The Ups and Downs of Chronic Pain

September 6, 2020 | by Tess

This past Friday, September 4th, I had a spike in my headache. The day started well as I attended my online classes for an hour and finished my homework. I was able to focus the whole morning and did not see any changes to my headache. In the afternoon, I noticed that my pain was slowly increasing, and I had no idea why. I ignored this sign and continued on with my day. At about 5 pm, my headache started pounding and the intensity increased as well. I had a scheduled tennis clinic in one hour and did not know what to do. Should I listen to my body and take a break or should I play with the pain?

Eventually, I told my parents that my headache spiked and I had to cancel tennis. I felt guilty because my parents had paid for the clinic and I was upset that I couldn’t go, but I know that my health is more important. I took an abortive pain medication and had to stay in bed for the next two hours. Eventually, my headache stopped pounding and went back to my baseline intensity. I figured out the next day that the spike was due to excessive heat as it was 98 degrees on Friday.

From this situation, I learned how important it is to advocate for myself and that health comes first. Many people do not know the daily battles I go through with pain. Now, I know that I should not feel guilty for prioritizing health and listening to my body. If your pain increases or you are not feeling well, do not feel guilty to put your physical and mental well being first. It is ok to have off days and these days are most likely a sign to pace and take better care of ourselves.