Exhaustion flooded my body, leaving a dull ache pulsating just behind my eyes. With my right thumb and index finger, I squeezed the bridge of my nose, exhaling deeply, trying to soothe the pain. This tactic worked temporarily; at least until the bus hit a pothole or speedbump, sending jolts of electricity into my skull.

I reached into the yellow and red backpack that I had nestled beneath my seat and extracted a red pill bottle from the small front compartment. Twisting off the cap, I shook three oval tablets into my palm, threw them into my mouth, tilted my head back, and swallowed. I took another deep breath, allowing my body to relax as the medication entered my bloodstream. I could tell it was beginning to work when the bus hit one of the city’s famous potholes, and I could no longer feel my brain jostling around in my head.