recovering and covering

A week ago tomorrow, Sunday, at 2:00 AM I awoke with a terrible headache. This had not been the first headache that I'd had. I had been having headaches every weekend since I had taken my trip out to Minneapolis for the Chesterton Conference, June 10th. I'd had a headache in Minneapolis for a couple of days when I'd arrived out there before things became all right. I had resolved before I left Minneapolis to do go to the doctor's when I returned to discover the reason for these headaches, but I hadn't done anything about them yet, as of Sunday. July 29th.

That headache on July 29th got very bad. I didn't want to take aspirin because I was going to receive Holy Communion and I didn't like to take anything, but water after midnight Saturday (This was the way that I was taught to prepare for Holy Communion.). But at about 5:00 AM I took some aspirin without gaining any relief. I left for Mass at 8:00 AM. As I cross the Chenango River I realized that I wasn't going to make it anywhere without vomiting, so I parked along the River after I had crossed the River, walked down to the River's shore and threw up the aspirin and water that I had taken. My head was still throbbing, but I knew that I could hold down Holy Communion now, at least go to Mass, so I went to Mass. I was in great pain, but I received Holy Communion. Jesus could only help me. After Church I cancelled by Wendy's Sunday luncheon and tried to rest. I called in sick to work at about 6:00 PM.

I made a doctor's appointment on Monday for Wednesday. On Monday evening I was talking with my second daughter. She looked at me and said, 'Oh, you are getting those caffeine withdraw headaches.'

I responded, "What?'

'I have gotten them. I don't like to drink coffee, but I have to drink it now with my job, four cups a day. Yeah, Gran, has gotten those bad headaches when she has stopped drinking coffee, too.'

That was it!!! My daughter had diagnosed my problem in such an offhanded way that it was startling. I had been trying to think what I had been doing differently on weekends: It was not drinking coffee. I had not been a coffee drinker until several months ago. I had drunk coffee for short periods at times and, perhaps, I had gotten headaches when I stopped at times, but I never associated them with coffee intake or notake. I had become a working coffee taker several months ago. I made no bones about it. I was drinking coffee for the caffeine, two or three cups a night when I was working, and it gave me a boost. I didn't care if I drained the dregs of a pot that most people would toss. I was not a tasteful drinker, I was a caffeine desirer. Coffee with some sugar was great. Now I realized that I was a user and that I was going through withdraw every weekend. The mystery had been solve. Thank you, Libby. Deo Gratias!! Diagnosis in passing, so simple, so obvious, so thankful was I to have an answer to my problem of weekend headaches, weekend agony.

I have been watching a friend's dog, Zoe, during this last week. She has become my shadow, so loyal, so watchful. It has been nice to have another being be so concern about my whereabouts, if not my well being, but a little oppressive at times. Still, this little dog has taught me a lot. God make her. God has blessed me with her. She leaves today. She has been a constant companion over the last week. I have daily tossed sticks and rocks which she has swum after in the river to try to pay her back for her loyalty. My goal was to get her tired, but her energy is greater than mine. Well, Welcome to August.