Monday, September 08, 2008

Category 4 Migraine

Hurricane season terrifies me, and not because I live on a barrier island (though one day, perhaps...Outer Banks: I mean you). Changing pressure systems equal migraine breeding ground, and I approach the Weather Channel's radar graphics with the concentration of a general plotting battleground strategy. That little graphic representing the eye of the storm to me is an icon representation of the telltale pain behind my left eyebrow.

I've been blissfully migraine-free for the past 8 days or so, as I continue to fight off this flu/cold/plague. After a re-lapse last week I finally consulted my Dr. After 4 hours of sitting in the waiting room, undergoing every test imaginable, fainting when they tried to take blood, and being forgotten in the exam rooms while wearing a fantastic paper gown, this medical genius concluded that I had a bad cold/flu.

However, while the plague was terrible and I desperately missed the human race, it was almost nice to have a visible disease. I was completely stuffed up and coughing and there was no doubt that I was ill. Whereas, with a migraine, I may look less than "with it" and perhaps sound like I am stoned but it is far less dramatic. Many days I work with a migraine and no one is the wiser. In fact, unless I have a migraine severe enough to cause me to miss work or have to cancel plans, I DON'T TELL ANYONE. Because I don't want to be that person with migraines. Because to a lot of people it sounds like a cop-out. Because I feel like some weeks all I do is cancel plans and lie in bed with an ice pack on my head, listening to re-runs of "Law & Order" on TNT.

But back to the hurricanes: they were mercifully, uh, merciful. I've had a migraine today since 3am but am keeping it at bay with drugs. Sadly, nothing will fix it until I can be home and take the real hardcore drugs. I can live with this one today. One day, I hope that I won't have to just bear it.