On Needles and Healing

The migraine might not have gone, but acupuncture worked wonders yesterday. I felt like a pin cushion as I lay on the therapy table. Some of the needles were for the migraine, others for other disparate murmurings that my acupuncturist could detect in my pulses.

Needles were placed in my ear. These were for the migraine I was told. When one went in I almost left the table. With an apology, my acupuncturist rarely hits a point that hurts that much, he tried again. I had the same reaction. “That was my liver," I was told. Within a short time it diminished to a distant throb.

I was able to doze as the needles did their work.

I returned home to the migraine being no more than a dull thud.

As the evening went on, and as can happen at night, the pain returned more fully.

This morning I woke up with no pain. Day 3. As the morning has gone on the pain has gradually returned. I have sun glasses on and blinds closed as I write this to minimize light. Light sensitivity is something that affects me.

“Why are you even in front of a computer if that is the case?" you might ask.

A good question.

The wish to write. Simple as that. Sometimes it is in my journal, sometimes it is here. It overrides the more common sense reasoning that says just stay in a darkened room. That and I am on day 3. I appreciate a little variety. After 50 years I have ways of handling these migraines, ways that work for me. Part of that is a recognition of the need to continue to do things that nourish me if I can. That might mean a brief walk outside even if the sun is out, hat and sun glasses on….just to get some air, to get outside. So if I want to write and I can, I do!

My wish, my hope is that this migraine tails off tomorrow. My wife and I are on duty with the grandkids this weekend. I don’t want to have to manage the migraine along with the kids. That will be a struggle.