MIGRAINES & MULTI-GRAINS

My father was still alive & quite ill when I began going through the change of life. That's when the migraine headaches started. Or as I call it, migraine hell. Usually it was about 3 days of pure torture!

Dad required constant care. My father couldn't take himself to the bathroom, or bathe with out my help. Also he had doctor's appointments to keep and meals had to be prepared. I couldn't take time out to be sick. Nor could I ask the young mother next door for any more favors. She was too busy with her own family. It was a miserable time to be alive.

After my father passed, I had the luxury of taking care of myself. Usually twice a month, I spent 3 straight days in bed without food. Often the pain was too excruciating to sleep. I couldn't even keep water on my stomach. Even strong aromas sent me to the bathroom heaving. Nothing over the counter worked. I couldn't keep it down.

My worst migraine lasted into a 4th day. I was so weak, I had difficulty walking down the stairs. I'll never forget the meal that magically restored my strength. It was a can of chicken soup, soda crackers, lime yogurt, & lemon tea. After a migraine, I always seemed to crave tart & salty foods.

Saturdays, my long-time friend Pat would call from North Florida. She had moved there right before my father and I had moved to Vero Beach. We both acknowledged we would probably never see each other again in life. But we stayed close by phone.

"Why don't you go to a doctor?!" she always queried.

"Because migraine pills cost $20. a piece!" I always told her. "Plus doctor visits are not cheap! I keep thinking of all the other things for which I would rather spend that money."

"So you prefer to suffer?" The idea seemed incredulous to her.

"It's better than being ripped-off," I stated. "The price of medicine and doctors are all too high. I feel like a sucker paying those prices! But unfortunately they have most people over a barrel and they know it...Oh yeah, the doctors all complain they're forced to charge those exorbitant fees due to the whopping cost of malpractice insurance. Get real! They don't want to give up their expensive cars, boats, & luxury homes and the assorted rich people toys."

"It's not going to change, Dianne," she said. "It's the way of the world."

"Well the world had better change!" I told her. "Way back in 1961, when I was 10 yrs old, my grandfather spent 3 days in the hospital. My father paid the bill in cash! We weren't millionaires. Back then, health care was affordable! Now everything is out of whack!"

I read someplace that the reason pharmaceutical companies charge so much is because they need money for research. I think that's just more acid eye wash! It's so their CEO's can retire with their golden parachutes! -- I'd like to give them all a golden shower!

Actually at the time I had Health Insurance. But it didn't pay for spit!  Every time I pulled out my card, some doctor's secretary would practically laugh in my face. Then ask to see my REAL insurance. -- I was certainly paying REAL premiums! After I lost so much money in investments I decided it wasn't worth having anymore.

Eventually the migraines became so frequent and severe I was forced to see a doctor. He gave me free samples. The very next day I had a migraine. I took the 1st pill and immediately threw it up. Later, I placed the other under my tongue as per instructions. I heaved that one, too! There was no relief from the excruciating pain in my brain.

My former neighbor Gertrude told me she experienced the same thing while going through the change. She assured me they would gradually taper off. Mine only seemed to be getting worse. I thought I'd tried everything by now.

At the 1st throb of a migraine, I started drinking strong black tea with industrial strength lemon. -- I was actually able to keep it down! (A miracle!) Every subsequent hour I prepared another cup. I still had pain, but it wasn't the knife twisting in my brain variety as before. Also I didn't have to spend as much time in bed. -- As long as I stuck to that liquid diet.

When I felt better, I gave up my daily greasy breakfasts. I love buttery biscuits & cheesy potatoes. -- Or at least I limited them to once a week! This also helped.  I started eating only multi-grain bread and cereals. I began getting fewer and less severe migraines. I wasn't gaining weight from those fatty foods because I was getting sick instead. My body had been sending me a message.