronaum’s office in St. Cloud. When asked if she wanted to find a new doctor closer to home, Shelly said, “Absolutely not, when you find a good doctor, you stay with them. Even her nursing staff is great! I would drive two hours to see her.”