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        New Message Board Archives >> Jan-Mar 2003 >> 3 P'S
        
(Message started by: tokray on Jan 3^rd, 2003, 4:57pm)

Title: 3 P'S
Post by tokray on Jan 3^rd, 2003, 4:57pm

I am a new board newby. So I guess I should give a little backround of myself. I am a 35 year old male who has suffered from CH's since I was 18. Two weeks ago they came back, it has been almost two years pain free. I suffer from 3-4 per day, day and night. Last night I started my bout at 5:30 and it lasted 5 horrible hours. This gave me a lot of time to think. That's when I came up with the 3 P's. #1 PAIN we all know how bad it is and nothing seems to help. We have tried everything with little or no relief. I take pain pills and crawl into the dark. Which brings me to #2 PANIC if you are a new sufferer you need to learn not to panic. Slow down. I have found it hard to get any type of help when I panic. Explain your situation, get as much help as you can and deal with it. They don't get better. This brings me to #3 PATIENCE. I believe this is the most important P there is. The beast will go away it is just a matter of time. Hang in there let people help you. Especially your spouse. During my 5 hour headache last night my wife checked on me about every half hour and let me tell you a back rub feels better than any medication you can take. Try it! Let them go to your Dr. appointments with you. You will need their support. I hope I have made some sense.

TODD

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by Jabeen on Jan 3^rd, 2003, 5:04pm

Just wanted to say "hello"...like everyone says here-sorry you had to find us,, but glad you did. I have never had a 5 hour attack...I have been relatively lucky-the longest one was probably 15 minutes or so. I never thought I was "lucky" until I found all these people and read horror stories. Made mine look lame. Anyway-theres a lot of info here-
Jabeen :) :) :)

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by jonny on Jan 3^rd, 2003, 5:07pm

on 01/03/03 at 16:57:22, tokray wrote:

Hang in there let people help you.

Anyone touch's me during a HA will be making a trip to the ER.

But hey!!, thats just me and how I deal.

................................jonny :D

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by cathy on Jan 3^rd, 2003, 5:10pm

A big hello, sorry you've landed yourself with the beast....5 hours..... seen my hubby go at it for 3 that was bad enough :-/

Sending you PF wishes... ;)

Cathy :)

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by 2late on Jan 3^rd, 2003, 5:55pm

welcome to the board, you tried it all with no luck? if that's the case i'd need alot more than the P's to get me thru, a 5 hour CH!! good luck bro' ..........2late

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by cecile on Jan 3^rd, 2003, 5:58pm

sorry to hear about your pain coming back

i had about 3 or 4 time the same thing as you : unthinkable crisis during so more hours. The 1st time I was so panic that i rush to the hospital where my doc works. In fact when pain is so long, it is not only one crisis but several one after the over. I know that it won't change anything but it may help to have as many as possible informations on this bloody CH.

take care

cécile

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by brain_cramps on Jan 3^rd, 2003, 6:02pm

5hrs - I know what you're going thru... it sucks!!!

You forgot 1 'P'. The bag of frozen peas! absolute necessity for me ;D

hoping for a break for you

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by kim on Jan 3^rd, 2003, 6:15pm

Hey tokray,

Those words are valient........Unfortunately, I wore them all out like army boots long ago! LOL.

Welcome and well wishes.
Kim

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by cootie on Jan 3^rd, 2003, 6:17pm

I's gonna say.....if I even "tried" ta touch Brad durein an attack I'd come up with a bloody stump of an arm......yeeks......I have my saftey zone at the other enda the house.....even the cats all stay away. But hey....everone is different. Sorry ya had to go thru a 5 hr CH Todd.....Brad's went 2 hr's or longer at least when his first started up over 15 yrs ago 'plus'....and went a year or so without treatment with at least two attacks per day......6 am and 6 pm.....cuz no one knew what they were. They don''t follow that exact clockwork pattern anymore tho....Hang in there and keep in touch tay.....all I can say is yer wife is brave....ha-ha-ha.......Pam ;)

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by ave on Jan 3^rd, 2003, 6:22pm

Tokray, sadly welcome.

Just one niggling little question. I see you write about crawling away into the dark. I've never been able to do that with a cluster. Crawling all right, but just to keep moving...

You say you take pain pills? Are you getting the right medication? If it is clusters you are having, pain pills don't do much more for you than ruin your liver or/and stomach lining.

Have you tried Oxygen? Have you checked all that's under the buttons to the left here? There's a lot of insights and information. Do check it out.
Maybe you'll find a better way of dealing with the pain. Oh,. and gentle back rubs are great for some of us.

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by Charlie on Jan 3^rd, 2003, 8:12pm

Welcome to bedlam Tokray. Sorry you had reason to find our little part of the universe but at least here, you have an audience that understands.....really understands what this horror can do.

Like Jonny, if anyone tried anything tacticle with me during an attack, they'd be scraping themselves off the basement floor at the bottom of the stairs after being beaten senseless by a shovel. Good for you though, it sounds like a better deal for you.

Stick around and let us know how you're doing.

Charlie

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by jonny on Jan 3^rd, 2003, 8:22pm

on 01/03/03 at 20:12:09, Charlie wrote:

Like Jonny, if anyone tried anything tacticle with me during an attack, they'd be scraping themselves off the basement floor at the bottom of the stairs after being beaten senseless by a shovel.

Damn Charlie!!!!!, Were we seperated at birth?.......LMMFAO ;D

...........................jonny :D

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by Anja24BR on Jan 3^rd, 2003, 8:26pm

Hello everybody... :'(
I am a new member at the CH's home page... and i guess i should tell you all a little about me... My name is Maria, I'm 24 years old, and i live in Brasil.
My Cluster Headaches startet a month ago... I have had headaches before but the problem was the high blood pressure. This time i thought maybe it was the glasses that needed to be changed, because the pain was in the right eye only... I went then to the doctor, and today, exactly at 16:30 pm BR time, he told me that I had Cluster... :( Then when i came home and logged to the NET and found out this page and started to read about people telling how they are suffering... It really scared me! I'm still scared to think that i have to deal with it for the rest of my life.
The doctor prescribed me 3 kinds of medicines to easy the pain. But i still don't know if it's really going to work. Well... i hope i can make friends here because everybody here knows what i'm going through.
And i'm sorry if i have any english mistakes...
And i'm sorry also if i posted this wrong... I'm still learning how to use it and i hope you people can help me with that. My e-mail is mrdm@uol.com.br if anyone wants to reach me. And also i connected to the chat room but no one was there... i hope next time i find someone to talk to!
That's all i guess... peace to all of you

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by Ree on Jan 3^rd, 2003, 8:31pm

Its not so much being touched as it is being in control of yourself during the attack... The reason I try to be a close distance from Dave is because if the "Panic" sets in then the beast takes over... If Dave takes control it doesn't so what I do is gently try to get him to focus when I see that the Panic is coming. I would hate like Hell to be in that kind of pain and feel alone... thats just me.......... works to fight together as long as you respect what the sufferer needs... love ree

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by cootie on Jan 3^rd, 2003, 9:44pm

Ree....Yeah Brad wouldn't intentionally try and tear my limbs off....but like you said it's when the panic mode sets in or degree of the pain....I think my cats run cuz they don't want to become taxidermy.....ha-ha-ha......I gather up what he wants when an attack hits and set stuff within his reach. I go get busy else where in the house or sit in front of the TV and stare listenin....ya can't help but listen.....(ps: almost forgot.....welcome Anja) Pam :)

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by eyes_afire on Jan 3^rd, 2003, 10:15pm

Welcome Anja. A gang of us clusterheads get together and chat around 10:30pm or 11:00pm (EST USA) at this location:

http://www.headachesupportgroups.com/index.htm

Stop in and say 'Hi' :)

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by Brassbear on Jan 4^th, 2003, 5:50am

Up to 7 Kip you can touch me, after that I'm gonna rip yer face off and hand it to you in a plastic baggy!

Pain meds for me have been useless, you sure your not suffering migraines? Imitrex and time so far for me. And hey, what's this crap about a SHORT CH, all of mine are usually at least 3 hours.

Hang in there Tokray

Michael

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by suzy617 on Jan 4^th, 2003, 7:47am

Welcome Tokray. I agree with most that if anyone ever touched me during an attack I would rip every piece of hair out of their head! Otherwise I am normally a very peaceful kinda person. ;D

suzy

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by kim on Jan 4^th, 2003, 9:09am

Ree, you brought up an important issue for cluster sufferers - being in contol of themselves. I am almost afraid to say this but so be it -it happened....Not ALL the time, but more than a few times I've felt I was not in control. There were times when I was home with babies and having multiple attacks throughout the day. Day in and day out. Came a time when control was hanging by thread and I got SCARED. Called hubby at work and begged please come home I'm "AFRAID"....Very hard for me to share this. Don't even like to remember it. I was afraid for the babies....babies crying and needing to be taken care of and me being at a point............A place no one EVER wants to be. That's all. We are all capable of great strength and endurance, but we are ALSO vulnerable to those times when we can LOSE CONTROL with the repetative and viscious nature of cluster attacks.
3 P's? Maybe. Maybe NOT. ???

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by catlind on Jan 4^th, 2003, 9:21am

It's that Panic P that gets me everytime. That's when I start feeling like a trapped rat or a cornered wild animal, and it's at that point when things get dangerous.

That's when Clark will physically restrain me from leaving the house for fear of me finding a tire to stick my head under.

Ree, it's that control that is soooo important for me during an attack. If I start to feel I'm losing control that's when trouble is truly around the corner.

The wondeful things the beast does to us!

Welcome aboard tokray, be sure to take the clusterquiz and read read read. You will find more info here and on the OUCH site than anywhere else.

Cat

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by Roxy on Jan 4^th, 2003, 11:40am

Control is a really big issue with me. I can feel the panic start the minute I feel the attack starting. The absolute paralyzing fear that no abortive is going to work...and for me, the thought that anyone is going to see me, talk to me, or touch me during that time. I think I would rather do anything than have my family witness my dancing with the devil.

I know this is an issue I need to get over.....just can't seem to do it. Thankfully my family leaves me alone. I'm not sure they understand, but they figure Mom's always been a little crazy anyway. LOL ;D

Good luck and PF thoughts,

R

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by Frank on Jan 4^th, 2003, 11:57am

Last night I was sitting here at the computer while sucking on O2. I thought about posting something here, but as the pain approached Kip 7-8, I could not.

So my wife came in and suggested a couple of times that it would be better if I did the O2 while lying down. "Thank you very much, now fucking leave me alone".

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by brain_cramps on Jan 4^th, 2003, 12:17pm

on 01/04/03 at 11:57:00, Frank wrote:

So my wife came in and suggested a couple of times that it would be better if I did the O2 while lying down. "Thank you very much, now fucking leave me alone".

Somehow, they just don't get it. >:(

PANIC and PATIENCE are two keys words to remember. While being 'hitten', as the pain develops, I try to remember a few things:
1. 'WOW. I've felt this before and it didn't kill me!' :o
2. 'The pain won't kill me; only my reaction to it!'
3. 'It will go away and everything will be BETTER than normal.' ;D (for episodics)
4. 'Can someone give me a hand getting this fork outta my temple?'

OK. The last one is a little over the edge.

We are TOUGHER than this beast. (Why do we have to keep proving it?) ???

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by cootie on Jan 4^th, 2003, 12:18pm

Could the Panic P be sorta like 'point of no return' fear....to where you aren't sure you'll be able to handle it.....you jus aren't sure.....and fear of goin to a point where nothin would ever return the same if you were to panic bad enuff....did that make sense....I'm jus a supporter so may not have the rite to speak up in every issue but...it was jus a thought. Pam :)

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by kim on Jan 4^th, 2003, 12:26pm

3Ps is a good theory and can get ya through. Over the years, the word "TRY" suits me betta. Not ashamed to say that sometimes I have failed the 3Ps. ;D That's when I need my supporter. ;)

:o :o :o

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by Roxy on Jan 4^th, 2003, 12:47pm

Hey Pam,

Good thought there. I haven't ever really stopped to analyze the panic. You know what's coming...you know how bad it's going to get (especially when you have no imitrex), it builds so quickly and explosively...one second you're sitting there rocking back and forth muttering..no, no, fuck no, not again...your stomach starts clinching, your muscles tense up, and your brain is telling you to run, that maybe if you move, you can get away from it. One part of your brain knows that it will eventually stop, but the other side, it seems, in my case at least, it just goes into full panic mode. Can I handle this again? Can I make it through it? How do I cope?

Even though you know it will pass, the pain is so bad at the time that I think I will never be in control again.

Don't know if that makes sense....it's really hard to describe. Having a back rub during an attack, at least for me, is totally out of the question. Any support at all, during an attack, is VERY unwelcome. And after it's over...I prefer everyone to just ignore it. The most I'll let my husband do is just ask if I'm okay.

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by cootie on Jan 4^th, 2003, 12:59pm

I believe panic gives you limited reaction time....everone is differen't of course.....it's like a split desicion.....stay or flee....sum say if attacked in the jungle by a wild "beast" stay and bluff yer way out...others say 'run' or be eaten alive......not much time ta decide when ya can hear the heavy foot steps speedin in yer direction. Pam

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by kim on Jan 4^th, 2003, 1:00pm

Perhaps I am misreading some of the posts - if so - woops - but supporters do much more than give a back rub and interrupt our dance ::)

Supporters run the fort when your down and out. Without Brian I would be lost if left alone to deal. No matter how many times I told him to Fuckoff, he was still there to do things that I could not at the time.

3Ps is one thing.....

Thanks Brian. Words are NOT enough and in comparison, 3Ps just don't CUT it...

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by Roxy on Jan 4^th, 2003, 1:05pm

Support to me means that you're not alone. I may not want my husband around at the time of the dance...but I know he's there...just in the next room. And I know he understands...there won't be any fuss or gripes, no big production made. Whatever I want, he will give his best to provide.

Physically, I want to be alone. But, I'm never alone mentally.

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by cootie on Jan 4^th, 2003, 1:38pm

Fuckoff is a big word in our vocubulary round here durein episodes....Them dam telemarketer's been buggin us BAD and nothin worse then onea there calls durein an attack and we jus let da machine take calls but I'll fergot and have it turned "up" way too loud ta hear messages when I get home whatever....yipes.....we get those long messages where ya won a trip 'n they go on and on in those extremley annoyin loud happy voices. Maes ya wish the answerin machine came with a loud 'Fuckoff' return message button !!!! Usually I jus have ta settle for da verbal version while runnin round grabbin stuff fer Brad he needs and meds and get da hell outa his way. Those people always call back.....and I don't ferget a voice. Pam

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by catlind on Jan 4^th, 2003, 2:32pm

Roxy,

I'd have to say that's a very very apt description of what I call my Panic P.

Brain Cramps, #4 works for me, except I think mine is a white hot ice pick.

As for the Patience P, that's one virtue I never had to begin with, so you can well imagine what I'm like when I'm gettin hit. Hittin the O2 and waiting as I watch the clock tick by, and 15 min. feels like 15 hours, hoping that it will abort, and won't last long.

Patience? Nope, not gonna happen with this clusterhead I'm afraid!

Cat

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by Margi on Jan 4^th, 2003, 4:57pm

Cat, patience isn't expected of a clusterhead under attack...that's what we supporters are for, ok? Don't sell yourself short, though my friend. You DO have tons of patience in other areas of your world, ok? Take for example, my technical questions of you AD NAUSEUM this last little while!! You never ONCE made me feel stupid and repeatedly and patiently explained and explained until my little pea brain understood you.

Ree brought up a VERY good point here: the one about Dave's ability to stay in control. I think that's the biggest weapon in the arsenal, sometimes an unattainable goal for a sufferer.

Ree and Cootie, you have both showed in this thread the true meaning of being supporters, and that is to be able to find and maintain that control. Good job, gals. Cootie, I wish you'd stop saying you're 'just a supporter'... it's a BIG job, honey, and it sounds like you work hard at it. It also sounds like you succeed at it. So, be PROUD of being a supporter, Pam - you deserve to be.

p.s. Kim, good for you for saying what you did here. I know that wasn't easy. You rock, gal. ;)

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by kim on Jan 4^th, 2003, 6:12pm

:DHey Margi -LOL! Lets mess everbodyup and be best freends! LOL! Your okay. We got to a sloppy starry start == hell sodo the bestafrends....

Peace. Kim

Jes soya know. Iwill neva stopbein WEIRD ;D

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by cootie on Jan 5^th, 2003, 12:02pm

Margi.....thanks......I didn't start out good at this support stuff years ago....I'm not a very pateint person as it is.....I jus didn't know what was goin on, neither of us did.....I love my new family here.....thanks agin ! Pam

Title: Re: 3 P'S
Post by cecile on Jan 5^th, 2003, 4:01pm

talking about supporter, or my part I absolutly need to have my 2 cats near by me. they are the only one who can come and cuddeling me during the crisies.

panic for my part can be sum-up by : "F..... !!! >:( where in my imitrex inhaler !!!!!"

cécile