Headache

I love thunderstorms. I like to watch as trees bend in fierce winds, rain turns the world grey and misty, and lightning breaks the whole sky open. It feels luxurious to snuggle in a dry bed with a down quilt while thunder crashes outside the window and rain cascades down from gutters filled too quickly.

But the hours before a thunderstorm can be painful. Low-pressure systems wreak havoc with my head, triggering migraines that send me into a dark closet with an ice pack and an inability to handle anything.

I’ve learned some tricks to warding off migraines: getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, eliminating meat and dairy from my diet, meditating to reduce stress, running hot water on my hands and feet, staying away from triggers like cigarette smoke or new plastic, doing reiki on myself, drinking sports drinks with electrolytes, taking a nap as soon as I feel one coming on. Because I’ve gotten pretty good at anticipating migraines and taking care of myself, I don’t get them as often as I used to.

But still, this has been a difficult summer. We’ve had so many dramatic changes in weather that I’ve been fighting off headaches constantly. On Sunday, I had the worst migraine I’ve had in a few years; it was relief when the thunderstorm began that night, and the pressure in my head began to lift while I lay in bed and listened to the rain.