The Baynhams

"What a difference a pill makes"

I get migraines. I have done since I was in my teens. I've tried many, many cures over the years from natural to medication. I own a multitude of wheat sacks which I heat in the microwave to lay over my head (brilliant for distracting the pain during the middle of the night) I rub Tiger balm on my forehead to tingle the skin and blur the sharpness of the pain. I have taken a million natural remedies and have tried every over-the-counter tablet possible. If the migraine gets severe enough it leads to vomiting and spending long periods of time in the bathroom. I have wasted days lying in bed with a pillow over my head while normal life goes on around me.

And so about a year ago my GP suggested that I should try a preventer, something he had previously suggested and I had resisted. I relented and despite a few teething problems adjusting to taking a twice a day blood pressure medication that also lowers my pulse rate I can honestly say that I now get way, way less migraines. When I do get them I can nip them in the bud with another tablet, Zomig, which I previously used regularly but now only need about once a month. Last night I felt a migraine coming on. I went to bed early to try to beat it. I couldn't find my Zomig tablets and although I knew I had a spare dose in the car I was too tired to bother getting it. All night I tossed and turned and had all sorts of troubling dreams. I woke crying a couple of times distressed by the stories unfolding in my head and yet aware that they were not real. I didn't know if the migraine was causing the jumbled dreams or the jumbled dreams were increasing the migraine. By the time 5am came along I was vomiting and ended up unlocking the front door and going out onto the driveway to get the Zomig from the car. Why I didn't just take it the night before I don't know but with another couple of hours sleep under my belt I woke up fine. A bit shaky and feeling like I had drunk a bottle of red through a straw but no migraine. How can one tiny tablet have such amazing magic powers?

Byron got up with the kids and looked out the window at the blue sky. He offered to take the kids to the beach and leave me to sleep off the after effects of the migraine. A few years ago this would have been an automatic yes but because of this wonder-pill I got up and said I felt well enough to join them. We took our time gathering sunscreen and bottles of water and headed out to the beach after breakfast. It was about to become...

(when I've fed the kids, got dressed, made a cup of tea, emptied the dishwasher and helped Rhiannon to wrap a gift for a party starting in 25minutes time... Ah normal life, don't you just love it!)

* OK, I'm back, kids are fed, the party was great and the crayon roll present went down a treat!

Yesterdays beach day was so good. There is a great beach about 40minutes drive away called Caves Beach. It has a big long expanse of golden sand, lifeguards manning between the yellow and red flags and some great caves and rock-pools to explore when the heat of the sun gets to much. One of the big caves feels incredibly cool and makes for fun silhouette photos!

Sian unexpectedly met a school friend in the sea and got to share her body board and had fun coasting in on the waves.



For a short while I panicked as I scanned the kids swimming and couldn't pick her out.



It might have been something to do with her being the same height as the board!

We ended the day like all the best days do: Relaxing with an ice-cream!

I'm so glad I got to spend the day with them instead of hiding at home in bed on my own. Now all I have to do is wash a mountain of towels and swimmers and the half ton of sand they managed to bring home with them! I hope you are having a good weekend too...