"Hmmm....I've got the house to myself, so now's the perfect time to get a migraine," said no one who's had a migraine ever.
I don't think anyone who has ever had a migraine would ever want to have one. I mean, not unless they have a something that they really, really, really want to get out of. I'd have to be super desperate to wish I had a migraine.
I'm happy to say that I don't have a migraine tonight, just a tension headache. I do have the house to myself, so I can control the environment. That's pretty nice. Only the lights that I want on. Only the noise I want. I don't have to do anything for anybody. I can rest with an ice pack on my neck and watch Jeopardy on low volume. It's ideal.
What do I do when can't control the environment? Well, I guess I just do the best I can. Take some pain medication, maybe drink some caffeine, cut out non-essential activities. If it gets bad enough, I need to get home and rest. Then it's a matter of explaining to the hubby, or the boss, that I need to lay down or I might get nauseous.
I don't like getting headaches. I really don't like pain, but I'm used to it. Is that a good thing? I don't really know. I've been dealing with headaches most of my life.
I could ignore the pain. I do sometimes. However, I think it's a good idea to pay attention to the pain. The fact that I'm familiar with the typical types of headaches I tend to have and the causes to many of them means that I can avoid certain things if I need to or take a time out.
It's important to listen to your body. It's important to pay attention to your pain. It's your body's way of telling you something's off. Sometimes, you just need to slow down. Sometimes, you need to eliminate something from your life...or add something. Sometimes, something is wrong.
Whatever it may be, listen to your body. Understand your pain. Make time to rest, recover, revive.
And, now, I'm going to shut off the computer before the light from the screen bugs my eyes any more. And I'm going to rest.
Maybe my headache will go away before I go to sleep. Maybe it'll be gone in the morning. Maybe I'll wake up with it tomorrow. Whatever happens, I'll just be glad to be awake tomorrow and glad that it's Friday and I can rest all weekend if I need to.
Here's hoping.
For some interesting reading on the topic of pain check out Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by Philip Yancey and Paul Brand
