The head (oh yes!)

I always wonder: do animals get headaches?

For those of you who have forgotten, as I don't mention it every week, I do suffer from headaches and migraines and have done for as long as I can remember. In fact, some of my earliest memories involve me coming down the stairs in the middle of the night (likely about 11 pm) and my mother waiting at the bottom of the stairs with a glass of water and some children's aspirin. 

Another memory is from about 1979 I would guess. A cold and snowy winter and the school I went to had organised a skating competition on the local pond. The only thing I did that day was cower in a corner with a head ready for splitting waiting for my parents to come and pick me up. 

Black-tailed Godwit (grutto)

I can't remember many attacks during high school. Not to say I didn't have any, but they just didn't seem to have made impact enough to remember. My first few seasons abroad were also okay. It was only in England that I started to have more and more headaches again. Mind you, alcohol, coffee, late nights...

Over the years I have done plenty of things with a headache. I went to see 'Lord of the Rings' in the late '90's with my sister and a friend. With a pounding head. I went to see a pantomime in Belfast only two years ago with my sister. With a pounding head. I worked. I went on holiday. I did everyday things. With pounding heads. 

It wasn't until I had had my operation in Norway that I decided that perhaps listening to my body was a good thing. Pain is not normal after all. It tells you something is wrong. Not sure what in my case as even after nearly 50 years I don't really know what causes it. And in fact, most doctors don't really know where migraines (in particular) come from. 

Anyway, long story short: from last week Thursday to yesterday, I have had head trouble again. Bad as well. So bad in fact that on Saturday I went back to bed for a couple of hours. It didn't work, but at least I wasn't awake for the pain. On Sunday the pain subsided. Coming back on Monday. On Tuesday it was so bad again that I actually phoned in sick. And spent another while in bed. On Wednesday I thought I could go back to work. It turned out, I would have been better off phoning in sick again. On Thursday it finally started to mellow out. 

My old high school.
There is a whole new bit at the back of it: enough for 1600 pupils.

Friends and colleagues (not close family, they just accept) have given me plenty of ideas of helping me. From take an aspirin to eating nuts. From not eating cheese or chocolate (still catching up on all the missed chocolate) to not drinking coffee (over 25 years now). A hypnotist told me he could get rid of the headaches once and for all. I didn't take him up on his offer, feeling it was a bit quackish. 

On the plus side though: I have seen a slight difference in how often the attacks occur. Which is less often. And often when I do start feeling my head (which I am very quick to do of course), the pain isn't as bad as before. Regular hours do work best for me, albeit they are no guarantee. Regular walking is also great, but once the head is pounding: no chance! Drink enough, eat well. But again: once the head is pounding, I don't want to drink and food is often out of the question too. 

Recently when I had had a bad attack and had lost some weight through it as well, somebody said to me they would love to have a migraine so they could lose weight as well. Let me tell you now: I would much rather be back on 106 kg and never lose it, if it were to mean I would be headache free for the rest of my life (I am now on 92). 

All photos taken during recent walks