Dooley Noted: 6/11/2015
Dear Migraine –
I have spent the last 15 years experiencing you.
And I have begged you to go away many times.
But what I’ve never done is properly thank you.
You leave me debilitated, often throwing up and feeling certain that my head will explode.
You aren’t a headache. You feel like a reminder of my mortality.
Your presence is intense.
I have attempted to dope you away with the strongest prescription medications.
I have been scanned, needled, and prodded in attempts to find your source.
I felt myself shirk the medications in an attempt to meet your causes face to face.
I studied many therapeutic techniques, from chiropractic to acupuncture to meditation to alternative medication.
And these methods reduced your appearance from thrice weekly to a few times a year.
I don’t have a medication deficiency.
And nothing structural is awry, because I’ve seen the anatomy on imaging.
But I know you aren’t trying to teach me how to get rid of you.
You are trying to teach me how to prevent you.
You visited me this morning because I didn’t use all the tools you’ve helped me learn.
I put helping others in front of helping myself – a major no-no when trying to be the change I wish to see in the world.
You made sure I canceled my day to recuperate and contemplate.
You’ve taught me I can do anything in this life. But that doesn’t mean I should, if it comes at an expense of health.
I took no pills today to cloud you.
I went to the tools I know that help me understand you.
And as you are leaving me, you need to know how thankful I am for the education.
I see you visit me less and less the more I learn from you.
So, thank you for the visit today.
I’ll keep working on what you teach me.
As for your next visit, I suspect it will be an even longer hiatus this time.
As always, it’s my call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley
