Growing up with three sisters and four brothers near Detroit, Susan understood that despite her love of science, a career in medicine was out of reach until she noticed the white-smocked pharmacist, who dispensed advice and potions from his elevated perch overlooking the soda fountain in the corner drugstore. Susan counted pills, typed labels, and became adept at choosing the most effective cough syrup for a particular hack during her three drugstore employments. She continued her apprenticeship in a hospital pharmacy during her undergraduate study at the University of Michigan, which paved Susan’s way toward pitching pharmaceuticals, sutures, and finally, heart valves for twenty-five years at Medtronic. This background was vital to her development as a human guinea pig, as she lived with increasing migraine. Upon retiring, Susan earned an MFA from Spalding University, and shares her experience of enjoying a full life despite living with the #2 cause of disability—chronic migraine. With optimism and humor, Susan shares in her book Brainstorm: Navigating Life with Migraine, what she has learned through oh-so-many trials, with hope that it may lessen the load for others.  Susan lives in the Mitten State beside Lake Michigan in West Olive, with a 62-pound naughty companion, Vinny Van Poodle. Her essay “Proper Equipment” was awarded first prize for nonfiction sports writing and was published in Winningwriters.com.