I evaluated my headache—a couple of pieces of candied ginger and some protein? Or more? The shower will probably help, and a decent chug of water.
I close my eyes, listening to my body. Nope. I’m going to need more than that. Some Aleve. At least two. Hopefully that’ll keep it in check, to the point that I’ll be able to teach in the afternoon. Or should I ask my teaching assistant to substitute for me? What else do I have on the docket today? Is there anything I can reschedule?
I check my calendar. If I want to increase my chances of being fit to teach, I should probably cancel my session with Natalie. And I was going to meet Yuanyuan for lunch…
Should I cancel both? Natalie’s session will probably be taxing whereas lunch won’t. Also, lunch with Yuanyuan was to celebrate her passing her English test. I can’t just cancel that. Though I know she wouldn’t mind.
Okay, a couple of pieces of ginger and two Aleve. Then eat some protein and shower. By the time I finish, I’ll have a better idea of where this is going.
On school days, in the aftermath of the surgeries, I usually wake up with some sort of headache. If it’s been plaguing me for several hours or days already, I know to cancel everything on my calendar.
If I only become aware of a headache upon waking, I go through a ritual of trying to determine a course of action. When it’s one of the two extremes, it’s easy to figure out. Sometimes it’s so mild that I know that a couple of pieces of ginger and some protein will do the trick. Other times it’s so bad that the only option is to spend the day in bed no matter what is on my to-do list.
It’s the in between ones that are tough to figure out, the ones that could go either way. Some, if I treat them just right, might blow over, or at least allow me to function. With others, it can be a very delicate balance—if I make the wrong choice, even on the tiniest detail, the pain can escalate dramatically, sending me to bed for several hours or more.
A couple of days ago I experienced one of the tougher ones to assess.
Two pieces of ginger, two Aleve, a couple of glugs of water, some cashews, a hot shower, and… I was good to go. Well, actually not completely.
I did have to cancel my session with Natalie. However, by lunchtime I was doing well enough that I went to lunch with Yuanyuan at the nearby Phipps Conservatory, and I was fine teaching. By the time I was done teaching, I only had a mild headache to contend with.
Another day with only minor bloody brain related mishaps. Woohoo!