Chapter 3

Migraine

For many years, my wife suffered for migraine headaches, any one who suffers from this malady knows how debilitating it is, it takes over your life.

Recently Matilda had a run of extra bad attacks, after number five I called for an ambulance. The paramedics checked her out and decided to take her to ER. After a lot of tests and a brain scan, they had no answer, the drugs they gave her had no effect. In the end they gave her a sedative and sent her home. The following day she was washed out, but recovered. Two days later, another migraine. What the hell’s going on, what is different, what has changed? Thinking back, I recall her telling me she had bought this rather expensive shampoo on special at half price and how it was really great, it had bamboo fibres in it and it made her hair ‘full bodied’. Was this the culprit?

The next day we discussed this theory, prior to each attack she had used this product. My belief is that the chemicals in the shampoo saturated the scalp, acting as a huge transdermal cap, this effect was heightened by then using a hair drier.

The expensive shampoo went in the rubbish bin. Growing up Mum washed our hair with Velvet soap and rinsed with vinegar water. I’ve still got a good crop of hair.

I hope these two stories didn’t sound like I was looking for sympathy, far from it. I have died once and I can tell you first hand, you don’t know you are dead. I don’t fear death but see it as a relief from this crazy world, thus said, I’m in no hurry for a repeat.