"OH, I HAVE A MIGRAINE"

I am old enough to be the mother of several women with whom I frequently come in contact. Two of them must be the two unhealthiest people I have ever met as there is always something wrong with them. Whenever I am with them, they immediately begin to tell about their multitude of health problems. When asked how I am, I say that I'm "well, fantastic, wonderful" or some other splendid adjectives. I guess they've never been told how boring it is to talk about ailments or perhaps they have no other topic for conversation. I now offer no comments about their maladies, vainly hoping that they would get the message. I never ask, "How are you?"

I told another friend (who also has to endure their litany of complaints), "I'm going to tell them that I have POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA!" I told her that a woman who takes Water Aerobics class with me has that condition and at least it sounded interesting! The friend said, "I know you would want it to be interesting!" (CLICK HERE to see my BLOG article HASHIMOTO'S SYNDROME)

Yesterday, I said to the friend, "If I hear them open a conversation with: "Oh, I have a migraine" one more time I'm going to scream!"

Do people say it because it sounds very dramatic or that their "pain" is so severe they can't possibly have a simple headache? I know people who suffer from actual migraines but they aren't "out and about". The last time one of them told me she was "having a migraine", she'd already told me about several "errands" she'd done before arriving; I asked, with feigned amazement, "And you're here? I thought migraines made people unable to function."

Les suggested, "I think you should tell them directly that you're not interested or perhaps a simple WAAANNNHH would suffice!"