Is It Serious?

Yesterday morning Daughter told me she had a headache. This sometimes goes with low blood sugars, so I had her check her blood sugar. It was fine. I decided it wasn't anything to worry about. Daughter is something of a hypochondriac. She also has a tendency to create physical symptoms to reflect emotional pain. I knew that the weather closings this past week had been very hard on her.

She got busy with other things and I didn't hear anything more about the headache. She even did an exercise video. Then, late in the afternoon, she came into my office, sobbing. "Mom, my head really hurts, I need help." She went on to describe other symptoms: numbness in her legs, blurred vision, and a painful stomach. Again her blood sugar was fine. I suggested she take some ibuprofen, and then I began the mental struggle. How bad was her headache? Was this something serious? How long should I wait before taking her to the urgent care? I go through this struggle several times a year. Other times I can tell it's nothing serious, but there are times when it seems the pain is very real. Could she have a migraine?

I finally decided to try a diversion. I had recorded A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum this week, so I took our homemade pizza up to the TV room and started the movie. At first, she was subdued, but as the movie went on, she began to laugh. By the end of the movie, the headache was forgotten, and I was relieved. I'm off the hook, at least until the next time she tries to convince me she is desperately ill.