Posted by Vince S. on June 11, 1999 at 01:52:57:
In Reply to: Why Not? posted by Bob Kipple on June 10, 1999 at 18:59:21:
One week ago Tuesday I had the follow-up appointment to my MRI with my family physician.
Coincidentally, I had slept completely through the night before the appointment - my first
“pain-free” full night’s sleep in weeks. Having counted my chickens before they were hatched, I
got a real “doozy” in the waiting room. By the time they called me into the inner office, it was a
full-blown “barn-burner”; the first time in 14 years I experienced a cluster in the presence of my
doctor. Well, he was rifling through the prescription samples like you wouldn’t believe, and sent
me on my way with just about everything you can imagine. He had never seen me with my red,
swollen eye before, not to mention the rest of the “unique” physical manifestations of CH. If
nothing else, I sincerely believe he made a personal commitment that day to do whatever he can
to make this thing stop, if at all possible. As for my employers, I’ve always tried to explain to
them what I’m going through. Typically, rather than play down my condition, they always seem
paranoid that it’s something extremely serious, like a brain tumor or stroke. Education is key at
times like this so they’ll know what to expect if you get an attack while on the job, which has
happened to me a few times over the years. Rather than dump all over them at one time, I’ll
discuss the condition with them casually during periods of remission so they’ll already be clued
in when the cluster arrives. Whoever suggested showing written information on CH to employers
made an awesome suggestion, and I’m going to follow their advice. This message board is not
only great for getting information about battling the headaches, it’s wonderful for learning how
to deal with the perceptions the headaches cause among non-educated people who have no idea
what all the fuss is about. I’m SO grateful for this website!!! --Vince