Dealing With Headaches

No, you’re not the only one in the world who gets migraines. And migraine headaches are not a recent phenomenon. Although migraines are still very much of a mystery, there is solid evidence that many historical figures suffered with migraines. Here are just some of them who somehow got on with life despite migraines. Hopefully, their stories may be an inspriration to you.

Claude Monet

This amazing painter, who lived from 1840-1926 created works of startling brilliance and light, even when he was nearly blind at the end of his life. It is thought that some of his bright colors were inspired by auras. In Monet’s lifetime, migraines were thought to be a sign of insanity. His works are so admired, they are targeted for theft. In August of 2007, Cliffs Near Dieppe (1897) were stolen with two other painitngs in a brazen daylight robbery in France.

Elvis Presley

You might have heard of this guy. He had a lot of health related problems, and migraines were one of them. Perhaps that’s why he wore dark sunglasses a lot. One 1975 hospital stay was for examining his eyes becuase of pains and auras identical to that of migraines. By taking so much medication, he probably also suffered from rebound headaches. Sometimes he slurred his speech in a way that often happens to migraine sufferers.

Joan of Arc

If Monet kept quiet about his migraines in the 1800’s, then perhaps poor Joan (1412-1431) should have as well. Although now a cannonized Saint and considered a great hero, she was excecuted for witchcraft because she saw visions and heard voices. Visual and audio hallucinations are common with migraine sufferers. Tradition states that she also suffered severe pains in her head, which is another clue that she had migraines.

Terrell Davis

Terrell Davis of the Denver Broncos got a migraine…during the Super Bowl! However, he was able to return to the game, help- Denver win and become MVP. He was able to manage this migraine with Imitrex and through keeping a headache journal. More details of Terrel’s story is here.

Zeus

This was the Big God of the Greek Olympic panthenon, later known as Jupiter to the Romans. Greek Gods are especially known for mimicing human foilbles and illnesses. Zeus got one of His lovers, Metis, pregnant, which is a headache in and of itself. But Zues received a prophecy that the baby would one day kill him. So he swallowed the fetus.
Some time afterwards, he got the Mother of All Migraines. His head had to be split open and out jumped a fully grown (and fully armored) Athena.