Worst headache ever and its causes

I had the worst headache ever last week. I've never had a headache last beyond a day and this time it was 2.5 days. I'd even venture that I haven't felt that ill in 14 years (when prep for a laparoscopy resulted in me vomiting all over my old house's beautiful wooden floors. anyway!).

Since I am at heart a science person, I tried to figure out what was the cause so I can be sure to not repeat whatever I did. Of course on day 2 I was googling the big c word.

low blood pressure - I think this triggered some of it because I was in a meeting and remember feeling really ill very suddenly. I grabbed an apple (I always have apples), sliced it in half, shook some salt onto it and ate it quickly.I felt better, enough to continue the meeting at my desk, but an hour later, I felt that sudden nausea again with the headache. So I packed up quickly, didn't even say good-bye and I rushed home.

(as an aside, the route I take home has, what seems like, a million speed bumps and I felt each and every bump. it was awful)

I haven't been super good with my 2 L of water. I was probably short about 500 ml a day so there could have been a bit of dehydration.

My patch had to be replaced on the Thursday (this was the Wednesday when it all started). My gynae has said that the withdrawal of hormones has various side effects; it seems I'm prone to the headaches.



Then psychologically... now hang in with me for a sec.

I am addicted to a podcast called Personality Hacker and when they analysed my type, they said we often display physical illness symptoms when things are going on with our emotions. I suppose it's because introverted feeling takes real work for me to access.

Well, that resonates. The last time I had a really bad headache with the nausea... nothing physical had happened but I was stressed about a situation, and I felt out of control choosing the "better" (for everyone) choice in that situation even though it was very stressful for me.

So last week I put it down to one major thing, and two minor things. The major thing being the house and the fact that even though I am doing everything properly, I can't control things exactly. Ideally, a person should make one phone call, and you should get confirmation of cover. I have had 7 phone calls and I still don't have my confirmation of cover.... everybody has been perfectly pleasant and very willing to help, but all seem to lack attention to detail, so this letter has gone back and forth all the time.

They are not things you can delegate - insurance companies need to talk to the insured themselves, and I am more financially-minded so I have to do these things. This is why I've said in the past I hate moving house. There's the admin, and the fact that everyone keeps asking me for feedback on the house, and I know people care but it just feels like everyone's hounding me because I don't actually know what to say. When I have news, I will tell you...

The two minor things are I'm listening to When Breath becomes Air, and obviously every back pain is suddenly not age, but the big C. The other thing is it's been a year since a friendship fell by the wayside. I was driving to work, past the location where we were last together as "proper friends" and thought, "OH! GOSH! I still can't believe that's over".



Thankfully, and I seriously praise God, the headache finally left on Friday night because when I woke on Sat, there was about a 5% twinge but once I was up and about I was perfectly fine.

Of course I've been super careful about no coffee, and been sure to drink lots of water, and not stew on things but deal with stuff, because I'd rather not endure that kind of hell again soon.

How are you doing?
Do you find that your "illnesses" are sometimes linked to stress/ not dealing with things?  

PS I'm using pics from previous years just because they make me happy.