Saturday, November 1

I lost a day

On Thursday I woke with a mild headache. By 4pm it was worse and I had some tingling in my lips and fingers. I knew from previous experience this heralded the onset of a migraine. I don't often get them, in fact I think I've only had a dozen my whole life and it's been years since the last one. As expected it progressed as the evenng wore on, the tingling, tiredness, then a period of mental confusion where I can't remember the name of the simplest things, then nausea, then the full blown migraine headache. Tom and the girls went to Hannah's recital without me and by the time they got home I was lying in bed, in the dark, clutching a bowl in case I didn't make it to the bathroom to throw up. Any light or the slightest noise or movement was excrutiating. Lovely.

Tom bought me some lemonade while they were out and Aislin brought me a glass and held it while I sipped from a straw and Hannah sat beside me patting my hand. It was all very comforting (I don't know why lemonade helps, but it does). I assured everyone that I would be better by morning, these never last longer than a day and although I usually feel a bit weak and fuzzy the next day I will not be headachey and nauseous. Tom gave me strong painkillers and I fell into a drugged sleep.

I woke yesterday morning - headachey and nauseous. Dammit.

So I spent most of yesterday dozing and resting and generally waiting to feel better, which I did. Around bedtime. I slept soundly last night and this morning all is well.

So there you have it, the tale of the migraine. This unexpected little adventure caused me to miss a few things - like Hannah's piano recital (T made a video* for me) and of course Beltane. Because in the Southern Hemisphere it's Beltane not Samhain. Something I'll never get used to. It doesn't matter what the seasons are doing some internal clock of mine is still on a Northern Hemisphere schedule and finds it hard to accept anything different.

So yesterday I should have been doing something like this.....

Beltane Fire Festive - April 2008, Calton Hill, Edinburgh

Picture from Zimbio


But I wasn't. So to everyone, I hope you had a happy whatever spiritual event you were celebrating - be it Beltane, Samhain, Halloween or All Souls - the blessings of your tradition to you all.

*This will appear at some stage, I haven't uploaded it yet.

9 comments:

Miss Robyn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Miss Robyn said...

oh my lord that photo looks like what was going on here.. people running like they had been let out of hell.. in heat that was unseasonal..

sorry to hear you had the migraine.. I wonder what is going on at the moment with what happened to our Beltane plans? odd, very odd.

I guess I accept it is Beltane easier because I have never lived in the Northern Hemisphere, so Halloween was never a biggie for me.. but I laugh myself silly when I see kids trick or treating at the moment.. they (or their parents) really have no idea at what it is all about.

hope you feel better now xoxo


(I deleted a previous comment because I had made some spelling mistakes.. I think blogger should allow us to edit our comments!)

Leanne said...

glad you feel better now Caitlin, migraines are the pits.

blessings to you too, whether it be samhain or beltane!

Leanne x

Dave said...

Soory about the pain. Oddly, z, my other reader, also had one yesterday.

laoi gaul~williams said...

love the photo!

hope you feel better~i know how bad migraines can be as i have had them frequently since i was about 5~i had one last week and i had a bucket down by the side of the bed!!!!!!!!

Cathy said...

that migraine sounded terrible (you did a good job describing it)!
but how sweet is your family, especially your girls? :)

Z said...

I did, but you had the worst of it. I keep tablets with me all the time so I can take them (Migraleve) at the first sign, otherwise they aren't effective. I start with an aura, a jagged oval at the side of my vision, so it's obvious what is in store.

My younger son occasionally has awful 3-day migraines - when one was brought on by a stomach bug, which meant he had a week of dreadful pain and sickness, the doctor gave him some pills and now he can take one at the start, which works.

Anonymous said...

I know Robyn! It's very strange isn't it, our weather is odd too, this morning we have thunder and lightening and rain.

Leanne, they are the pits but I consider myself fortunate that I rarely suffer from them.

Anonymous said...

Dave, I don't suppose your TENS machine would help a migraine would it? Chuck it in the teleport for me next time will you?

Lee, you've had them since you were 5?????? That must have been a terrifying experience for a 5 year old. It's scary enough for a grown up - the first time I had one I had no idea what was happening to me.

Hi Cathy, they are very sweet and were very concerned about me - I felt well looked after.

Z, I have them so rarely I don't have anything in the house to take for them, normal painkillers do nothing and the strong ones help but knock me out. Sometimes I get weird visual thing as well, I didn't get that this time though. A 3 day migraine would be terrible, they are so debilitating.