I've been getting CH's for 15 years. Last night my girlfriend had to call 911 for a trip to the ER room. It was one of those KIP10's, 2 1/2 hours, vomiting and sprawled on the bathroom floor types. At least i do it right, huh.

The medics were there in less than 10 minutes but it felt longer. I imagine it always does. It felt like KIP30MINUTES. I think I just invented a new scale.

I wish I didn't get these headaches but I have never felt sorry for myself. Last night was very stormy(I'm Jersey outside of Philly) and I was parked in the hallway on a gurney about 50 foot from the ambulance entrance. Keep in mind this is my first hospital visit ever. They were bringing "customers" in one after another. This went on for 3 hours. Then I heard over one of the nurses phones "code red, child, 10 minutes", soon to be followed by "code white 2", all necessary personnel and equipment to room 2 I deduced, because that's exactly what happened. Not a mad dash but orderly chaos. ETA 5 minutes, ETA 2 minutes, I see the pediatrics surgeon walk out from room 2, take a peek and turn around. Two other incoming accident victims arrive and are lined up on the far wall and wait with what i guess are minor injuries, because the EMT attendants have their backs to them looking towards room 2. I hear the nurse ask were are they, and she's says there's traffic and it's a storm out there. I can see that from my vantage point. Then I see lights flashing and it gets real quiet.

Did you ever watch one of those dozen or so ER shows and a code red comes in and they're running along the stretcher saying BP is blank over blank, get a cbc and etc.? Not here. The EMT's calmly push the stretcher through the door, one of them squeezing a bag, releasing, squeezing, releasing, never looking up. The other makes eye contact with a nurse. It's quiet. She points and holds up 2 fingers. They turn to go in to the room and I see a kid, bare legs half bent out to the side, bare arms over his/her head. I notice ER patient relatives peak out of doorways.
I was there for another 1/2 hour and they were still working on that kid. I do not know what the outcome was, I don't need to. I know that I am lucky

This is one of the songs I'm going to listen to tonight. I'm feeling pretty good.

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Tell us what you have learned, in 15-years of CH, about how to care for youself.

Hey Batch, received your email on O2 and it's being worked on for this week, thanks so much.

Bob,
I've learned more in the last year and a half than the 14 years before that. My Friday night ER visit I had the initial attack and another one in the hospital.  My first request once in the ambulance: OXYGEN. My next question: what is the flow rate? 12lpm. Please increase it, thank you. WITHOUT YOU PEOPLE I NEVER WOULD HAVE ASKED THAT. The hospital tank ran out while I was in that hallway but my headache subsided so I didn't think anything of it, until I felt that precursor we all feel. I was at the beginning stage of the CH by the time it was hooked back up, but I have to tell everybody...AMAZING. If you have not tried O2 try it. If it didn't work the first time, try it again, and if you have any questions email Batch, I barely know him but I know he won't mind. Starting today it's not a CH, it's a ch.

My first post on this site was a week and a half ago and I kind of gave a quick history of my ch's. If I could pick one thing I've learned it is to question, push, insist, etc. your doctor. If you are on this site, there is a good chance you know as much about this disease as them. And don't be afraid to change doctors. And if they schedule you 2-3 months down the road, that is not acceptable.