It is not the stress of the holiday that most influence on me. In fact, I love the holidays because I spend time with my family. The only problem is that they are seven hour drive (more live if the weather is bad). So, when it comes to the holidays, it's the thought of all that travel that leaves no visions of sugarplums dancing in my head.
If you live in the Upper Midwest, each drive in the winter is an adventure and this holiday season promises to be no different. This year, it will mean leaving late at night after a busy day of work, pounding back caffeinated drinks to stay awake while taking turns with my friend behind the wheel. On top of that, we have two puppies travel with us too. It also means staring into the headlights for hours on end. And it means nodding off in the most uncomfortable positions in the car.
But that's only the drive there. Life so far away and it is my first year at my job, I don't see a lot of my family. So if I see them, I certainly would like to maximize my time and that often means I have a little suffering. I ended up going to bed late and get up early, even though I am dead tired of the station the night before. I try to eagerly want what everyone has planned and also try to stop on my favorite spots, while I got home (shopping is limited where I live).
It can do all this requires "knocking back" a little more caffeine than usual to stay awake through the day. Add to that the range and the volume of food that is available is clearly far outside the norm, and is often loaded with sugar, and we tend to eat or graze on strange times of the day.
At this point I hit a majority of my migraine triggers and by the end of day one, it is quite possible that I will I find myself smack in the middle of migraine Central. And there is nothing less fun than Christmas music when your head is pounding.
What can I do to it to ward off? The same things that I do on a regular day: determine what I can, from what I can not let go and tackle the problems as they arise. I'm trying to say no to things if I don't feel good. I listen to my body. I take my medications, once I feel my migraines come on (this is a huge one for me). I make sure to travel with more than enough Rescue medications in case things get really bad. I drink water as much as I can. I try to eat on a regular schedule and keep in the range of healthy. (And frankly, that is not at all fun during the holidays. My mother is a great Baker.) I know when enough is enough and I should just stay home and fixed.
What's the point of being around my family if I'm going to be curled up in a ball miserable feeling? I know that my trip home in a very short span of three days, will be about. I will my car with my holiday distances, puppies and Pack and head back to the frozen North boyfriend. And then I will be there, the Monday after Christmas, back on my desk in a dazzle of my holiday travel hangover. Not surprisingly, I have a headache before the day is out, but I know that I am equipped to handle that.
I'm still looking for the holiday, regardless of whether or not I get sidelined by a migraine, seeing that my family will be worth it.
Claire Abent, guest blogger
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