Last week, my medical device caused me pain in different
parts of my head, neck and face before a lightening/thunder storm. This week,
the vertigo,
and tinnitus I haven’t had for a while now has returned. I’d rather have these symptoms than varying degrees of pain and discomfort. With both, putting my head down and taking some pain reliever/moderate exercise helps.  

I’ve found it a challenge at times to explain to people why/how pain affects you the way it does. People who haven’t experienced brain injury and what happens to the body after sometimes don’t know how to interact or respond to someone who is experiencing pain from a brain injury. Some of the pain I’ve experienced is related to things in the atmosphere such as weather, other devices in the area, or stress. 

When I hear things like ‘Oh it’s just the weather’ or “Just take something for the pain’ Sometimes the pain doesn’t go away with pain reliever, it only diminishes to then return again later. I’ve provided things for people to read about pain management and brain injury. I do believe when it’s family members who inquiry about your pain, they don’t want to remember why you’re feeling the way you do. Sometimes it’s just too much for them to deal with emotionally. There are also some people who don’t have empathy. 

It just depends.

This afternoon around 3pm when the sun started to emerge from the clouds, my shunt and right eye pain returned. It’s suppose to rain tomorrow. A family member told me this afternoon regarding my pain ‘You’ll feel better soon’ My reply was ‘Yes, I will, it’s just that my head and eye doesn’t know that right now. Right now, I feel pain that hasn’t gone away for a few hours now.’ When we feel pain, do we have to apologize in advanced for feeling grumpy or tired?