Anything But This is a collection of personal thoughts and experiences by the author Hitesh Goenka.
I started the book with lots of expectation. I am myself a victim of migraine for 10-15 years now and my migraine is not episodic but chronic in nature that is I get it twice a week. So basically I remain ill on most days of the week. So I try to understand the process of this neurological disorder every now and then so I can manage it better as it has affected my whole lifes direction in a deteriorating way.
This book is about his experience where he shares how painful for him were his 3 decades with it.
As the book starts we get to know he had a series of symptoms from his very childhood. Not only that, as migraine is a genetic disorder it came from his mother who he describes as a true warrior who never lets the pain succumb her life's ways. I felt respect for her.
Slowly the book flows into it's chapters of events. He has even included some poems here and there to describe his emotions.
Here we get to know how the wrath of hellish pain has changed his life gradually. Not only that he also experiences vertigo which adds to the plight.
I did feel connected at some level with his experiences as I feel the similar kind of confusion, blankness in my mind when migraine strikes. The similar kind of mind fog, excrutiating pain, triggers that sets it in like bluescreens and sunlight and stress. That migraine makes us almost misunderstood by people, that our relations change during time, that it has made me truly tougher and surgeries feel less fearful as I remind myself I already face the hoorendous pain on most of the days. The "Preventive Measures" chapter was an insightful read.
The last part that is part D is about his big revelation that is the cure that he found . Ancient practitioners used to suggest such techniques. Well not truly a cure but something that helps him a lot practicing because migraine didnot subside even for him. I am placing this part to be judged by the readers alone to understand if it's a correct choice in life for their own cure or not.
I am not gonna lie I expected a lot from this book. It felt like my first book on Migraine. I expected this book to explain me deeper knowledge about this neurological disorder apart from the symtoms that vary from person to person which alas , I didnot find in the chapters. I feel author should also come up with a book about what he learnt about it through out the years and present it to Migraineurs so we can understand the basics better than having general knowledge apart from this collection of personal journals as well. As a reader I would truly love to read more from his learnings.