Blogtober 30: the lie

Tonight is the Halloween party on campus. It turns out that when everyone entering college is of legal drinking age, there are a ton of public parties on campus. I’ve promised some friends that I’ll meet them there, and I’m cautiously optimistic about my costume. I’m going as Eloise, the six year old who runs The Plaza because I already have the jumper and shirt. It sounds like a good time, so of course I found myself in bed at 5 pm with a migraine.

I debated whether to take my meds for this one or not. It’s always a debate because if you take the meds too often, you get rebound migraines. They’re just like regular ones, but they happen more frequently. I decided to stop worrying and love the ritzatriptan, and now I’m feeling much better.
My other option would have been to call it a night at 5 pm and tell my friends I cant make it. The problem with this is that it invariably sounds like a lie. I’m the type who doesn’t really go to parties and prefers to stay in. whenever I stay home with a headache, it feels like just another excuse. Eventually, invitations stop and you’re at home on the night before a public holiday because you have no other options. So I took the meds. If you’ll excuse me, I have a party to attend.

single girl’s guide to migraines

This weekend has been a perfect storm for a migraine: the pollen is high, PMS is here, I’ve been a bit stressed at work, and the weather keeps changing. So I spent most of the day yesterday laying in bed, thinking about all the time I was wasting by having a migraine and how much easier this would be if there was someone else around to cook me a bland meal and turn on the AC.

However, there are things I always do when I have a migraine that you can do too! I was lucky that some combination of the below helped me feel a bit better – I was even feeling up to eating some dinner and reading before bed! So here it is: the single girl’s guide to migraines.

Part I: Prepare

If you have migraines, you know that sometimes they come out of nowhere. That’s why you need to have a few essentials on hand at all times. I always, always, always have dry cereal in my freezer. It’s my go-to food when I feel awful because it’s tasteless, easy to prepare, and stays good forever.

Either make the switch to unscented lotion and soap, or keep some on hand for when you have a migraine. Smells really set me off, so I have to be careful what I buy.

Get an ice pack for your sore head and blackout curtains or an eye mask to protect your sad eyes. I hate caving into the culture of buying solutions to problems, but blackout curtains have really helped me to relax when I have an afternoon headache. You can also just get some material and attach it to the back of your existing curtains for a more DIY approach.

Go to the doctor and get real medication. All of the above are little things that can help, but nothing beats my lovely prescription migraine meds when I’m in the thick of it.

Part II: The Migraine

Once you have a migraine, the most important thing is to listen to your body. Know if you’re getting too stressed or in a situation that might trigger one. And then eat and sleep if you can, take your meds, and I’ll see you on the other side.

I usually force myself to take a shower when I have a migraine. Then I give myself permission to make my apartment really cold, since I always overheat when I’m feeling poorly.

If you can make food, I’d go for it, and leave it sitting near the bed for when you feel up to eating. Also make sure you have water nearby!

Finally, grab your phone and some earbuds and crack out your podcast queue. It’s been waiting for you for ages, and you have to do something to pass the time.

_______________________________________________________________________

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

headache & a bowl of oatmeal

nothing makes me feel like I’m falling apart at the seams quite like having a migraine.

My plans for the day are over, because I don’t know how this will end. Will I need to sleep for twelve hours straight? Will my meds work a charm and let me eat dinner? Such is the case today, so I’m rejoicing over a bowl of oatmeal, which is filling and delicious, but not too flavorful at the same time.

Days like today, when my headache is manageable, almost make me grateful for my headaches. I feel so happy when they’re over, and it makes me appreciate how excellent my health is overall. Of course, it would have been nice to take in what was happening at work this afternoon instead of making silly mistakes all over my files, but we can’t always be perfect. Headaches also remind me to give grace to others as freely as I’d like to receive it – without having to ask for an excuse first.

I’ve been thinking about the song “Hurt Nobody” by Oh Pep a lot today. The chorus is a list of places where the singer has come undone. It reminded me of when my headaches were really bad a year or so ago, and how that’s so closely connected to mental health. Being stuck in bed trying to sleep off a migraine six or seven times a month makes you really wonder what the point of anything is at all. On the flip side, being stressed and anxious can cause headaches. It was a never ending cycle – I’m just grateful I have a lovely doctor here now who helped me find a better medication. I still feel like I’m coming undone, but much less dramatically and much less often.

my oatmeal recipe, loosely adapted from The Homemade Pantry by Alana Chernilla

put your kettle on to boil

shake some oats into a bowl

salt your oats. more salt than that. it’s what stops your oats tasting gross and bland later.

now some cinnamon! maybe a tablespoon?

and the pièce de résistance: a solid two or three tablespoons brown sugar

the kettle’s ready now. pour the water over your oats. stir and taste – add more ingredients if needed.

---

Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash