Tedx Blog #7: Migraine Mayhem & Birthday Magic
🌀 TEDxTruth #7: The body always has a say.
After April’s rehearsal, I felt good. Really good.
Now it was about refining - memorising to the point that I could dream it. I spiced it up: I sung it. Rapped it. I even tried an opera version!
May’s task was simple: submit a video of ourselves delivering the talk.
I was actually looking forward to it… until life had other plans.
Jeroen was away, so I left the recording until Sunday. He was due home, I’d have the kids sorted, the house quiet and I’d nail it. Perfect plan, right?
Except his return was delayed. And then a migraine hit.
By Sunday night I was in bed, fighting pain and fog, unable to string a full sentence together. Monday morning I tried again - stood in front of the camera, eyes heavy, brain blank. Nothing came out.
And honestly? That scared me.
Because what if that happened on the day?
What if the headaches - these lingering echoes of meningitis, these cyclical, inevitable migraines - stole my words when I needed them most?
It was a brutal reminder: if I wanted to make it to July, I had to prioritise rest and rhythm. No shortcuts. No martyrdom. Just deep respect for my body and its limits.
Eventually, I came to my senses and messaged the team for an extension. They graciously agreed and the next day I recorded a fresher version. Another lesson learned.
There is a lot of incredible footage of May and June’s practices; many bloopers of when I was trying to record myself. I don't know about you, but put me alone in a room with a camera and a task and it's guaranteed chaos! The funny thing is that on most days, my first take was the best one.
I wanted to practice standing up - speaking to people, not just into the void. I wanted to hear my own delivery. See the gestures. Spot the cringe moments.
And Catherine’s advice during this phase was gold:
“Don’t over-do it. Practice when you feel like it. Don’t drag yourself through a run if your energy isn’t there. It’ll be sluggish and that will carry into your final delivery.”
It was the permission slip I didn’t know I needed. As a last-minute gal, I tend to overcompensate - setting rigid goals, ticking boxes, “performing” practice instead of living it. This freed me up. It gave me space to trust myself and the process.
Then June rolled around.
This rehearsal fell on my birthday. (And yes, I made sure everyone knew! 😅)
That night turned out to be one of the most special of the whole journey.
I watched my fellow speakers absolutely nail their talks. I saw the butterflies in their stomachs, the quiet triumphs, the shaky hands. We celebrated not just the polished moments, but the wobbles too.
Sam (TEDx queen of hospitality) had put on another incredible spread and to top it all off; I was surprised with a cake & card - a memory I will cherish forever. What a special bunch!
I’ll never forget it.
I left that night on a high - grateful for another year of life, grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, grateful for the friendships forged in this process.
Two and a half weeks to go.
Bring it on.
Click here to read the previous blog about my February wobble.
Stay tuned for the next blog talking about following rehearsals.
Find all the blogs on the Period Reality TEDx page.
This talk was never just about me.
It’s about a global call for gender equity through Cycle Awareness.
It’s about system change that starts with understanding our bodies.
It’s about bringing that conversation to the TEDx stage - and far, far beyond.
Because the TEDx stage wasn’t the destination.
It was just the beginning.
#NotDesignedForTheGrind
#TEDxTruths
#TEDxNorthwich
