XI - In Bed

In Bed

Summary

- Joan Didion

The essay, "IN BED" written by Joan Didion revolves around the problem of migraine headache. According to the author migraine headache differs from the ordinary headache. In migraine headache either the left or right temple of the head is affected whereas in the ordinary headache there is pain in the whole head. She talks about migraine in general and her own in particular. The author herself is one of the victim of migraine headache. She talks about the misconception regarding migraine. She comes to the objective point of medical knowledge. She discusses about the cause and effect of it. Though she faces many ups and down due to migraine at last she handles the pain and suffering with an intellectual response.

         The author herself is suffering from migraine headache. She has gone through many problems caused by migraine headache. She tells that there is misconception among people regarding migraine. People think that "migraine is fancy of neurotic imagination". It means it is just a made up of mental problem out of stressed and disturbed mind. But the writer tells that migraine is something more than the fancy of a neurotic imagination.She further tells that the one who has directly experience migraine headache can only feel its pain. Generally people think that some of causing factors behind migraine headache are eye strain,brain tumor and high blood pressure but the writer tells that neither she has eye strain nor brain tumor nor high blood pressure but still she is suffering from migraine headache. Rather she tells that anything can attack migraine headache such as stress,allergy,an abrupt change in barometric pressure and sudden flashing light etc.

               From general point of view of migraine headache she comes to the particular view. Particular view means her own personal experience regarding migraine. She sometimes feels ashamed of herself because she has to tell a lie by choosing an option that she suffers from migraine only sometimes while filling of application form. She tells that migraine is heredity since her grandmother,father and her mother were also suffering from migraine headache. Quite surprising she tells that even her husband is also a sufferer. Out of it,she suppose herself to be fortunate to have husband who is suffering from migraine headache. In spite of the fact that he himself is unlucky at least he can understand the writer's problem.

         The writer went through the medical treatment she has taken many medicine but nothing worked. She faced many obstacles. She could not tolerate the pain and suffering caused by migraine headache. She let no stone unturned to find solution to her problem medically but she is not able to come out of it. But recently she has developed an art to handle and manage the problem of migraine. In doing so,she gives an intellectual response to migraine headache. She no more fights with migraine rather she accepts it since it is bitter reality. Whenever,migraine approaches her problem, she lies down and let it happen. She concentrates over pain and does yoga as result after few minutes of suffering she finds herself relived and relaxed.