LiveWire

A rather accurate depiction of a visual migraine aura

Obviously now a topic in the news because of the revelation that Michele Bachmann suffers from them, Dr. Sajay Gupta at CNN addresses some basics about migraines. I’ve mentioned on quite a few occasions on Tammy Radio that I, too, have them but rarely–about once or twice a year. Those of us who have experienced the hell of a migraine (replete with aura, excrutiating pain and nausea) seem to be taking Bachmann’s news more seriously than others. No, this isn’t about having ‘headaches.’ It is quite a different experience.

I have no idea what it must be like to have them on a regular basis; I’ve always known I’m lucky that I have them so infrequently. The last one was in January soon after the massacre in Arizona, and the one before that almost exactly a year earlier when Sydney, my pup, was diagnosed with cancer (which she has, thankfully, nicely survived). A doctor once suggested I take medication to prevent them, which I declined only because the experience isn’t chronic. But when one hits, no one sees me for a day, and the recovery from that day itself takes another week.

Bottom line–Bachmann’s episodes are so serious she has sought hospital intervention. This fact helps to make sense of these earlier mystery news stories about Bachmann being hospitalized but without details as to why. This from February of 2006: Bachmann suspends campaign for medical treatment and this from July of 2010: Congresswoman Michele Bachmann Hospitalized. Most of us who suffer do not require hospital intervention, so Bachmann does need to explain why that is the case for her–is there an underlying condition? Is it now managed to the degree that she no longer (as of last year apparently) needs emergency response? CNN has asked what medication she’s on and as of yet her campaign has not responded to that request. Addressing this issue, btw, is not an attack on Bachmann any more than asking critical questions of her agenda, intentions, and accomplishments–it’s called “vetting.”

After all, if there is something to find out, don’t you prefer we find it out now instead of Obama using it as an October 2012 surprise? We have one chance to get 2012 right, the future of the nation is at stake, and we’re in the position we are now because everyone thought it rude to ask serious, critical questions of Barack Obama. If the Republicans expect the nominee to beat Obama, that same person had better be able to handle important questions from the base. If they can’t, how in God’s name do you expect him or her to survive what Obama and his gestapos will do to them in the general election?

Additional links:

Migraine Aura Foundation

CNN collection of videos about migraine

Mayo Clinic: Migraine

UPDATE:

Congressional doctor explains Bachmann migraines