Writing Cures Headaches

No, I'm not crazy. Writing--if you're me, cures headaches.

I began experiencing headaches as a teenager. From my vantage point some four decades later, I can see they were a symptom of stress and worry. Big surprise. In my very late thirties, migraines began plaguing me. Hormones was the diagnosis but, if you ask me, they're blamed for everything once a woman hits 35. Sigh. Back to the headaches. My migraines were called cluster migraines--which are more common among men than women. (Funny how the hormone diagnosis still stuck in view of that!) The really cool thing [NOT!] about cluster migraines is that they're a series of migraines, one right after the other, that can go on for days and include nausea and seeing yellow spots. Fortunately, I was prescribed medication and one dose generally heads one of them off.

Anyway, now that I'm in my fifties, I get fewer headaches and migraines. Until this weekend. You see, my July was something else and I believe my weekend bonanza was the cumulation of an eventful July - I typically get let-down stress headaches, not building-up stress headaches.

So, you ask, what does this plethora of boring headache information have to do with writing?

Well, boys and girls, after taking 3 migraine pills over a period of several hours, followed by a soothing, hot bubble bath, what cured my migraine was sitting down at my laptop and working on my book! How could I have forgotten how relaxing writing is?

Yes, it's hard work. Yes, it can be frustrating. Yes, it takes forever to get a payoff. On the other hand, it's my all-time favorite thing to do. Well, maybe not all the time. On occasion, my husband has been known to distract me for a few hours...

Seriously, when I write, I enter a world with endless possibilities. Sure, bad things happen in my books--I write mysteries, so someone has to die. But I get to control who it is and why. I also get to shut out all the annoying, aggravating things in my life while I'm writing: dishes, dust, laundry, the ringing telephone, etc.

Writing might be hard and sometimes frustrating. But it makes me happy life few things other than the people I love can do.

Next time I feel a headache coming on, I'll be reaching for my laptop instead of the pill bottle...