My hometown has an Italian festival every year replete with Italian food, vendors, music and bocce ball. For a number of years, a group of us would go together to enjoy being outside and peruse the many activities.
As we strolled through the vendors, we came upon a couple of men who had a large sign which proclaimed that they could get rid of a Migraine in five minutes. They purportedly did so by placing an odd looking electronic helmet on the head of the individual with the Migraine and then ran some kind of vibration through it. Of course, everyone who was with me wanted me to try this great new invention. I had just returned from Mayo Clinic where I had spent seven weeks trying to find relief from my Migraines, so I decided what the heck. Maybe these two hawkers at an Italian Festival had an answer that the numerous doctors at Mayo Clinic did not! (heavy sarcasm)
One of the gentlemen had me sit on a stool in his tent and placed his gadget of supposed Migraine miracles upon my head. Almost immediately I became nauseous. He assured me that there was nothing to worry about and that nausea was sometimes a part of the healing process. Within three minutes, my Migraine escalated from about a level 3 to a level 7, and I was becoming dizzy as I frequently do from Migraines.
I told him that I needed to stop. To this, he asked me how long I had been having Migraines. When I told him that it was since early childhood, he breathed an "aha" - telling me that with my lengthy experience with Migraines that it would probably take ten minutes to get rid of it instead of five! All I wanted by this time was out! I had him remove his miracle cure and walked drunkenly away from his booth wondering how I had once again fallen for yet another charlatan who was trying to make money off the desire of people to become well. As I walked away, he followed me, telling me that I had not given it enough of a chance and that if I only purchased it and used it at home, I would become a new woman in regards to my Migraines!
Thank God, I was not stupid enough to buy the baloney that he was selling! However, if you were to look around my home (or have been to any of my numerous garage sales), you will see hundreds of gadgets and potions which have been purchased in the vain attempt to become pain free. I have to also confess to visiting almost every doctor, chiropractor, massage therapist, physical therapist and alternative medicine practitioner who anyone has told me has helped a friend of a friend of a friend with Migraines! And although I have stopped this madness for the most part, I have to confess that when my Migraines are at their worse and I am up in the middle of the night suffering, I still have a tendency to search the Internet for that one thing that I (and all the doctors I've been to) might have missed! Oy Vey!
No comments:
Post a Comment