Yesterday, we learned at Michele Bachmann suffers from debilitating migraine headaches. According to people who work for Mitt Romney unnamed sources, Bachmann’s headaches are so severe that she is unable to function during severe migraine attacks and occasionally requires trips to the emergency room. The disclosure of Bachmann’s condition is a pretty obvious attempt to create concerns about her fitness to assume the presidency. Can she run the country if she’s curled up in bed, crying into her pillow and clutching a giant bottle of Advil, her silent tears freezing on the three ice packs she has strategically placed on her head and neck? What if the Soviet Union tries to move nuclear weapons to Cuba and the X-Men are nowhere to be found and President Bachmann is locked in a bomb shelter since it’s the only place she can find where the sun won’t bother her eyes during a particularly bad migraine? What will happen then???
What’s that you say? The President who handled the Cuban Missile Crisis suffered from Addison’s Disease? And the Commander in Chief who led the United States during most of World War II was a cripple? Well, shit.
True, migraines can be debilitating. I know this well, since I’ve suffered from them for twenty years. I suspect that I’m not the only one around here who does. We can all vouch for the fact that they are horrible and painful– worse than anything else I’ve experienced. A few times I’ve ended up in the hospital, and even with less severe attacks, the throbbing pain and nausea can be immobilizing. It’s truly awful.
But you know what? A lot of people get migraines. Most of us are women– there are three times as many lady sufferers as male ones (GEE, THANKS HORMONES). Treatment can be challenging since doctor’s aren’t exactly sure what causes migraines or how to best prevent them. Some prescribe pills, some instruct patients to avoid food triggers, and some are just like, “Oh, it’s probably a tumor.” There’s no magic bullet, and even pill combinations that work for a while might suddenly stop working entirely. Migraines are a condition that require constant management. In other words, they suck.
But that doesn’t mean that being a migraine sufferer should disqualify you from certain jobs. I’ve found my headaches to be manageable if I avoid food triggers, make sure to get enough sleep, and take precautions if I feel one coming on. I’m sure Michele could do the same.
Don’t make me defend Michele Bachmann’s right to have nasty headaches while fancying herself President of We’re Only Gay in a Happy Way Land. And, more importantly, don’t give her an excuse to play the victim card. Though I sort of doubt that Sarah Palin would lend it to her long enough for that.
Photo via this place.
