Sometimes I wonder if somebody out there has a voodoo doll of me and is stabbing pins into it to give me migraine headaches. If there is I think the voodoo doll would look something like this:
There's a screw jutting out of its head to represent the migraine headache. The eyebrows are wonky, like someone who has had Botox injections as a migraine treatment and their brow line is a little skewed as a result. One eye is bigger than the other. I'm sure I'm not the only migraineur who experiences incredible pain behind one or both eyes that makes me concerned that my eyeball(s) might pop out of my skull. Then there's the slight smile on the face. I'm a big smiler, but my smile is hampered when I'm having a migraine. Sometimes it turns into a frown, but I try to smile through the pain to cheer me up a bit. Do I sound like Pollyanna now?
For those of you who may not be familiar with Polyanna, she is the unnaturally cheerful character in a series of books by Eleanor H. Porter as well as a movie version made by Walt Disney in 1960. She is an orphan who is dealt a lot of crappiness in her life. She doesn't let the crappy stuff bring her down, instead she plays something called the "Glad Game" where she finds something to be positive about in every bad situation. She spreads her happiness and cheer throughout her town and lifts up the spirits of the many curmudgeon residents. The story is so sugary sweet that it makes me want to vomit. Pollyanna is just so damn cheerful that I wonder if she's doped up on Xanax. I think that the lesson in the movie of having a positive mental attitude and optimism is a good one to share. But, I also think it is important to face and accept the crappy circumstances we can't change in life so we can put them past us and move forward. So I guess I'm a little bit like Pollyanna, but not as oblivious to reality or freakishly cheerful.
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| Hayley Mills as Pollyanna |
I can't change the fact that I have migraines, but I am not angry about it. I'm certainly not excited about the migraines and it does bring me down from time to time. When I'm feeling bummed out I seek out things for which to be thankful. For example, I am thankful for the fantastic migraine medications created in recent years, I am thankful for each day I don't have a migraine, I am thankful for an understanding boss when I have to call in sick to work, I am thankful for my parents who are supportive of seeking out new/different treatment options, I am thankful for my husband who is willing to take care of me when I can't take care of myself, and the list goes on and on. I'd continue, but won't for fear of sounding too Pollyanna-ish.
In addition to being thankful, I have found a fabulous tool for dealing with chronic pain is laughter. Having a laughter-filled conversation with friends and/or family, or watching an episode of Saturday Night Live is medicine for my soul. Laughter elevates my mood and helps keep me smiling.
If there is someone out there with a voodoo doll of me who is giving me migraine headaches, give it up already. You'll never make me stop smiling for long. I can handle these migraines. I got this.
