I pretty much got nothing done today because I wasn’t feeling well.  If I had a normal job I would’ve had to use a sick day and stay home from work today. I wish I could say the reason is because I have a very bad cold, or the flu. But it was a simple headache that did me in–and it isn’t the first time, either.

I’ve suffered headaches on and off for as long as I can remember. I recall needing to go home early from high school because of bad headaches and being prescribed something for them, but I don’t recall what the medication was or whether it worked. I’m almost 33 now so that’s a relatively long history of them at my age. They have evolved over the years, as well. I was reading about this new thing called Migralex that is supposed to to help with different types of headaches. Certain things that never gave me trouble in the past (such as alcohol) will now trigger headaches in me, even after just a couple beers or a single glass of wine. I need to be very careful with alcohol for this reason, or avoid it altogether.

Which brings me to one major reason why I hate telling people I have a headache. If I mention the reason I’m staying home, then I feel as if people think I have a hangover, not a headache, and am lying about it. That’s absolutely not the case, and has never been. I drink maybe three times a year, and I don’t remember the last time I got straight-up drunk! At most I just get a little buzz and even that is pushing it–as I mentioned, sometimes one glass of wind will guarantee that I am crippled by a nasty headache the next day.

To further complicate this, I know some people who are well-known for partying hard and they can, and will, call in sick with hangovers. They sometimes try to pass the hangover off as a headache but it’s obvious they are hungover since they posted statuses or photos involving their alcohol-fueled shenanigans the night before. It’s insulting to people that truly do suffer from headaches when people do this.

My day off today consisted of applying a heat pad to the back of my neck and an ice pack to my forehead while watching bad horror movies on Netflix. I know many people and websites say that it’s better to lay in a dark room when you have a headache, but I can’t do this. My mind wanders and all I can focus on is the throbbing pain in my head. At least brainless television distracts me from this without requiring me to think.