A reader writes:
I am a long time reader and am happy to see you have followed up on this migraine story. As a chronic migraine sufferer myself (I've finally got them down to one per week) I do think that whether one can function as president with a severe chronic condition like this is an interesting question. Personally, I think that anyone healthy enough to campaign successfully is healthy enough to serve as president. However, I found the tone that many of these articles took to be offensive. We migraineurs have to regularly fight the stigma that the problem is all in our heads or not bad enough to justify our responses to it. But as soon as it is politically convenient the condition is a grave condition which makes us unable to perform duties and turn to pills.
It would be great if you could spread a few truths about the condition.
Specifically, that chronic migraines are not "stress headaches," but a genetic condition similar to epilepsy that is fully independent of the sufferer's personality. While there are some triggers that help a migraine to form (including stress), many triggers are unavoidable or unidentifiable; it isn't our fault that we suffer. It is difficult to see the pain that migraineurs suffer through and easy to doubt them, but kindly understanding them makes very little difference in your life and a huge difference in theirs. And most of all, for the love of God, never tell us that you can stop your migraines with Advil!
Another:
I'm sure your other readers have mentioned this, but one drug that supposedly relieves migraines is marijuana. A former boss (a VP at an advertising agency no less) once admitted to me that none of the medication he was prescribed did the job as well as weed. He said something along the lines of, "One minute I'm nauseated and bent over the toilet and the next I'm raiding the fridge."
By the way, I really, really like celery while stoned (something about the crunch and the subtle flavor). Just saying.
The Dish 