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        New Message Board Archives >> 2006-2007 Getting to Know Ya Posts >> My introduction
        
(Message started by: mzrolwes on Jun 9^th, 2006, 3:23pm)

Title: My introduction
Post by mzrolwes on Jun 9^th, 2006, 3:23pm

I kind of had my intro on another page but here's the full introduction.

I'm 28, my first cluster was when I was 18. I went home from school every day for a month. My Calculus class was in the afternoon and I missed it more often than not. Then I took *pink pills*. My dad sweared by them. All there were were grocery store brand sinus tablets. I'm sure they did nothing and the CH just worked its way out of my body in those few hours but i took them anyway, jic they actually helped. My Calculs teacher called my mom furious that I missed class for a field trip when I had been leaving school early every day. My mom ripped her a new one and said it was the first pain free day I'd had in over a month...she was nice after that. I never went to a dr.

Second cluster was almost 3 yrs to the date. I was in College and went to my primary. They said I had vascular headaches and i should reduce stress. I ended up screaming at the nurse on the phone that was feeding me that line of bs. How am I supposed to reduce stress when these headaches are making me fail my classes. I went to another dr. I got diagnosed with migraines and cluster headaches. I was given something ineffective but by then my month was up.

3 years almost to the day I was in grad school out of state. By now I'm seeing a neurologist to help me with my migraines. Did I mention I get *regular headaches*, migraines, tension headaches sinus headaches AND clusters? They are all very different and I have the misfortune of knowing the difference and how to treat them. Anyway, I was seeing this terrible neurologist who put me on beta blockers, antidepressants and a litany of migraine drugs. Imitrex was fine but I usually couldn't take it in time for it to help. The only drug that has really helped me is Zomig. I love Zomig, you can take it at any point in a migraine and it works. The neurologist was ready to put me on an anti seizure drug. I asked a pharmacist about the side effects and birth defects. He was shocked that the dr was willing to put me on it without a pg test or birth control b/c of the horrible defects it can cause. i was not trying to get pg but still, you might want to tell a newly married woman something about that. Around this same time I started seeing a new gynocologist that figured out I had a progesterone imbalance and that was a likely culprit for my migraines. My neurologist all but said that was stupid and I would end up with more. He was wrong, my migraines are vary well managed and I have never seen him again. During my cluster that time round he had my try lots of different migraine drugs then told me to take nothinig b/c i was rebounding. That landed me in a noisy ER waiting for a dr. I was there so long it went away and we went home. I asked about oxygen and he said no b/c I don't have cluster headache, "You don't fit the profile." Eventually that greuling month was over. I had to ask for my first ever extension in order to finish my course work and still pass.

All three of those clusters were in November. November of 2005 would have been the date for my next cluster. I held my breath as the month came and went and I didn't get a cluster. I was over joyed. maybe having a baby fixed it. It fixed my endometriosis, it changed many things about my body so why not this? Well my new cluster has started, its just a little belated.

I called my primary this morning and they couldn't see me until monday, but i managed to get a nurse on the phone and explained. They agree I have ch's and have prescribed oxygen. i am so elated I can't even tell you. The promise of making the hell stop in only 20 minutes is more than I can handle. I keep waiting for the supply company to call me back and schedule delivery...the clock is ticking and my next headache is due to hit in about 2-3 hrs.

My dr's office called back and I'm going in next week to talk about preventive measures. If I can find somehting to make it stop I will be in awe. Its hard for a 2 yr old to understand. Last night I got mine on my drive home from picking up my son at the babysitters. I managed to put a movie on for him before retreating to my room and having my breakdown. I kept pushing the wrong damn button on the dvd player and ejecting the movie or stoping it. Meanwhile, my sweet baby kept saying, "Mommy? Tired mommy? Mommy sick? Mommy all done?" Its heart breaking. The other day he came in and shared a pillow with me as I recovered. Then when I got up from bed I realized he had dragged a pillow in from the guest room and put it by my bed.

Title: Re: My introduction
Post by Charlotte on Jun 9^th, 2006, 3:45pm

I'm sure Johnny or somebody will give you all the info on this, but it helps to have the right apparatus on the 02.

Congratulations for getting it and I hope it will help.

Charlotte

p.s. I'm sorry. I forgot to say, "Welcome."

Title: Re: My introduction
Post by Richr8 on Jun 9^th, 2006, 4:21pm

Hi MZ!

Sorry to hear you are in cycle agin, but you've found a great place for help and advice

Yep! Charlotte's right. You need to get one of these to maximize the benfit of O2:

http://homepages.nildram.co.uk/~tritech2/clusterx/index.html

Before I had my clustemask, O2 worked about 40% of the time. Now with the CM, it's bettr than 60%.

Best of luck. Hang around and read all that you can. THere is lots of great info here.