Migraine

I came across this today - I can't say for sure if Austen wrote this description. The novel is "Sanditon" and it was a fragment that Austen started before her death and someone else finished.

The story takes place in a small seaside resort - a minor character is Miss Lambe, a young lady who has been brought to the seaside because the sea air, her companions hope, will help her frequent Migraine attacks. She is forced to spend much of her time in her room, and cannot go out on rainy days, or when there is much wind. "The slightest exertion seems to bring one on."

Our heroine, Miss Heywood, brings Miss Lambe together with young Mr. Arthur Parker, who has always been something of a hypo-chondriac. He discovers that Miss Lambe shares an interest with him in shells and sea-weed, and gets her to accompany him and Miss Heywood on collecting and sketching expeditions.

Here's the description I loved:

"...although [Arthur's] preoccupation with comfort and his anxiety about health remained considerable, all his solicitude in these matters was now entirely at Miss Lambe's disposal.

"He must himself carry her folding chair, her easel and her drawing paper... In Miss Lambe, ... Arthur had encountered ... a genuine invalid, who despised her own weakness, disliked talking about her own symptoms, and overtaxed her own strength in her eagerness to lead a normal life whenever she was capable of it."

We've had many threads here on the forum dealing with people who moan and complain about their minor problems - listen to this:

"His sisters had always encouraged Arthur to discuss his minor ailments at such length that it astonished him when Miss Lambe denied having a headache, pretended to feel better than she really did, and made so few complaints as to seem almost ashamed of her condition."

I am willing to bet this was written either by a Migraineur or by someone who knew a Migraineur very well!

- Megs

I read this when I was not a Migraineur. I'm so glad you reminded me of it.

Wow. I'm going to read it again... Thanks for sharing.

Kelly

Wow, Megan. That small passage is incredibly powerful.

I'm still struck by the descriptions of the mother in Ian McEwan's Atonement. He did such a good job of describing what living with frequent migraines is like that it was emotionally painful for me to read about her situation.