No Pain

No, this doesn’t have to do with exercise . . . ‘no pain, no gain.’  It has to do with lack of pain.

I used to have migraines.  In fact, from the time I was 8 until I was over 50, I had horrific migraines about one week out of every four weeks.  So, if you just take the time from age 8 to age 50, that is 42 years with 546 weeks of pain, or 10.5 years, or roughly 1/4th of my life.  Shocking when it is broken down that way. Thank goodness it wasn’t 10.5 years in a row or I wouldn’t be here to tell the story.

What was good about having migraines was not having them.  I mean, after intense pain for a week, when the pain stops, it is heavenly.  I learned to look forward to the end of the migraine, knowing full well the relief would be devine.  It wouldn’t matter if I had other ailments or other issues.  Just not having the migraine was enough to elevate me to nirvana for a short time.

I have been spoiled since the migraines left me.  Each morning I would get up and feel wonderful and go about my day not really thinking about how nice it was to feel wonderful.  I lost my sense of gratitude for good health.

But as things usually go, I got knocked on my rear again by pain.  This time it was a pinched nerve that impacted every step I took.  For 3 1/2 months, every step was agony and trying to sleep at night was hopeless.  I would put on my brave face, except at home, and go about my business, but the pain was always there.  At home I would moan and complain quite a bit.  Somehow the moaning gave me relief.  I remembered that from my migraine days.

Physical therapy and stretch exercises finally worked.  The pain is gone.  I am enjoying nirvana again and this time, I promise, I will remain appropriately grateful.