• When the doctor is your trigger

    When the doctor is your trigger

    When discussing your migraines with the doctor, it is fairly standard to refer to your triggers at some point in the consultation. “Flashing lights definitely cause migraines,” you might say, and “I’m pretty certain fatigue, stress and dehydration are not good for me either”. And as you think back over…

  • “Not tonight honey – I have a headache”

    “Not tonight honey – I have a headache”

    What a cliche! And yet… where there’s smoke there’s fire… or is there? Today’s post is a little bit long (it went places I wasn’t expecting) and it is also potentially a little bit tricky as it initially treads into an area many people might consider taboo for public conversation.…

  • Hiss… Growl… Grumble… Sigh…

    Hiss… Growl… Grumble… Sigh…

    I’m feeling a little grumpy today. The story starts with me going onto the computer to look at flowers. It’s springtime here in Australia, and in preparation, I recently planted a gazillion seeds only for the vast majority of them to wash away and drown after we received a months’…

  • Are you feeling paingry?

    Are you feeling paingry?

    There’s a phrase in Australia (and presumably everywhere that English is spoken) which is a play on words; hungry + angry = hangry. It defines the feeling of being grumpy and irritable because it has been a long time since you’ve eaten. I for one, am guilty of experiencing mood…

  • Bibliotherapy and migraines

    Bibliotherapy and migraines

    As someone who has had a lot of migraines, I can tell you that there is a sliding scale of functionality that is attached to a life lived with pain. On some days, the pain is manageable or nearly missing, so you can do most things, even perform something as…

  • Three wishes

    Three wishes

    The other day I watched the movie “Three Thousand Years of Longing” (2022) because the title caught my attention. Without giving too much away, it spins around the ancient story of a djinn (or genie) who offers up three wishes. Visually impressive, filled with wonder and weirdness, there was something…

  • The Bluesky Dictionary

    The Bluesky Dictionary

    Not long after a famous billionaire bought Twitter and renamed it X, there was a sudden exodus of many members who fled to a chat-app called Bluesky. I ended up with a foot in both camps, but rarely use either. The first app mentioned is filled with negativity these days,…

  • A world of light, and plants, and pain…

    A world of light, and plants, and pain…

    The more you search certain subjects on your computer, the more the computer-Universe sends you links to related content. That’s how I came across a reference to an essay published online late last year: “A Head Is a Territory of Light – Seeking answers about my migraines” by Tan Tuck…

  • Eating crow

    Eating crow

    Every now and then I venture onto social media to see what the world thinks about global issues. Once upon a time, the platforms seemed to provide a more honest sneak-peek behind the curtains of mainstream media and the way they chose to frame the news. Now, in all honesty,…