Today at work, I got The Headache.
One second I was fine and then –bam!—there it was, a sharp pain in my left temple, and I can’t bear to look at the computer screen anymore. One of the senior designers must have noticed me wince as she passed.
“Oh, you have a headache again?â€ù
I looked up from my desk, two finger tips pressed against my flesh, ostensibly, to keep my eyeball from popping out the left side of my face.
“Yeah. I don’t think there’s any Advil left in the pantry.â€ù
“You get them all the time, I see.â€ù
Mona speaks in a child’s voice. It’s airy and sweet. Like Snow White. Usually this is annoying to the point of infuriation, but when your head is pounding so hard your eye is about to take leave, it is a blessing.
I nodded. Yes, I get The Headache all the time.
In a heartbeat, she was standing over me, redesigning my workspace. Maybe it’s the lighting. If my monitor faced the other direction, would that be better? Let’s see how I sit. No. No. And no. I was beginning to lose my patience.
“Why don’t we tryâ€_â€ù
“Nah, you know what? I think I’m just allergic to work. I’ll go find some Advil.â€ù
A snicker came over the cubicle wall, and then a couple of amens. A voice joined in from the next row.
“Just how crazy do you have to get before they make you take a forced vacation?â€ù
And then another.
“Do you ever fantasize about getting clipped by a taxi? Not seriously injured, butâ€_ you know, out for a bit?â€ù
It seemed we were experiencing a bit of an epidemic. Which also explained why we’re out of Advil in the pantry.
I’ve taken to squirreling the advil packets away in my desk drawer. Otherwise, they’re gone just when you need them most. Like the coffee. Those squirrels, man. They know what’s up.
I experience those kind of headaches myself… work related, kid related, husband related…. who knows. I hope you’re feeling better now.
I have recently (post my bout with hospitalization) beeen getting headaches that are truly debilitating. Sometimes Excedrin Migraine works sometimes it doesn’t. My dr gave me a few migraine meds to sample going forward, we’ll see. She also said to up my liquid intake – from 8 to 12 cups. I hope yours stop soon – headaches are the absolute worst. Keeps you from being productive and if they’re bad enough, going home and trying to sleep doesn’t help – it just hurts too much!! Feel better!
You’re lucky, If I get The Headache I have to just skip school. If we try to bring Advil up there we get expelled.
Feel better.
I just had one on Monday, right behind my right ear. As I explained the pain to my coworkers, one commented that it could be a sign of Bells Palsy
Luckily, it’s died down since then, and no drooping has occurred. Hope you’re feeling better soon, too.
When my first baby still was waking up 6 times a night at 8 months old, I remember wanting to be hospitalized for something–something benign, like dehydration–just so that I could get a night of sleep. I knoew something had to change when I was actually wanting to be hospitalized!
(Not actually giving advice; just sharing my story, but take it as you will…)
Mona gives me a headache.
I think it is the lighting at your desk. Perhaps the soft glow of your cubicle up in flames would be better. Here’s hoping it spreads to my desk before they can put it out.
I had a bad caffeine withdrawl headache the other day. Advil wasn’t working, but I drank a Coke and all was well. Which means I’m sick with caffeine dependancy. There should be an “Office Cut” of Trainspotting that envolves this addiction.
Two years ago my colleague and I were talking about how nice it would be to break a leg so we could lay in bed for a week. And then, no kidding, three days later I fell, sober, on a big ole patch of Upstate, NY black ice and broke. my. hip. I was 27. I had to move home with my mother and lay in bed 22 hours a day for three months while she popped in and out of my room asking me if I wanted a “treat”. All I’m saying is, careful what you wish for.
Oh my GOD. Okay, I do *NOT* wish for a broken leg. I’d run out of BOTH seasons of MacGyver and Remington Steele spending 22 hours a day in bed.
I have the giggles over the Office Cut of Trainspotting, though. Hilarious. Make it so.
The only thing worse that The Headache is The Cramps. Combine them and I will jump off of a bridge!
is it a problem that i take advil daily? Along with eyedrops because my eyes are just out of focus all the time? Headaches are awful.
As a wine merchant, I find I can balance the caffeine addiction all day (try adding chocolate covered coffee beans for the ultimate high)with fine wines all night. Headaches caused by customers/bosses can be dealt with by opening a nice Burgundy, and any other headaches can be blamed on the coffee or wine until you’ve had another cup/glass.
Obviously, I’m on my third liver now, and the DTs can make you spill your glass…
As a wine drinker, I think you and I should be friends.
My sister had an operation her first year out of school and for the pain afterwards they gave her some vicodin. Well, she never had any “after-pain” from that surgery so she used the leftover vicodin on days when she got migraines. I’m glad she ran out.
But if you know any doctors….
Come to think of it the phrase is “drink like a Fish”, so you must make a perfect friend for a wine merchant. If only you weren’t on the wrong side of the Atlantic, I’d invite you over to help me with work this evening; tasting fine wines and chocolates together to find perfect matches (no, not kidding, that really is the work I’ve got to do tonight). Do you think that sort of work might help cure your headache?
Sadly, I can’t even invite you over web-wise as I don’t even possess a blog to call my own. Ho hum, maybe soon.
You quite obviously need ‘White Monkey holding Peach’ palm. You have to go to India to get it. It’s not a holiday, it’s an emergency
That’s balm, not palm
as a major wine-lover myself, i think we should all be friends! byow (bring your own wine). jj can bring the chocolates and then i will marry him/her.
Do you have allergies? Because I used to get killer headaches over one eye all the time until I started getting allergy shots.
Offices are notorious for not being cleaned well, and if you have a dust or mold allergy, you’re screwed.
Or it could just be the lighting.
Imitrex, Imitrex, Imitrex. Okay, as a guy I know i’m supposed to listen and empathize, and not try to solve the problem. But I’m weak. Clusters and Migraines are similar. I get clusters and they suck. Imagine Brain Freeze for several hours if not a day long. Injection…..gone….heaven!! They call cluster headaches “suicide” headaches, because that seems like a plausible option. See a neuro baby.
BTW, I’m enjoying reading your work, and in a small way, getting to know you.
Neil
I wonder all the time…what if I fell down the stairs? Would I be able to go home?
I get those headaches very regularly lately. I tried to blame it on my birth control, but no luck. Instead, they said it’s from staring at the monitor all day and that I should get up and take regular breaks. They also said that wearing sunglasses might help. Cause it dims the screen. It has seemed to, but maybe it’s all in my head.
Hope you can avoid those eye popping headaches.
I’m dreading the onset of a headache right now. It’s my Friday today, yes that’s right I work weekends and get the weird Tues/Wed midweekdays off. And why is it that MY Friday always ends up being the worst damn day to get through?!? I never usually have problems with my Mondays, like most people…but everybody’s driving me up the damn wall today. Did anyone catch Desperate Housewives last night? It was my first time watching, and though not terribly impressed, enjoyed the bitchy boss storyline. I’m lucky I have a very cool male boss but damn, I’d shoot myself if I was surrounded my bitchy women all day…
Just found this site off of Guy in NY. Like it a lot!
wow, i never dreamed that anyone else would have the fantasy of being clipped by a taxi…. so maybe not a taxi because where i live they don’t really come around. but a nice little car accident on the way to work…nothing serious but enough for a good day in bed.
What i do while sitting front of my Comp is moving ma body in every 10 minutes so i can’t feel any pain shain in ma head.Yeh but eyes goes red and its my problem.
CT said:
You quite obviously need ‘White Monkey holding Peach’ balm. You have to go to India to get it. It’s not a holiday, it’s an emergency
^ to correct CT,
you can get White Monkey holding Peach balm at any asian store for under 5 dollars, its an herbal balm that works like rubbing alcohol but its alot stronger, i use it for ANY of my aches & pains. one of my caucasian friends had a headache & a stuffy nose & i had him smell it & rub a small amount of the balm on his temples & both the headache & stuffy nose were gone (:
if you do consider it & dont know what it looks like
it should be in a small red & white striped container with a white monkey holding a peach