Saturday, May 1, 2010

My Aching Head

Over the past few days, a headache has been coming. It's not fun, to say the least. It attacks in waves, and doesn't stop for quite a while. Even now as I write I get the headache pounding away, screaming mental torture. I imagine it's a result of a few things: lack of sleep, stress because of exams, and the unquietening thoughts in my head, whispering away in their own time.

Seriously, I've been waking up earlier and earlier every morning; on Wednesday, I woke up at a quarter to seven. That was planned. I knew what I was doing. I was tired, yes; I had a headache later, yes. That headache was probably as a result of studying. I made the mistake of staying up until half eleven... Thursday, I woke at half six in the morning. Against my will. My alarm was set for fifteen minutes later. It's not fun to wake suddenly like that. I headed to work that day too. That was tiring, but worth it - the shop is now open! I have a job again! And later that day, we went out for dinner. Pretty much as soon as I got a chance, I went to bed; a quarter to eleven. A headache was coming on, I was very much tired... and I woke up at a quarter past six the next morning. I've been walking to college of late, and wouldn't you know it that the day I get up earliest, I start getting a story going through my head. For half an hour, I had thoughts rushing back and forth, the plot developing in my mind, the mythology of this whole other universe being unfolded painfully as I walked on.

I was alone that day, in college. More or less, anyway. One person there, but not someone who I study with all the time. See, I've realised that certain people have an affect on me when I'm trying to study. When I was in the library on Tuesday, I could read quietly with Monica beside me. Since then, I've been in a lecture room with Liam and Anthony, and I could study perfectly well with them there, with the added bonus of silence (the library gets loud...) and the chance to have a chat every now and then. Friday, though, neither of them were there. So it was difficult to study, my headache was getting worse, and I was getting more and more tired.

I walked to town. I got rained on, which gave me a sad. I bought an umbrella, then it stopped raining. I went into Eason, bought the new Darren Shan book, and got in line for the signing. My headache didn't go away, but soon the excitement of seeing my hero again got me a bit more relaxed. I had a chat with me, which made me happier, then I walked back to college. I should also point out that at some stage during the week, I hurt my ankle, so walking is painful sometimes. I tried to study some more, but my headache was getting worse. I headed home on the bus. It rained again. This time I had my magic umbrella (one of the ones with the button that opens it!) from Penneys for €6, so I didn't get too wet. But I was tired.

Later that day, or rather in the night, I went to see Iron Man 2 with some friends. It was amazing, it distracted me from my headache and my exhaustion... until I got home. Stupidly I stayed up until half one watching a movie Conor had had on before I got home. I planned to wake up at eight the next morning (today)....

Five to six, I woke up, groaned, blacked out/fell asleep for twenty minutes, then laid awake. I had to walk to work. My headache stuck with me the entire way through the day. I still have it now, pounding away. I can barely keep my eyes open. But I'm afraid to go to sleep too early, in case I don't stay asleep too long, and then I'd be awake in the middle of the night, unable to get back to sleep.

Something is definitely wrong. It might be linked to the exam stress. Heck, it has to be. These exams, no matter how many times I've been told not to worry about them, are getting to me. Add in the fact that my head won't shut up, like on Friday morning, and you've got yourself my headache. I might have a high temperature, but I don't know... I find it impossible to judge for myself. I need to just take it easy. I need to get some proper rest tonight, too. I have stuff to do before my exam on Tuesday afternoon (thank God it's in the afternoon!), and I'm in work on Monday. I want a chance to rest, a bit.

Anyone with any recommendations, please speak up. Need a way to get to sleep without resorting to thinking about something, or taking any drugs... just a natural remedy that I can use tonight!

Peace, Love and Potter,
Paul.

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