I ordered another taxi and made my way out to wait in front of the motel, in despair that I might miss my flight. I stood on the dark footpath and spoke on the phone to my sister in Queensland about how I had missed my taxi and how unwell I felt. My health condition can affect my ability to think clearly, and I was telling her how my brain just wasn't working that day.
Migraine is an "invisible illness," which means you can look totally fine on the outside while dealing with symptoms that make it nearly impossible to think clearly, see straight, or tolerate light and noise. And despite how often it's dismissed as "just a headache,", migraine is actually a chronic neurological disease - one that affects how the brain processes pain and sensory information, says Dr. Zarmina Mufti, a neurologist, headache specialist, and migraine educator who regularly shares educational content about living with migraine on social media.